What are your names?
Abby Amaya & Peter Frizzante
What is the band’s name?
Day & Dream
How did you come up with the band’s name?
We are married and have opposite sleep schedules. Peter is a morning person; Abby is a night owl. We’re also opposites in many ways, Pete is Italian/Ukranian-American, Abby is Filipino American. Pete is from the East Coast, Abby is from the West Coast.
What is your genre of music?
Dreampop, Indie Rock, Lo-fi, Shoegaze
Give us a little bio about you.
We met in NY and lived together in Brooklyn. Back then, we were playing music in other projects, but after settling down in Asheville, we eventually decided to form a new band. Oh, and yes, we got married somewhere in between all that.
What made you go into music?
(Abby) My whole family is musical. I started with piano lessons as a small child and found out quickly I was more interested in writing than playing classical pieces. I also played violin and flute briefly. In high school, I accompanied our school choir and then in college, I learned how to play a few guitar chords and did a little singer/songwriter stuff before I started joining various rock bands.
(Peter) I was a band kid in grade school where I first played the trumpet. By the time I was in middle school I started to learn guitar and played in a bunch of garage and punk bands in my teenage years. I took some classes in classical guitar in college and have practiced many different styles over the years.
Who are your influences?
We love Stereolab, Beach Fossils, Men I Trust, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Munya. Also, our guilty pleasure is 80s & 90s music – The Police, New Order, Nirvana, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Smiths, MBV, Slowdive, Mazzy Star, Hall & Oats, Phil Collins, Weezer. We also love the Beatles, the 60s, surf music.
Personal Faves:
(Abby) Far Caspian, Yumi Zouma, Jay Som, Hazel English, The Cardigans, The Sundays, Wild Nothing, Rilo Kiley, Tennis, and many more.
(Pete) John Frusciante, Thom Yorke, Blonde Redhead, Aphex Twin, Television, Lunar Vacation, Penelope Isles, Scarypoolparty, Khruangbin, Real Estate, Modest Mouse
Are you signed?
Lilystars Records (Philippines) – Manila’s finest indie pop label
You released your latest album ‘The Art of Remembering’, tell us more about the album.
This album felt schizophrenic because we involved 4 studios, 5 session musicians and 4 sound engineers in different cities, states, and countries. Cohesively, it all comes down to writing. We have been in numerous bands, and find the best outcomes involve a strong singular vision of 1-2 people. Pete & I write all the music & I do all the melodies/lyrics. We are attached to each song & truly believe in each one.
What is the meaning behind the album?
(Abby) The album centers on memories. The working title I had was “Memory Foam” because I have scoliosis and I am a mess without my memory foam mattress & pillow. We wanted to play on the idea of memories and that frustration when you have a very vivid dream but can’t remember it upon waking. As we get older, we reflect about our lives and the truth that they are really nothing else but our perceived memories.
(Peter) When we live in the past we’re depressed, and if we live in the future, we’re anxious. Sometimes holding onto certain memories can be painful, so our interpretation is that there’s a meaningful way to hold onto dear memories and access them when it’s appropriate; there’s an art to it, hence the title.
What was the writing and recording process like?
We have plenty of songs waiting in the wings, so probably the hardest part is when we need to agree on which songs are worthy. We are very harsh critics of each other’s work, but it is only because we want the best creative outcome. At first, agreeing was hard because our styles are not exactly a match, but now I think we’re super dialed into our sound. Our dog is also helpful – she seems to stay in the music room if she likes what we’re doing, and leaves when it’s the opposite. We involve a lot of maj 7th, min 7ths and 6th chords, typical jazz chords, that include layering of many different effects. You will also notice the many different tonal qualities on the guitars and keyboards. We like to keep the sounds fresh; tonal sculpting is very important.
Describe each track in two words.
Security Blanket – Abby Scared-y-cat
Rabbit Hole – Red Pill
Separation Anxiety – Zeppi Flower (our dog)
Cabin Fever – Quarantine Life
Up All Night – Can’t Sleep
Paralysis By Analysis – Overthinking Again
It’s All Over Now – Apocalypse Party
In Your Head – Psycho Somatic
When You Wake – Eternal Sunshine
Dissolve – Mom Maui
Soft/Softer – Asheville Vibe
Who did you work with on the album? We selected different bassists & drummers for these songs based on their talents. Every musician was played a demo and then we gave freedom for them to play what they feel and provided feedback. Generally speaking the song structures are simple, there’s moments when there’s mildly flashy playing. Pretty much every collaborator on this album plays in multiple bands, and we had trust in their abilities. Locally, we recorded with Matt Tobia (Bass), Erik Jan (Bass) & Jake Cavinder (Drums).The other half of the album was done with talented friends in Atlanta, Dan Hyman (Bass) & Matt Hendler (Drums) who we’ve played live shows with in the past. Because we didn’t have a regular live drummer, we also got to play around with programming our own beats. We normally do this for demos, but it was fun to put them on finished tracks for the album.
Will we see a Music video for any of the tracks and if so, what can we expect from the creative process?
We have plans to shoot videos for Separation Anxiety, In Your Head, Up All Night, and It’s All Over Now. Stay tuned on our Youtube!
You are at SXSW 2022, how has the atmosphere been?
It feels like a crazy international overdue party, since SXSW in the flesh last happened in 2019. While waiting at a food truck, for example, we met people from Canada, England, and Lithuania. There is a strong electric current of energy along with all the big celebrity names, like Beck, Dolly Parton, various movie stars. There’s also so many opportunities for musicians, both official and unofficial, and it’s easy to have a very full schedule. One artist we met told us he had 4 shows set for one day! I came to SXSW in 2010 and Austin feels different, a bit larger and less artistic. Overall, we’re a little overwhelmed but are having so much fun!
What has been your best memory, and did you catch any new artist to shout about?
We had fun watching the British Embassy Showcase at Cedar Courtyard, as well as the Paste Magazine 20th Anniversary Party. In terms of sets, Lunar Vacation and Bodywash come to mind. We also filmed a live session with Tracked Music out of London in this cute backyard garden, and that was very memorable with warm vibes all around. We’re also big foodies, so we tried to hit up some local favorites (like Terry Black’s BBQ & Ramen Tatsu-ya) and ate like pigs. Eating well is the best part of touring!
Do you have any live shows or a tour coming up and if so let us know where we can catch you at?
We will be playing a lot locally here in the Southeast, and Asheville. We’re in the planning stages of possibly playing in Asia, where our label is based.
What else can we expect in 2022?
Still writing new music, playing lots of shows, and filming/editing videos!
Will we see any collaborations and if so, can you tell us more about them?
We are planning to record next at Drop of Sun, which is a local Asheville studio owned by Animal Collective. Some really great artists like Wednesday, Indigo de Souza, Snail Mail, and Angel Olsen have worked there. Definitely open to collaborating with some like minded musicians.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Hopefully, still rocking and basking in good health and happiness.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
(Abby) Have fun! And if I’m nervous, I remind myself – Be fierce & ferocious!
(Pete) Iron sharpens iron.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Water, Gear, Gum, Merch, ID
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
YEP! https://linktr.ee/dayanddream
