Oakland dream-pop project built on hazy hooks, driving drums and distant vocals that turn heartbreak into shimmering pop.
MOODS · hazy · dreamy · melancholic · nostalgic · breezy · reverb-drenched · catchy · introspective · sun-faded · wistful
BIOGRAPHY
Day Wave is the recording name of Jackson Phillips, an American indie rock musician, multi-instrumentalist and producer born September 3, 1989, based in Oakland, California. A Berklee College of Music graduate, he previously played in the Los Angeles electro pop group Carousel before leaving in 2014 to relocate to Oakland and launch Day Wave.
His 2015 debut EP Headcase and its single "Drag" earned early attention from KCRW, Sirius Alt Nation, Sirius XMU and Zane Lowe's Beats 1, drawing praise from outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, The Fader, Stereogum and Noisey. He signed to Harvest Records in 2016 and released the debut album The Days We Had in 2017, followed by the EP Crush in 2020 and second album Pastlife in 2022. He has also produced and collaborated with artists including Pete Yorn, Hazel English and Calum Hood.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
Day Wave's appeal lies in a distinctive formula: bass or synth lines paired with driving drums and distant, reverb-soaked vocals that build into hooky choruses. Critics have compared his melodic instincts favorably to acts like DIIV, The Radio Dept. and Real Estate, noting his songs land poppier and lusher. Beyond his own records, Phillips has shaped the sound of other artists as a producer, working closely with Pete Yorn, Hazel English and Calum Hood, and his early singles helped establish the breezy, hazy indie pop sound that surrounded acts like Hazel English from the start.
GEORGE'S PLAYS
George has played this artist 6 times.
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