Newport Beach, California’s The Dafneys is a guitar driven three piece Alternative Rock band with a sound grounded in Rock & Roll history. The band debuted in 2017 with the full length album, “Facepaint.” Now the mononymous members; Chris (guitar/vocals), Luke (bass) and Jaiden (drums) are back with a brand new eponymous EP of riff powered, 90’s inspired Rock.
The Dafneys’ sound is big. Bigger than it should be, coming from just three guys. Playing in a trio is a great test for any musician. There is no room to slack off. Every player has to hit their mark. Everyone is rhythm. Everyone is melody. Harmonies, leads and fills all carry more weight when there are only two other musicians in the mix. The Dafneys nail it, from the ringing chords of the opening track, “I Want More” to the feedback fadeout at the close of the record.
By their own definition the band are heavily inspired by the Alternative and Grunge Rock scenes of the 1990’s. The influence is clear on the Pearl Jam-esque opening track and on the Stone Temple Pilots-style grungy riff-rock of the the EP’s first single, “New Degrees.” There is also a beautiful bit of Tom Morello-inspired guitar acrobatics. However, the band’s style is not limited to the 90’s sound. Throughout the record they blend influences from the past fifty years of Rock & Roll into their own unique and modern vibe.
“Be Your Man” opens with a groovy bit of psychedelia and Surf Rock before it kicks into a Styx-like 70’s art-rock groove in the verse. The band use vocal harmonies to great effect all over the EP, and they do so especially well on this track. Chris’s guitar playing is stellar throughout, and he rips a pretty fantastic bluesy solo here. On the final track, “Down” the group heads back to Seattle and leans hard into the space between Metal and Grunge often occupied by bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.
Check out The Dafneys’ excellent new EP via the links below. You can hear “New Degrees” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist, or watch the video here (above). Follow their socials to keep up to date on all of the current and future projects from The Dafneys.
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The Dafneys on the Deep Indie Dive playlist
