daydreamers – sun drenched haze meets bleak introspection on ‘I Expect Better’

Heading into the sunny, dreamy months of spring, London indie pop four-piece daydreamers return with sun-drenched melodies and raw emotional honesty; a shimmering slice of their self-proclaimed “Sad Euphoria” sonic universe. ‘I Expect Better’ is out now via Robots + Humans / Epic Records. Riley and the gang also share a charmingly ironic lo-fi music video

Frontman Riley wrote ‘I Expect Better’ during a period of uncertainty and frustration with work, music, and relationships. He reveals, “It felt like everything was falling apart.” During that time, the track was born: “’I Expect Better’ came falling out of that period. I love how simple and effortless it felt; pretty much 90% of the demo was kept in the final version.” Lush, hazy production and shimmering guitar lines wrap around emotionally direct songwriting, creating a soundscape that feels like driving at golden hour with the windows down, even when the lyrics cut a little deeper.

Could the music video be more polished? Absolutely, but that’s entirely the point. Blending behind-the-scenes moments with the “finished” product – green screens, screenshots, and even goats. The video leans into its own chaos. As Riley explains, “The goal was to take the piss out of ourselves and let our personality shine through. To me, it’s a visual representation of my brain: chaotic, messy, excitable, and unpredictable.”

The single follows recent releases, ‘She Is A Time I’m Living In’ and ‘Good Intentions’, each continuing Riley’s focus on emotionally direct songwriting. ‘She Is A Time I’m Living In’ is a desperately self-aware love song that has no shame in being exactly what it is: an alt wedding song made for any hopeless romantics out there.
 
In 2024, daydreamers released their elf-titled debut EP. A dazzling eight-track project that positioned the band as a hot contender for the UK’s next big thing. Their debut single, ‘Call Me Up’, sparked a viral frenzy on TikTok, amassing 20,000 creations, 80 million views, and racking up 16 million streams on Spotify, cultivating a passionate fanbase both online and in the live arena. Known for their euphoric performances, daydreamers have seamlessly transformed their infectious social media hits into a captivating live show, building momentum and a loyalty that goes far beyond the screen – a tough feat. With now more than 130K followers across socials and 1.1 million monthly listeners, daydreamers’ rise has been meteoric.
 
The band has since impressed at festivals such as Reading & Leeds, Latitude, TRNSMT, and The Great Escape. Their debut headline tour was a sell-out, with their first ever London show at capacity before their debut single was even released into the world. They opened for Kings of Leon at British Summer Time and joined Sea Girls on their UK tour – including a night at the legendary O2 Academy Brixton, where their following grew by 10K thanks to their electric sets and post-show meet-and-greets.