Sitting in a Boloco restaurant near Berklee College of Music, the guys of Boston-based Dreamer and Son are clearly at ease. As a band of four close friends passionate and excited about their music, they should be.
Each member comes from a different background and has been in separate bands, but they all agree that Dreamer and Son has undeniable chemistry and potential that they hadn’t experienced before. Dreamer began last year as frontman Sayak Das’ solo project as a freshman at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Berklee introduced Sayak to a sea of people who shared his drive to succeed in the music industry. It was here he realized he needed to “just go for it” instead of waiting around for someone else to offer him an opportunity. Luckily, the people he needed to complete his band were right around him. “I was in an ensemble with Matt [Bolton – guitar], I’d played in a band with Josh [Parra – drums], and I’d seen Jake’s [Sierzega – bass] band,” Sayak recalls, “And I was just like, this is the super group. This is the team I want to be on.”
The other guys joke that Sayak “stole” them from their other bands, but they don’t show any regret. Jake felt his music history was just a “waiting game” until Dreamer and Son came along. Matt and Josh’s bands – Alive by Sunrise and The Oversight, respectively – were pretty well established in the area, but Matt says everything just clicked within ten minutes of Dreamer’s first practice. Josh thought he’d fill in on drums for a couple shows, but now, with a small smile, he says, “I feel content for once.” The whole band agrees that what they worked on in the past had just been the warm-up for the real race. And they’ve truly hit the ground running.
After recording in New York a few months ago, they’re aiming for an April release date of their first record titled Written Off // Moving On. And they’re already writing for a full-length record. In the meantime, they have a full schedule of shows lined up. Come May, they’ll join a small tour of Canada with Tighticus Finch. The tour is aptly named It’s Not A Phase, as Jake jokingly categorizes their music as “emo” and “sad boy music.” When asked seriously, they identify as ambient alt-rock. Sayak explains, “The feel and sound [of the record] is very intense, very passionate, very aggressive, and very in your face with those chill, ambient breaks in between.” The record is musically inspired by the more melodic sides of Kings of Leon combined with the heavier alternative bands the guys listen to, such as gates and Deer Hunter.
But who are their personal music inspirations? Jake quickly speaks up, “These three inspire me more than any other artist, which is why I’m in the band, first and foremost,” and the other guys heartily agree. This answer is so representative of the band’s dynamic. There’s no doubt that these four are close friends. Even the quieter Josh and Matt dissolve into goofy giggles when Jake brings up an unintelligible inside joke or when Matt dances to the song playing in the restaurant. At the same time, when it comes to their work for the band, they speak about each other with an almost reverence. Musically, there’s no shortage of compliments for each other. Jake mentions he didn’t play bass before joining Dreamer and Son, and Sayak is quick to say that’s what makes his bass lines unique (and “tasteful”). Dreamer and Son is also special because they’re what Josh calls a “DIY band.” He acknowledges that this is rare and gives them a definite advantage. Each member has their own equal job. This keeps the pressure off one person, which the guys consider a blessing. Matt spearheads the recording and producing, Josh curates the band’s image, Jake handles the social media and marketing, and Sayak writes most of the songs.
They control every aspect of the band on their own, and they’re very proud of their independence. This includes from Berklee. They recognize its benefits and are thankful it brought them together, but Sayak emphasizes that “everything else has been out of our own pockets, in our own time, with our own resources.” Jake reiterates this, saying, “We will not be tied down to a larger establishment. We are going to say what we want to say and make the music we want to make.”
This independence exemplifies the sincerity of the band. It’s obvious they truly care about each other and their craft. Their friendship, music, and production are all genuine. Sayak has bared his soul on the record, which is he describes as “years of stuff I’ve wanted to talk about compressed into four songs.” They want to create an all-accepting community around their band, and it’s important to them that their music is relatable. Of the record, Jake says, “It tells the story of the process of growing up and struggling through…just a lot of emotional troubles that we feel a lot of people can connect to.”
To say Dreamer and Son is an up-and-coming band is soon to be an understatement. Their strong work ethic combined with their passion and pure authenticity is surely a recipe for success.
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*All images courtesy of their Facebook page.*