There is only one thing better than one single release, and that is multiple releases. Dropping “Digital Atlas”, “What Would You Do?” and most recently “Down”, rising indie artist Daisy Brain has treated us to angsty lyricism and electric rock-infused instrumentation as he welcomes us into his mind-bending sonic world. Making up his newly released EP “Disconnected Happy”, the new tunes are a stellar introduction to an artist sure to be making waves this year.

When discussing how he wants people to feel when enjoying his new tunes, the artist explained, “Obviously relatability, I want people to relate to it as much as possible. I want people to have their own views. I want people to question themselves, especially with what we’re going to be releasing, there’s so much self-awareness.”

Upon the release of “Down”, the artist took the time to sit down with Wonderland to get candid about mental health, his lockdown experience and his new EP, “Disconnected Happy”.

Head below to read our interview with Daisy Brain and “Down” and the “Disconnected Happy” EP are out now…

Hi Will, how are you? Where are we speaking to you from right now?
I’m good – you’re speaking to me from my living room/bedroom/studio, in my basement in North London.

Let’s start with your name ‘Daisy Brain’, where did it originate from?
I think someone referred to me as a Daisy Brain. We were just out and about, probably just sat in a park or something, and they described me as a Daisy Brain because I’m usually quite off in the clouds, daydreaming. It just stuck and it’s quite a good way to describe someone who thinks a lot. And Daisy Brain rolls off the tongue.

Do you remember the first record you ever listened to?
I don’t know, my parents weren’t music people. They didn’t introduce me to bands that I listen to now. The first that I can remember is Kylie Minogue. A Kylie Minogue song, I don’t know which one, but my dad’s a big fan and it was either that or someone like Spice Girls.

And, who would you cite as your musical inspirations?
I think a lot of it stems from music I chose to listen to for the first time. Green Day was the first artist I listened to, and I was like this is sick, I love this. My Chemical Romance were huge in my life, a lot of alternative music. Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins – a lot of that came later down the line but has always been there. I listened to Smashing Pumpkins when I was a kid, stopped for ages and would hear a Smashing Pumpkins song and be like, ‘oh I know that song I used to listen to this band,’ and then listen and be like I know this entire album, but I don’t because I listened to it as a kid and then didn’t for so many years. It’s like I was reliving that.

Congratulations on the release of “Digital Atlas” and “What Would You Do?”! Can you talk to us about how each track came to be?
Thank you! “Digital Atlas” was written during lockdown, but it’s by no means a lockdown song. It’s just a song about wanting to get out of wherever you are. So, for me, I wanted to get into the World of Warcraft, I wanted to be a paladin, I wanted to have magic powers, I wanted to fight hawks and go through dungeons and everything that came along with that world, I wanted to be in. And, I guess that was heightened because I was also confined to the space of my bedroom for six months. Then “What Would You Do?” is again another frustrated song. Everything I did to try and help myself mentally wasn’t working, whether that was reading or going on walks, getting out of the house, socialising with people, making music – doing something productive, learning a new thing. Or even doing bad things like smoking. Nothing was helping. Nothing was making me feel better. So that song is about that frustration, what would you do if you felt like this, asking that question. The energy of that song stemmed from that frustration, you’re calm and trying to feel good, reading and book and then you remember how shit you feel.

When listening, is there a particular emotion or feeling that you want the listeners to feel?
Obviously relatability, I want people to relate to it as much as possible. I want people to have their own views. I want people to question themselves, especially with what we’re going to be releasing, there’s so much self-awareness.

And, “Digital Atlas” is a representation of your headspace during lockdown! Talk to us about your lockdown experience!
A lot of World of Warcraft. A lot of Cheetos. A lot of waking up incredibly late and going to sleep incredibly late. Not knowing what day it is for a really long time. A lot of super noodles, like a lot. Not much walking, to be honest. It was great though – I fucking loved it. I loved being at home, getting furloughed, essentially being paid to play world of warcraft and write music for a considerable amount of months. I’m an introvert, so not having to leave the house for a party or anything was actually quite a relief. Post-lockdown was the worst I’ve ever been in my life because I suddenly had to do the socialising part all over again. But everyone else was also awkward, so that made me double awkward.

You also have an EP out now! What can we expect from the project?
A lot of funny, not taking yourself too seriously moments of depressing subjects. It’s quite a dark and sad but told in quite a comical way. I want people to listen to these songs and remember you can be depressed and still try and enjoy your life. If you’ve got a therapist or friends telling you you’re depressed, that doesn’t mean you have to be sad all the time and not enjoy yourself and think that you’ve got a problem you can’t fix. Depression lasts a long time, it can be years, so you can’t sit there and feel sorry for yourself all the time, make light of the situation. If you’re sad, you’re sad – I’m depressed, and I laugh about it sometimes. I’ll sit in my room and be like, ‘wow I feel like shit,’ and I have done for so long, that I like giggle to myself like this is ridiculous now. That’s the mood of the whole EP. Self-awareness of how your depression is so tangled and has been there for so long, that it’s just funny.”

To round off the interview, could you tell us what your biggest goal for 2022 is?
My biggest goal is to play in front of 700 people, my own fans. That are there just to see me. Not a support slot. 700 people in one room, on one night.