In the bustling world of the latest technology and newest trends, there is still a spotlight on that good ole nostalgic feeling of yesteryear. Inspired heavily by the late 90s and early 2000s sounds we all love and miss, davvn (pronounced “dawn”) is bringing us a captivating mix of old and new introducing us to a sound any Millenial will go crazy for. So hold onto your scrunchies and dig up your iPod nano and get a taste of the alt-pop duo and their newest hit “anybody else?’” Below is an interview with frontwoman McCall Bliss!
The meaning behind your band name, davvn, is so unique. Capturing the essence of that time when the night ends and the sun is rising, can you tell us more about how you came up with that and how you knew it felt right?
MB: Thank you! I think I have always had a fascination with the sunset and sunrises - I always felt like those visuals were the perfect background for the kind of music we wanted to make. The two v’s I thought was an interesting artistic choice and it’s definitely something we always have to point out when telling someone how to find us online - I also love the idea that the crowd can put up two peace signs to make the “vv” at our shows!
Your latest single, ‘anybody else?’ encapsulates that early 2000s nostalgia many Millennials hold onto. When you think about that time, what immediately comes to mind?
MB: I remember sleepovers and watching Lizzie McGuire or Mary Kate and Ashley, flip phones, and all the teen magazines. It really was an awesome time to grow up. I think it’s so fun to see all of the 2000s fashion coming back in style (except for the low-rise jeans) as well as all the music I grew up on coming back for this next generation.
In ‘anybody else?’ you artfully tackle the anxiety that many adults can feel in their everyday lives. What motivated you to take on writing a track like this which many find difficult to talk about?
MB: Well, like most people our age we are hitting a little bit of a crisis as we find out how difficult adulthood can be. I know personally for us it’s a lot from working two jobs - one 9 to 5 to pay the bills and then one trying to launch a music career. It can be really tough, but one of the coping mechanisms I have is nostalgia - which I love so much. I wanted to express that feeling in a song and also to write something that felt like Michelle Branch - who was one of my absolute favorite artists when I was young.
Burnout unfortunately can happen to all of us. How do you keep yourselves going when you feel some of that exhaustion?
MB: I am so grateful that we have each other to lean on - I really don’t know how we’d do it alone. That and cuddling my cats always helps! Mike and I love to throw on mindless or trash TV like Love Island or Seinfeld to relax while watching.
The album artwork is inspired by Michelle Branch’s cover for The Spirit Room who you’ve also credited as an inspiration alongside Avril Lavinge. What initially drew you to their music and how has their sound influenced yours today?
MB: It’s hard to describe it, but the first time I heard “Everywhere” or “Sk8r Boi” it just instantly sparked something in me. I know for Mike that song was “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” From that moment I knew that I wanted to catch that same feeling of hearing that song for the first time. I spent a long time throughout middle and high school discovering some amazing bands and eventually decided I wanted to be in one myself and make those feelings happen for other people!
Your version of “1985” by Bowling For Soup has garnered a lot of attention on TikTok for, as many commenters would say, “hitting right in the feels.” How has it felt seeing such a positive reaction to your work?
MB: It’s been such an amazing experience working on that song, and it all really was an accident! I had made a little parody on TikTok just for fun and didn’t expect much of anything. When the video hit 2 million views and we got a DM from Jaret Reddick himself, I was blown away. Bowling For Soup was one of my favorite bands as a kid and I couldn’t believe that he loved our cover too.
Your debut EP is set to release in the fall. What has your creative process been like in writing?
MB: We’ve been working on this collection of songs ever since we moved to Nashville in 2022, and it’s been such a pleasure to write and record these songs with some amazing friends that we’ve met! We try to write as much as possible about whatever is on our mind on a given day and bring in co-writers and our producer to help bring them to life and make them the best they can be.
Following that, if you had to sum up your EP in two words what would they be?
MB: If I had to choose two words, I’d say “nostalgia pop”. There’s a huge variety of influences in the songs - from Hilary Duff and Michelle Branch to Fall Out Boy, The Maine, and Boys Like Girls.
Taking a step out of the past for a moment and into the future, where do you hope to see yourselves as a group a year from now?
MB: One year from now, the dream would be for us to be on a national or European tour, or out playing festivals! It feels like we’ve made some huge progress over the past year and I hope that we can carry that even further next year.
Finally, with nostalgia on our brains, we have to ask you a few (possibly controversial) takes. Britney or Christina, NSYNC or Backstreet Boys, and do you really think Furbies were haunted?
MB: I love these questions! I’m a Britney gal for sure, I have a bunch of her T-shirts and got some for Mike too. I think I’ll have to go with Backstreet Boys over N-Sync too - it’s hard to beat some “I Want It That Way” karaoke. And I actually never owned a Furbie so I can’t say for sure but those eyes definitely creep me out!
You can stream davvn’s latest single, ‘anybody else?’ right now on all streaming platforms!
