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The Gutter Daisies: “Reuniting the Angst and Real Emotion of Music”

“To us, our name describes the ability for something beautiful to grow out of some of the darkest and most unexpected places.” 

With veteran touring musicians Miles Franco (bassist) and Mike Diggs (drummer) holding down the rhythm section, and front-lined by Doug Rockwell, known for his work with the Marvel Franchise, and Nickelodeon’s ‘The Loud House,’ The Gutter Daisies trio have certainly hit the ground running as the newest powerhouse punk/rock/grunge band in Los Angeles. 

Their socially impacted lyrics, and modernized punk sound make them a must-listen to artist, with influences from the greatest names in punk such as Nirvana, Green Day, Weezer, The Vines, and The Hives. The Gutter Daisies are, ‘reuniting the angst and real emotion of music’ while shining a satirical light on real-life issues, like suicide and mental illness. 

“Our themes vary from mental breakdowns, toxic relationships, and questioning a significant other’s sexual orientation to the frightening reality of what the shape of our nation is in… I think I can speak for everyone in this band when I say we’ve all dealt with anxiety and depression for the majority of our lives. It’s a subject we can relate to on many levels. It’s something we feel is a serious topic that’s way too common… We always make it a point to keep it real, because we feel when people can relate to something it means so much more than just words and sounds coming out of a speaker or headphones,” says Rockwell. 

Their new single, “Celebrity Suicide” has now hit Spotify, and award-winning songwriter, and frontman, Doug Rockwell has given us all the insight on the new track, their writing process, and what we can expect from The Gutter Daisies in the future. 

“I act as the main songwriter, but the songs wouldn’t be what they are without Mike and Miles. They’re two of the most talented musicians I’ve worked with… I’ll bring them a skeleton with the essential organs, and we’ll all work on putting the muscle and skin together. A very strangely detailed analogy, I know.” 

And with their newly assembled human, I mean song, they touch on the concern of social media and its effects on mental health, dissecting the backwards concept of using tragedy to gain a following. 

One thing media thrives off of is exploiting the unfortunate mishaps of other people’s lives…in reality, they’re making it worse for the person struggling, just for higher ratings or likes… 

“Celebrity Suicide” is an angst-filled, passionate anthem, confronting the way our society seems to revel in tragedy. The song is an objection against the media’s exploitation of mental illnesses, and society’s reaction to it. 

“The lyric is pretty sarcastic, and is meant to be a reflection, and a slap on the wrist, of what drives us to the dark places and the truth about how our surroundings can ultimately be more toxic than the thoughts in our head. 

…I’d say a lot of times, it’s the outside that brings so much pain to the inside.” 

Rockwell explained an incident where fans were posting selfies as a way to ‘pay their respects’ after celebrity, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, had committed suicide. He comments on the irony of using the incident as a way for fans to gain societal status, “The photos and captions were so detached. I totally get that social media is a place to speak your mind and get comfort during hard times. But I’m sorry — posting a glam shot is not paying your respects. It’s putting the attention on the “great” picture of yourself you just took.” 

Rockwell explains that he believes that their music is a way to be honest, even if it can cause some discomfort. “I wish people would be more open-minded and less afraid of things they don’t particularly understand… love hating how much I love it. It’s a very masochistic career… 

We were lucky enough to be given the ability to express ourselves through one of the most beautiful and empowering forms of art. 

It’s something we don’t ever take for granted…no matter how much of a judgemental and emotionally draining industry it can be, we’ll never be able to walk away. We would rather experience misery in something we love than be miserable doing something we hate.” 

The song is a sort of sarcastic dig at the way society idolizes the concept of, “nobody cares unless you’re pretty or dying,” The lyrics are clever, and the upbeat demeanor of the song makes it impossible to stand still. And, If you’ve already fallen in love (like we have), then you’ll be happy to hear that this is just the beginning. Doug Rockwell has revealed that not only have The Gutter Daisies been furiously working away on new projects, he also mentioned that a tour may be on the horizon! “We just finished recording a bunch of new songs with Mike Pepe and Will Kennedy — two amazing producers and friends. We’re focusing on setting up releases along with accompanying them each with a music video. We’re also planning on getting back on the road later this year!” 

Um, yeah, we are STOKED for this. And just so you’re aware, they have some rather interesting pre-show rituals that we thought you might enjoy… right Doug? “We usually wear each other’s underwear and eat a complete stranger’s meal while they listen to Enya. Just kidding (not kidding(no seriously just kidding(or am I))).” We hope he’s not kidding, but in any case, their real pre-show rituals are actually rather endearing, “It’s pretty simple backstage. We’ll all look at each other, take a deep breath, close our eyes, and take a moment to feel a little more zen. We noticed we play better when we slow our minds down…” 

The Gutter Daisies are ready to take the world by a storm. Here’s to following them on their journey, and anxiously awaiting for those potential tour dates.

Make sure to check out their brand new single, ‘Celebrity Suicide,’ which hit Spotify on January 17. You can listen to the song on Spotify by clicking here.

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