Meet Daytrails | Tucson Indie Rock Band

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daytrails and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daytrails, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Tucson, Arizona has a growing music scene with an eclectic variety of artists, bands, and singer/songwriters. Beginning in summer of 2021, we formed Daytrails to contribute to this part of the Tucson community and add our own unique flare. The original sound of Daytrails was inspired by the easy-going nature of the surf rock genre and has only grown over time. After living in Tucson for several years as students at the University of Arizona and playing in a series of college bands, lead-singer/rhythm guitarist David Cantillo and drummer James Linskey founded Daytrails as a passion project. Seeking out like-minded artists with a shared passion for music and vision for the band, David New joined the band shortly after its founding, infusing a strong and technical lead guitar into the band’s sound. Transforming from a passion project to an established Tucson band, our thought process behind beginning Daytrails was to share a passion for music with other artists and fans, grow our own talents as individual musicians, and contribute distinctive and original music for listeners to enjoy in Tucson and beyond.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Musically, we’ve been especially proud of our melodic songwriting and easy-going sound. We can take our complex music backgrounds (rock, jazz, metal, indie, math rock) and create something that is catchy and relatable. We feel that our third single, “Stay for the Summer,” truly exemplifies this with its memorable melodies and personal lyrics. Even beyond our music, we strive for this personable touch. Whether it’s talking to the crowd at shows or uploading silly videos on our Instagram, our goal is to present our art to you as if we were a close friend. This has been something we’ve been working towards for a while, though it’s been a long process. It’s been difficult putting consistent time into our music with other jobs, though we are always proud of what we produce. Weekly scheduling has been crucial in finding practice times with shifting work schedules, from James Linskey’s overnight shifts at the ER to David Cantillo’s asteroid observing programs at UArizona. Additionally, our growing confidence in our songwriting and production skills has been helping us put out more material at a consistent pace. Another great change has been the addition of Dylan Stanton as our new bassist. Along with his background in production and songwriting, he has been crucial in reshaping our sound to something more cohesive. We’re finishing up multiple new songs with Dylan that we’re very excited to release this summer.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If one of our good friends were flying into Tucson, Daytrails would know how to show them a good time. Saturated with little gems all over the city and the surrounding area, the growing city of Tucson has a lot to offer to any visitor. After getting in, we’d have to start out with dinner at the modern, chic, and delectable Seis kitchen. Before hitting the trails on the formidable Mt. Lemmon or the all-inclusive Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, it’s only natural to start the day with a snack and a cup of coffee at the antique and refurbished Time Market. Turning the energy up, we’d have to take our good friend downtown to Playground, the Hut, and last but not least, to a Daytrails show at Historic Hotel Congress to wrap the trip up! If they have time, a day trip to Kartchner Caverns and Tombstone is a great way to see the southeastern part of the state.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Even as a four-piece group, we can’t do everything ourselves. We’ve gotten so much help from friends and family along the way and appreciate everything our fans do. David Cantillo’s parents, Beau and Laurie, have been to nearly all of our shows and continuously offer their music and radio expertise. The connections with other musicians along the way, such as with Noah Martin and The Basements, have also been invaluable in strengthening our presence in the community and reaching new audiences. We’d also like the thank Madi Newman, who recently joined our team with merchandise.

Website: http://daytrailsband.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daytrailsband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/daytrailsband

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daytrails

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daytrailsband

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ecxUkhgmPfEnSlvH1So01?si=15UipZ00QeKSoV6qcS7vxQ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daytrails?lang=en

Image Credits
Devlyn Aubrey