Almost Monday / Ethan Surman
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Almost Monday
Image courtesy of the artist
Ethan Surman
Image courtesy of the artist
After countless garage jams, D.I.Y. gigs in the back of a surf shop, and innumerable hours writing together, Almost Monday bottles California sunshine in its funky basslines, ecstatic choruses, and danceable grooves. It turns out the world needed some Cali rays during the pandemic, as the band managed to emerge in 2020 with an unprecedented 30 million overall streams, uplifting audiences everywhere in the process.
The San Diego trio—Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass)—crafted their 2020 debut EP, don’t say you’re ordinary, in Brooklyn and Los Angeles with producers Mark Needham (the Killers, Fleetwood Mac) and Simon Oscroft (the Naked and Famous, DREAMERS). don’t say you’re ordinary ignited a string of buzzing anthems, beginning with “parking lot view” and “come on come on.” Meanwhile, the lead single, “broken people,” and the Sofi Tukker remix, crystallized the band’s sun-kissed signature style with a bold bass bounce and empowering refrain, as it has generated nearly 32 million combined audio and video streams so far and cracked the top 20 at Alternative Radio.
Along the way, the band has attracted a growing fan base through a combination of danceable rhythms and uplifting hooks. In 2021, they set the stage for their second EP, til the end of time, with “live forever” receiving praise from Earmilk, Flaunt, Ones to Watch, and more, right out of the gate. Additionally, Alternative Press touted it and included them among “40 New Artists You Need to Hear in February,” and GQ Australia predicted them to be one of “21 Breakout Musicians to Know in 2021.” Upon its release in July, the EP received additional praise from Forbes.
The band also made their festival debut at Lollapalooza and will continue their run at Summerfest, Bonnaroo, BottleRock, and Firefly later this year. With the release of their new single, “cool enough,” Almost Monday only accelerates their momentum, emerging as the consummate purveyors of future-facing California pop.
At the age of 20, Berklee student and Toronto-based artist Ethan Surman has spent a lifetime honing his craft as a true multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. His work is a melding of pop music fervor and static bedroom recordings, rounding out an eclectic sound that skirts the lines of R&B, indie, and hip-hop.