almost monday

San Diego trio Almost Monday evolved quickly from a low-stakes garage band into a shiny, upbeat pop group with glossy production and hooks designed for radio airplay. With only a few songs released, they gained considerable attention and millions of streams for their 2020 disco-infused track “Broken People,” which appeared on their first EP, Don't Say You're Ordinary. Their sophomore EP, Til the End of Time, arrived in 2021.
Almost Monday was formed by high school friends Cole Clisby on guitar, vocalist Dawson Daugherty, and bassist/keyboardist Luke Fabry. They started out with the usual meager aspirations of a local teenage band, playing shows in small makeshift venues like a nearby surf shop or a disused airplane hangar. In the audience at one such show was a representative of Hollywood Records, who took interest in the group and eventually signed them in early 2019. With major-label backing, the band quickly moved from teenage hobby to full-time job, and the next year, Almost Monday began releasing bright and hopeful alt-pop. The singles “Come On Come On” and “Parking Lot View” were followed by “Broken People,” an infectious tune with a stylized video that became the band’s biggest song to date. A Sofi Tukker remix of the track brought it even further attention. Those songs all landed on their debut EP, 2020′s Don't Say You're Ordinary, produced by Simon Oscroft and Mark Needham. The following year, they kicked off another round of singles with “Live Forever,” one of a trio of tracks that joined the title track on their second EP, Til the End of Time. They closed the year with “Cool Enough,” which later received a remix by electronic outfit the Knocks. In 2022, they joined fellow groove-based band Joywave on a national tour. ~ Fred Thomas