We Wanna Be Friends With Breakout Indie Star + Oakland Native Day Wave
(Courtesy of Day Wave via Facebook)

We Wanna Be Friends With Breakout Indie Star + Oakland Native Day Wave

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2016 marks Treasure Island Music Festival's tenth (and final) year on the island. The two-day fest in the middle of the Bay has always been known for its eclectic lineups, and this year is no different with throwback beats from hip hop royalty (Ice Cube), ethereal Icelandic tunes (Sigur Ros), and indie favorites (Neon Indian).


Plus, this year's move to the east side of the island, offering new views of the East Bay, is only fitting considering one of the fest's breakout artists hails from Oakland. Jackson Phillips, a.k.a. Day Wave, stunned at this year's Noise Pop festival offering a dreamy, lo-fi sound with kicky beats and take-you-there lyrics. Pulling inspiration from Brian Eno, New Order, and The Beach Boys—Dave Wave offers the perfect jam sesh for such a picturesque view of the Campanile.



A native of Marin County, Phillips studied as a classical jazz drummer at Berklee College of Music in Boston, before making his way back to the Bay Area to form his first band Carousel. While in school, everything was about the drums, but as he got older Phillips picked up the piano and more recently the guitar. "Back then I wrote my ideas on piano or synthesizer, whereas now I come up with everything on guitar," explains Phillips. "I didn't have much confidence as a songwriter back then, I was really new to it. Now that I work alone I can really be true to what I want."


With only two EPs, Headcase and Hard to Read, Phillips is hard at work on his debut album. Catch him on Sunday, Oct. 16 at TIMF.


7x7: How has growing up in the Bay Area inspired your music?

DW: There were lots of musicians from the 60s and 70s who lived in my area, and the whole place was deep with musical culture, so it was always something I was around. The people I grew up with were always showing me new music.


What about your training as a jazz drummer... how has it informed your new work?

I think it helped me pick up guitar, bass, and keyboards. Being a drummer for so many years helped me build a good sense of rhythm, and it's easier for me to apply that to different instruments now.'


I love the new "Gone" music video and the lyric detail on each of the polaroids, how long did that take? Were those all from your personal collection of photos?

Those were pretty much all the polaroids I had taken since starting Day Wave. It seemed like a simple and interesting idea for a lyric video so we went with it. The whole thing took about a day.




What are you most excited about for Treasure Island? Bands you're excited to see?

I've never actually been to the festival, so this will be awesome. I'm really excited to see Young Thug and Mac Demarco, I've never seen either of them live, so it should be a good time.


Who are some of your biggest influencers? Any local faves?

I love Brian Eno, The Beach Boys, New Order, My Bloody Valentine, and so many others. Some of my favorite bands as a kid where locals, like Green Day and Third Eye Blind.


Working on next:

Finishing up my debut album at the moment!


Dream venue to play in the Bay Area:

The Greek Theater


Perfect Day in Oakland:

Getting garlic mac and cheese from Homeroom and going to the Bonsai Garden on Lake Merritt


An indulgence you'd never give up:

Almond butter


Favorite day trip:

Sea Ranch in Sonoma

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