Dacey Q&A

By Tosin Faseemo

Dacey is a Vancouver-based indie/alternative R&B band consisting of singer Dacey Andrada, bassist Josh Akow, guitarist Nathan Chan, and guitarist Justin Tecson. Keep reading to find out more.

How did you guys meet?

D: We met at this recording school here in Vancouver. It was about three years ago. I got into a session with Josh and JT first. That's how I first met JT. I met him through Josh, because they were also in the same class. We decided to form a trio, plus a drummer, and then Nate joined in.

Jo: It was a lot of fun hanging out with these guys and making music with them so I was like hey, let's do it. We definitely wouldn't have met each other, including our old previous drummers if it weren't for that school that we all went to.

How did you guys decide on a band name?

Jo: Dacey already kind of had her thing going. She was already making music and performing prior to us joining in with her. We figured that everything started with Dacey, even before us, so might as well just keep the name the same.

What's your creative process like?

D: Oftentimes I'll come up with an idea on the guitar and record it onto my voice memos and I'll send that straight to JT, Josh, or Nate, if I have an idea. I usually just write based on experiences. So far all my music that I've written is about heartbreak, relationships, and love.

What's it like being part of the Vancouver music scene?

Ju: It's a pretty tight knit community. Everyone knows one another. It's been pretty cool; we've met a lot of good people.

What inspires you guys to make music?

Jo: It’s fun. It feels right. It never gets boring. Being able to put words and music down on paper and create one unified artistic vision is very satisfying.

N: I get inspired by other people too. If I see other very skilled musicians, it inspires me to hone my craft.

Ju: I played Rock Band once and I’ve just loved music ever since.

D: I grew up listening to my dad's music collection. Music has always been a part of my household, so I was always surrounded by it.

What is it like making music now under a label, as opposed to before, when you were making it independently?

Ju: It's all about the timelines and deadlines. It's good to have someone on your back and supporting you. 

Jo: It’s definitely more stressful, but at the same time, sometimes we need those deadlines to make sure we actually get stuff done. Theoretically, you can work on a song forever. Even though it's a bit more stressful, at least we have someone on our ass.

Ju: It keeps us liable.

Who would be your dream collaboration?

D: I would love to collaborate with Tyler, the Creator, and Anderson .Paak. Those two, and many more.

Jo: Kali Uchis, SZA. Any of the Drain Gang guys over in Sweden.

Ju: I want Timbaland and Kenny Beats to produce a song for us. Or Kanye.

N: Personally, I would want Yvette Young; she's a math rock guitarist that I'm really into. And also, Brendan Murphy from Counterparts.

Dacey’s music video for “LUV U A LIL BIT” is out now.