In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

Artist/Songwriter/Producer in Nashville, TN
1/2 of MEG + JAC ✨
https://bio.to/MeganDaviesMusic


Payung Teduh was created by two close friends that used most of their time in playing music at the canteen of FIB as well as providing background music for the Pagupon Theater of Indonesia University. These two close friends, Is and Comi, played their music anywhere from the canteen of FIB UI, hangout places inside the campus complex, to the lake side near UI’s Center Administration Building. Their togetherness in playing music has been supported by friends around them which then lead to the creation of a duo that eventually became the next big thing at UI.      

 

Payung Teduh was then born in late 2007 with their first formation, Is on vocal & guitar, and Comi on Double Bass. After playing duo for some time, it was necessary for them to improve their exploration in their music as well as improving their stage performance. In doing this, they recruited Cito as a drummer and Ivan as a guitalele player in 2010. Angin Pujaan Hujan was the first song that eventually known as the signature composition of Payung Teduh’s style of music. As time went by, they wrote new songs such as Kucari Kamu, Amy, Untuk Perempuan Yang Sedang Dalam Pelukan.  They also played songs written by a colleague/mentor Catur Ari Wibowo who is also a director of Pagupon Theater that wrote songs such as Resah, Cerita Tentang Gunung dan Laut. Amalia Putri, a good friend of them, also wrote songs like Malam and Tidurlah that were then added into their album. Payung Teduh then recorded these songs and released their first indie album in late 2010.  

 

In this first album, it can be said that the musical characteristic of Payung Teduh is like the music in the 60’s with a blend of keroncong and jazz music. Whenever they were asked what kind of musical genre that Payung Teduh played, it was up to the listeners to define what kind of genre that they played, in a sense that they won’t stop playing music in just one genre, but in many other genres while still maintaining the strong characteristic that they already have.

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