almost monday wants you to live forever in the present

almost monday might have begun their musical odyssey doing shows out of various garages in San Diego, but this fall, Dawson Daugherty, Cole Clisby and Luke Fabry are taking the cross-country journey to Manchester, Tennessee for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. They’ll be playing alongside the likes of Lizzo, Tame Impala and Tyler, The Creator, an opportunity they’re still working to comprehend.

“It just really doesn’t feel real,” said Daugherty, lead singer of the band, during a press conference hosted by the °1824 division at Universal Music Group this past Thursday.

As the indie pop trio performed Thursday in front of a graffitied backdrop featuring drawings of The Powerpuff Girls and Toad from the Super Mario Bros series, their chemistry was undeniable.

Daugherty sang two tracks off the band’s first EP, don’t say you’re ordinary, and their newest song, “live forever.” Clisby, the band’s guitarist, and Fabry, their bassist, backed him up with acoustic guitars that cascaded through the Zoom call. Finishing off their set was a spatter of “woos” as audience members unmuted their microphones.

Daugherty and Fabry grew up playing music together - seeing them perform, their musical and personal bond is hard to miss. During high school, and in typical California fashion, Daugherty met Clisby out surfing. Soon after, the three were playing as a group.

The trio takes inspiration from bands like The Beatles, U2 and The Strokes, they said. Fabry even said his dad would often parade around the house strumming “Blackbird” on his guitar.

“It was kind of cool that that was my introduction to music,” Fabry said, “and just through osmosis, I started playing guitar.”

But it wasn’t until college, when the trio was signed by Hollywood Records, that they discovered they could actually be something for real.

“It’s just been a gradual thing that’s been really cool to see,” Daugherty said.

Going into their next EP, almost monday hopes to inspire their fans to not take things for granted, Fabry chimed. It’s about focusing on the present, and not worrying about the past or future.

That sentiment is reflected in their creative process. When the trio steps in the studio, Daugherty added, there isn’t much of a method to what they do - instead they let their versatility and the magic of the room carry them in the right direction.

“We’re very just, like, get into a studio and anything goes,” Daugherty said.

The band already released “live forever,” the first track on their next EP, back in January. As for the other yet-to-be-released songs, they still can’t pick a favorite.

“It’s kind of like choosing which kids you like the most,” Daugherty said, chuckling.

You can catch almost monday rocking out at Bonnaroo this fall, which runs from Sept. 2 to 5 in Manchester, Tennessee.