Danger Den on crafting ‘Daisy’, their love for Blink-182, and finding creativity in the daily grind.
Melbourne’s pop-punk force Danger Den has turned real-life office tension into their latest infectious anthem, ‘Daisy’.
The track, inspired by a true story of two friends vying for the affection of the same captivating coworker, is bursting with the melodic grit and early-2000s nostalgia that has become the band’s signature.
Frontman Jeremy Uyloan describes it as the pop-punk cousin of ‘Jessie’s Girl,’ a cheeky and powerful blend of angst and melody.
In our exclusive interview, Uyloan pulls back the curtain on the true workplace drama that inspired the hit, revealing the real ‘Daisy’ has likely heard the song.
He also delves into the band’s creative process, their unwavering love for classic pop-punk, and how the daily grind itself fuels the stories behind their high-energy music.
Happy: What’d you get up to today?
Jeremy Uyloan: So today I’ve just enjoyed a well deserved day off from a long week of work!
Happy: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
Uyloan: So I’m from Melbourne but originally from Darwin. What I love about Melbourne… Well I mean what’s not to love about Melbourne, am I right?
I love everything about Melbourne, there’s always a lot to do and apparently I’m living on the right side of town according to the locals!
Happy: ‘Daisy’ is based on real workplace drama. How much of the story is true, and has the real-life Daisy ever heard the song?
Uyloan: Well I’d say the only thing that’s not true about ‘Daisy’ is her name. I don’t like to name any names when it comes to my songs but her name rhymes with Daisy, and that’s all I’m gonna tell you!
I haven’t really spoken to Daisy much lately or the guys involved but they’ve all probably heard it, I mean they all know I write songs so I’d say there’s a good chance.
Happy: The song captures that early-2000s pop-punk energy. Were there specific bands from that era that directly influenced its sound?
Uyloan: I guess bands like Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls and Blink-182 are pretty good examples, I could probably name 12 other bands but yeah literally any band from the early 2000s were kind of our influences to writing ‘Daisy’.
It’s good stuff and we can’t get enough of it, we just love that sound.
Happy: What’s your favourite line in ‘Daisy,’ and why does it stand out to you?
Uyloan: “I wanna be with Daisy baby” is a pretty good line. I came up with that on my break at work haha.
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Happy: The music video for ‘Daisy’ has a vibrant, nostalgic feel. What was the creative vision behind it, were you trying to recreate anything specific?
Uyloan: Well our original idea for the music video was actually an office or corporate themed look with a bit of a storyline in it.
We couldn’t find any office spaces or any workplaces to shoot that would suit the vibe that we were going for so our music video director Andrew Bromley, decided to do something different and unique.
So we shot at Heaviside Studio in Port Melbourne. We basically just stood in front of a red background and looked cool. It was a simple and effective idea, I like to think.
Happy: Your sound blends classic pop-punk with modern edge. Do you ever feel pressure to evolve the genre, or do you lean into its roots?
Uyloan: No pressure at all. We don’t worry too much about the genre here. Our philosophy in song writing has always been that if we like the song that we’re writing, then it’s a good song regardless of the genre.
It’s still gonna be us playing it at the end of the day, so we won’t let genres stop us from writing something different or unique. We always experiment in our song writing sessions and I think experimenting is our secret ingredient.
Happy: If Danger Den could soundtrack any movie (old or new), which one would you choose and why?
Uyloan: I think any 90s teen movie would probably do!
Happy: What’s one non-musical thing (a hobby, obsession, etc.) that fuels your creativity as a band?
Uyloan: Honestly, working fuels my creativity. I spend enough time at my workplace that I might as well think of new ideas or songs while I’m at it.
And if I’m not working I guess travelling and going for walks has always been a great way for me to fuel my creativity.
Happy: Lastly, what makes you happy?
Uyloan: Talking about my music and my band makes me happy! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do so!
