The Daydream Club

The Daydream Club

The Daydream Club is a British acoustic duo from the United Kingdom, formed by Adam Pickering and Paula Walker. The pair begin performing together in February 2010, having first met years earlier while studying at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). The group is active from 2010 to the present and is described as a multi-genre duo with acoustic, indie, alternative, ambient, classical, classical crossover, folk, indie folk and pop elements.

Background

Before forming the duo, both members work in other musical and performance settings. Adam Pickering supports acts including Sam Sparro, The Wombats, Sneaky Sound System, Tinchy Stryder, DJ Yoda and Felix B in different bands. He also remixes under the name Lenny Picko, with remixes of tracks by Magic Wands, Defend Moscow and Le Corps Mince De Francoise. Paula Walker is a trained professional dancer who turns to music after touring internationally with the percussion show Noise Ensemble, headlining Henley Festival and working with Luc Petit, who directs Cirque du Soleil.

Recordings and releases

The duo’s debut album, Overgrown, is released worldwide on their own label, Poco Poco Records, in November 2010. The album includes the tracks The Record Shop, On The Move, The Affair and English Rain. Their debut release leads to airplay on regional BBC radio stations and BBC 6 Music.

In April 2011 they release a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl of The Record Shop to coincide with Record Store Day. This campaign leads to plays on Amazing Radio, the New Music Matters podcast, Jim Gellately’s New Music Podcast RSD Special and an interview on BBC 6 Music with Tom Robinson.

The duo also release The Night | Remix EP as a free download on Bandcamp, featuring remixes of rising artists from around the world. On The Move (Part II) follows as their second single in March 2012, presenting a fuller sound and the duo’s trademark male-female harmonies. Neon Love Song is their third single and is released as a reworked version featuring added strings and drums.

Broadcasts and live exposure

The Daydream Club perform live sessions for BBC Nottingham and BBC Tees and are filmed for The Beat Videos in late 2010. The video gains more than 30,000 YouTube views within a few months. After these sessions, Dean Jackson of BBC Nottingham and Bob Fischer of BBC Tees put the duo forward for the first BBC Introducing Musicians Masterclass, held at Abbey Road and Maida Vale in February 2011. The event invites 250 people from thousands of applicants, and both members are selected.

Notable placements and collaborations

Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer at Burberry, selects Neon Love Song for the Burberry Summer 2012 Eyewear campaign. The campaign also features British acts including Life In Film, Marika Hackman and One Night Only, and the track is mixed and mastered by Sam Bell, who works with REM, Snow Patrol, Robbie Williams and Foals. The reworked single also includes an epic strings section featuring Elbow’s violinist and Lana Del Rey’s cellist.

Reception and activity

The Daydream Club gain more than 100,000 plays on MySpace and appear on music video and session platforms including Burberry Acoustic, BalconyTV and Brixton Sessions. They tour and perform across the UK and receive positive coverage from radio, blogs and magazines. Tom Robinson of BBC 6 Music praises their musicianship, and Consequence of Sound describes them as having found the right setting for their sound.

Label

The duo continues to work under their own label, Poco Poco Records, alongside manager Mark Knight of Right Chord Music.