Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ is the story of a rock band that becomes one of the most successful bands of its time. However, just as things had started to get good for them, they suddenly break up, giving no explanation as to why this decision was made. Years later, the entire band gives interviews to talk about what really happened between them. They start from the beginning and we see the evolution in their music and lyrics, which reflect their state of mind at different times. Music becomes an integral part of the story and to give originality to an otherwise fictional band, an entire album was created for the show. If you are wondering whether the actors really sang all the songs or if some other singer was brought in to voice their characters, then here’s what you should know.
Riley Keough and Sam Claflin’s Singing Journey for the Show
Yes, Riley Keough and Sam Claflin, who play Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, respectively, sang all of their songs in the TV show. Keough, who is the granddaughter of music legend Elvis Presley, revealed that she lied in the audition about being able to sing. She had never really sung before and was told to “belt it” in response to her quiet singing that she sent as a part of her audition. Intimidated by the thought of singing out loud, Keough first thought that she wouldn’t be able to do it.
“I sounded so bad that I started crying. I was like, I can’t do it, and when I can’t do something it lights a fire in me to be able to do it. I was like, I have to do it. I’m gonna go to this vocal coach, and he’s gonna teach me how to fucking belt, whatever I need to do to get this. It really became about pushing myself to do things I’ve never done before,” the actress said. In the same vein, Claflin also went into the role lacking the musical vigor that defines his role. “I have to say, I’d never picked up a guitar before I got this part. I had to learn how to hold the guitar, and how to strum a guitar. I had the biggest journey to go with the singing as well,” the ‘Hunger Games’ actor said.
While the creators of the show were highly impressed with Claflin as an actor they found that “he wasn’t as musical as he might have [said].” “I knew nothing. But thankfully, they saw something in me and knew that I was sort of pliable and flexible and willing to learn and wanting to learn and willing to sacrifice myself for, like, three years,” Claflin added. It wasn’t just Keough and Claflin who had to be molded to fit into the part. The rest of the band members as well learned their instruments and had to be turned into what would look like a legit band by music supervisor Frankie Pine. “I wanted to really try to create a sense that this is a real band. I was really trying to create this camaraderie that a true rock ’n’ roll band has,” Pine said, revealing that the actors trained for months, having rehearsals and doing research for their part to know what the bands of that era looked and sounded like.
The pandemic had resulted in a delay in production, but the cast used this opportunity to better themselves and Claflin admitted that they’d all “improved so massively musically” by the time they got together to start filming. He and Keough trained extensively with vocal coaches over Zoom, and when the time came, the band played in front of a real crowd, getting the experience of what a real concert feels like and what technicalities have to be kept in mind while performing on stage. With all the hard work and dedication that they put into the role, the actors nailed their parts. Keough admits that they might not be “phenomenal singers”, but she is proud of how far they have come in trying to embody their characters.
Read More: Is Aurora a Real Music Album? Where to Listen to Daisy Jones and the Six Soundtrack?
