Interview: Bringing Nostalgia With davvn
Interview by Lindsey V. Britt / Photos by Josh Kranich
Alt-pop band davvn is bringing the music nostalgia of the 90’s/00’s we all know and love with their songs “2002”, “care less.”, and “depressed in heaven”. McCall and Mike have recently released their latest hit “boy next door” as they prepare for their upcoming EP.
I love your new song “boy next door”, what inspired you to make it?
For a while, I had wanted to make a song that was the perfect 2000s romcom soundtrack. And I thought that the movie "Girl Next Door" from back then would be a great one to play on with the concept of the "Boy Next Door", who instead of being pined over his neighbor sees through him and wants to serve justice herself.
-McCall
How did you come up with the idea of making the “boy next door” music video like an early 2000’s teen rom-com?
I had seen the fake movie "Zepotha" trend a few years ago and thought that doing something similar for our 2000s branding would be a perfect fit. So, we pitched the idea to a bunch of our friends to star in it with us and surprisingly they were down!
-McCall
What inspired you two to start a band with a 90’s/00’s vibe and aesthetic?
I think it was kind of a gradual progression. When we first started making music, it was more chill and electronic, and we weren't sure which direction really felt like us. Around 2020 was when we really started using guitar more in our songs, and we released one called "mixed signals" which was a step into our new direction. When we moved to Nashville in 2022, we were ready to jump full into the 90s/2000s girl rock vibe and we met our producer Andrew Gomez who has really helped shape our sound as well. Once “2002”, our collab with Bowling For Soup started to trend on TikTok, we knew that the 2000s branding was here to stay.
-Mike
I’m sure everyone is wondering, when can we expect an album or EP?
We're actually planning our debut EP for this summer so stay tuned :) looking like mid-June. As for album news, you'll have to wait!
-Mike
You have shows at Cannery Hall on April 20th, The End on May 15th, and Emo Night Nashville on June 29th. How excited are you to be playing all these amazing gigs?
We're really pumped to be getting back into performing live again and sharing the stage with some amazing bands this year! Hoping to start looking at some out-of-town shows now that we've gotten into a rhythm.
-Mike
Now I have to ask if there’s a davvn tour in the works?
Great question! We're still working on planning shows for this summer but we're eyeing a mid-west run around July and then an East Coast run in October :) stay tuned!
-Mike
You’re based in Nashville which is one of the biggest music cities in the world, are there any Nashville-based artists you’d love to collaborate with?
There are so, so many great artists in town that we're inspired by. We'd love to work with someone like Martin Johnson from Boys Like Girls, Charlotte Sands, or Taylor Acorn.
-Mike
I’ve heard you’re huge fans of Hilary Duff, what about her inspires you creatively?
Her music is just so positive and brings me nostalgia and joy, I definitely want to make people feel the same way when they listen to our music!
-McCall
Since the pandemic, a lot of artists have been doing greatest hits tours, such as Avril Lavigne, The JoBros, and Fall Out Boy. How have you enjoyed getting the opportunity to hear your favorite songs growing up live?
We're both so excited to get to see Avril for the first time this year at her tour, and we still haven't seen Fall Out Boy but that's a bucket list concert for us as well! I'm loving the Boys Like Girls reunion too, we just saw them a few months ago in town.
-Mike
Who’s an artist or band you loved growing up that you wish would make a comeback?
I'm still hoping for a Michelle Branch comeback! She's absolutely incredible and I don't think she's ever gotten enough credit for her music.
-McCall
Is there an artist fans might be surprised you listen to?
I'm a huge fan of Fleetwood Mac and other classic rock music. It definitely is great to put on during the summer or when I'm hanging out with my family, they still love the oldies.
- McCall
Fun question, what is your favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley movie?
Our Lips Are Sealed! It also inspired me to travel to Australia and study abroad in New Zealand which was such an amazing experience.
- McCall
Lastly, do you have a recommendation? It can be anything, a song, place, book, etc.
I'm a huge fan of Hanif Abdurraqib's writing - his book "They Can't Kill Us Till They Kill Us" is an amazing collection of essays on the influence of so many artists on his life and it really made me go back and appreciate the music in a new way after reading the essays. Absolutely recommend it!
-McCall
Don’t forget to check out “boy next door” and the rest of davvn’s music on streaming platforms now and be on the lookout for their EP this summer along with upcoming tour dates.
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