Days Like Today have just released their debut EP, ‘Vacate’, and it’s bloody brilliant. The five tracks have a great energy, a real bite in the vocals, and an underlying melody that’s just damn infectious. It’s matched by real character in the delivery too as frontman Mackenzie belts out his words.
Fresh out of Toronto, Canada, this quartet are still finding their way but are already big favourites here at Punktastic and the EP has been on constant loop at times. ‘Clones’ is a huge opening track that really sucks you into the release and it’s followed by the equally as impressive ‘Soothsayer’. However it’s lead single ‘Blackouts’ that really has our attention and it seems we’re not alone. “The reaction to the EP has been good in general, but the ‘Blackouts’ video has really pushed it forward” states Mackenzie. Whilst the video isn’t pushing many creative boundaries it does show their energetic and fun loving side and that’s always important with a band’s opening video.
What’s also key is the ability to reach new fans and Days Like Today often take to Twitter to achieve this. By searching for people tweeting about the bands that influenced them they’ve quickly gained followers. “It works well, and we feel it’s important to look out for those people with similar tastes to ours” adds Mackenzie. This worked a treat for us at Punktastic too as it was a chance Twitter follow that unearthed the band to us. Mackenzie is quick to point out that they’re really “thankful for the fans” they find on social networks though and you certainly can hear the gratitude through our short chat with the Canadian.
Bandcamp is increasingly becoming a great place to discover new music and Days Like Today are using this platform well. “People don’t want to pay for something if they’re not sure that they’ll like it” states Mackenzie when asked why ‘Vacate’ was released as a pay what you want download. “Without a fixed price there is more incentive to check out new music likes ours. It’s really the best way for unsigned bands to be heard online now” he adds. It’s hard to disagree with that approach at times and you’ll find plenty of young bands are following suit.
So what’s next for Days Like Today? With ‘Vacate’ quickly spreading, the band are keen to push on and will hit the studio this spring for a follow up release. They’ll also be looking for a route out of Toronto and onto more stages this year, but are still more than happy to enjoy their local scene. “The people that come to shows here really appreciate the bands and it’s been cool to make new friends and connections,” they say of Toronto’s alternative scene. “There are some cool bands here you need to check out…like Harbour and SayWeCanFly”. With that in mind we’re back off to BandVamp to see what we make of them.
Days Like Today’s debut EP can be streamed and downloaded below. For more information about the band head over to their Twitter or Facebook profiles:
TOM BECK