Photo by Zoe Montini
From the South England countryside
Recommended if you’re a fan of Lizzy McAlpine, Gracie Abrams, or Taylor Swift.
Most recent release has been the emotional single Tell Me alongside a beautifully directed music video for it!
Skelton’s background and inspirations
Maybe you grew up watching music creators like Dodie or Chloe Moriondo on their rise to fame, and if so Daisy Skelton is right there with you. Whilst speaking about even earlier inspirations for her work, Daisy said that growing up watching shows like High School Musical and Hannah Montana and “watching those people perform and sing” made her realise that was what she wanted to do as well.
Trained in music throughout several means, Skelton was previously in musical theatre before going into university and completing a music-centred course. Her skill level directly reflects the hard work she has put into going down the singer-songwriter path. Daisy’s music combines catchy pop with vulnerable indie lyricism.
Photo by Daisy Skelton
Musical process and goals
Daisy currently operates her song creation independently, having fun with a marathon take on songwriting, rather than a sprint.
“I’m not the kind of person who can just sit down and bash out a song,” Skelton claimed when asked about her process. “I’m a very emotional songwriter- I’m not very strategic, which obviously I need to learn to be, especially if I want to write for other people one day.”
When asked to expand on her mention of writing for others in the future, Daisy had commentary on working in the music industry as a career.
“So, obviously I’m trying to be an artist myself- to sing, be a songwriter, release music. But in terms of a viable career path, unless you get signed to a major label, it’s not really a reliable income stream on its own. I’ve been working in retail for years to supplement that. If I were to write a song for another artist and it does well, you get some writing royalties. But it’s also about experience—just writing as many songs as possible is the goal. Not all of them will be right for me to record, so I pass them on to other people.”
Photo by Mollie Mead
As you could guess, working in such a highly saturated field can be a huge challenge to overcome in itself. In a world where it’s stressful enough to have the courage to pursue your passion, a career where you have to market yourself with confidence is hard.
“Being at uni has definitely helped me improve vocally and with songwriting, which has been really, really important,” Skelton told me whilst expanding on the realities of the music industry. “But yeah, the biggest struggle is trying to get seen when there are so many people doing the exact same thing. Like, why would someone want to listen to me over everyone else?”
Despite this, Daisy’s move to London to continue her education and musical improvement proved to be worth the hard work.
She commented on this, stating, “Being in London has been great because I’ve been able to go to open mics, networking events, and meet people through uni. I’ve met all my best friends here- people I’ve collaborated with, a whole band who played a set with me, a best friend who does backing vocals, another who’s a sound engineer and videographer. But in terms of industry people and the scarier side of things, it’s been good- I’ve definitely made some connections. A lot of it is also online. Promoting songs, you have to email people, ask for playlist placements, etc. It’s not essential to be in London, but it has been good for me personally.”
Photo by Anastasiia Fursevych
Tell me
Over the past five years, Daisy has released multiple singles on streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify, however, her most recent release is arguably her best so far. Tell Me is a song that Daisy wrote three years ago. Apparently, it only took a couple of days to write; however didn’t feel right when being recorded initially.
“In second year of uni, I had an assignment to submit a produced song, and that’s when I got the bulk of it done. Then I took it to a producer who finished it properly,” Daisy discussed. “It just wasn’t ready before then- it didn’t all come together.”
According to Skelton, at the time, the song was entirely hypothetical, which is impressive once you know what the subject is. A heartbreak song is no easy feat, as some of the best classics of all time surround relationships and their hardships. Once you’ve listened to Tell Me, you’ll understand why it’s so surprising that Daisy hadn’t just gone through a heart-wrenching breakup before writing it. Instead, Daisy claims that it was “just inspired by TV, movies, and friends’ experiences.”
“I think all music is entertainment, happy or sad. Tell Me is definitely a sad song. While I wrote it hypothetically, the message is about knowing something bad is going to happen, like bad news or a breakup, and thinking that if you say it first, it might hurt less,” Daisy explained when questioned further about the message behind the single. “It’s about standing up for yourself. Say what needs to be said- don’t wait around hoping things will sort themselves out.”
The single itself isn’t the only impressive thing to come from university work, as the music video is actually directed by a film degree student! Bryony Eldridge is a close friend of Daisy, meeting through working in retail together. Skelton said that Bryony actually asked her if she wanted to do a music video, which played a large role in the decision to release the single after years. As Daisy said, “Bryony is an amazing director and worked so hard on it. It looks amazing.” There have clearly been lots of resources, time, and effort put into the release of Daisy and Bryony’s work together, and I heavily implore readers to take the time to watch the music video!
What’s in the future for skelton?
When asked if anything is currently on the horizon for her next releases, Daisy replied, “Yes and no. I don’t have anything set in stone right now. My single came out so recently, so I’m still promoting that and trying to get it seen. I’ll be posting a lot of live performance content in the next few weeks- kind of a showreel. The main goal is to keep writing and keep releasing. I’ve got another song in the works, but it’s in very early stages.” With that being said, if supporting Daisy is of interest to you, follow her social media to stay up to date with her information.