daughter - doing the right thing

Helen Hennessey

This is a very exciting time for fans of indie-folk three piece Daughter. For the first time since 2013 the group is preparing to release new material, starting with their single Doing The Right Thing released in October. Even those who are not active fans of Daughter are likely to recognise their hit song Youth, which gained popularity in the indie music world after its release in 2012. The song was not only frequently circulated on the radio, but was featured in numerous television shows and films including Grey’s Anatomy, and Skins. There’s no mystery as to why Youth gained such popularity, as the tune does an incredible job of encapsulating the darker side of growing up. Lines like “our minds are troubled by the emptiness” and “if you’re still bleeding you’re the lucky ones/ ‘cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone”, reflect the apathetic tendency of broken-hearted youths.

Both Youth and Doing The Right Thing exemplify Daughter’s highly developed lyrical ability to translate the extremely personal, inner monologues of people. All of Daughter’s work run along the theme of trying to understand one’s self in relation to interpersonal relationships, as well as with the changing of time. It is unsurprising therefore that their songs frequently deal with mental anguish. Doing The Right Thing also explores the darker edge of life, but instead of describing love-defeated young people, it conquers the complexities of the later stages of life. This shift does not necessarily translate to maturity, in fact the majority of this song indicates insecurity and fear of this next stage. One of the most poignant lines from the song is: “I’ll call out in the night for my mother/ But she isn’t coming back for me”. This tragic desire for help that will never come again comments on the more sinister and permanent side to adult independence. The song ends with the line: “And they’re making children/ Everyone’s in love/ I just sit in silence/ Let the pictures soak”, solidifying the overall message of fear of social failure and resulting apathy.

Musically, Daughter’s songs occupy a very eerie, almost fluid sound. Singer Elena Tonra’s voice meshes perfectly with Igor Haefeli’s guitar, and the powerful percussion of Remi Aguilella. The seamlessness of their sound makes the music feel like a continuation of the listener’s own inner monologue, which only reinforces the power of the lyrics. The group is also very good at manipulating silence and using the power of crescendo, making their albums and live performances mesmerising to say the least. If Doing The Right Thing is representative of the new album, Not To Disappear, set to release on 15th of January 2016, it is clear that the new material will not be a reinvention of the band, but rather a continuation of their past work. Those interested in Daughter should listen to their EPs His Young Heart and Wild Youth,and their album If You Leave, but perhaps less obvious is to also seek out their live work in Air Studio featuring a string orchestra-the combination of all those talented musicians is simply beautiful.