If you thought that Daytime TV were a super group comprising of Alison Hammond, Bradley Walsh and two of the frequently reoccurring auctioneers from ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ then I’m afraid to say that you are sadly mistaken. They are in fact a very talented band of lovely people who I had a quick chat with and listen to at Jack White’s very own Third Man Records Store in Soho. What the actual icky-thump? I hear you say. Yes, a very cushy day at the office was had by me and long may that continue.
For a rapid catch up of who Daytime TV are please strap yourself in for the following fact-heavy paragraph. They are a four piece that started off in Scotland around 2012 with lead singer Will Irvine and were originally called ‘Hunter and the Bear’. They then ventured south to London where Will met drumming Brightonian Gareth Thompson while he was playing at the hallowed Ronnie Scott’s and enticed him to join. Guitarist John Caddick became part of the group in 2019 and they changed their name to Daytime TV after a particularly depressing locked-down period of sitting about in your pants that you might remember. They released their very well received debut album ‘Nothing’s on but everyone’s watching’ in 2022. Bassist Chris Clark then left on amicable terms only to have his position filled by the Italian Nao Boschetti in late 2024. Daytime TV were then signed to Marshall Records in 2025, have been paired up with the prodigious Pete Hutchings (Royal Blood, Foals) and have been crafting new material and touring relentlessly ever since. Other talented people were also involved in this story but, like an epic novel adapted for the screen, they didn’t make the edit to maintain a sense of narrative pace.
Which album or artist first turned you on to music?
John: I know it’s not great to choose a compilation but it was ‘Smash Hits’ by Jimi Hendrix.
Nao: I listened to 80s Queen with my Mum and loved it then got into their 70s albums. I always loved the bass in their music more than anything as it just sounded so cool.
Will: It was the Arctic Monkeys ‘AM’. There was such swagger to what they were doing.
Gareth: Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ for me. I discovered Dave Grohl and then went earlier to the drummers of the 70s, starting with John Bonham and Keith Moon.
Listening to the heaviness of some of the tracks on ‘Nothing’s on but everyone’s watching‘ it’s no surprise that you’ve been paired up with Pete Hutchings. How has that been?
John: Working with Pete is a dream and he’s become the fifth member of the band.
Will: He is such a hero with the synth which is something that we’re increasingly exploring in our new music. He’s got an incredible synth side project called Rumbledore and is a master with PH synths. [I don’t really know what PH synths are but hopefully some of you do and Will was excited about them so it stayed in the edit].
What are you most excited about at the minute?
John: The great reaction to our new music and to touring. In October we’re touring and playing in towns that we’ve never played before, places like Bournemouth and Newport at venues supported by MVT (the Musical Venue Trust).
Listening to the band’s most recent beauty of a single ‘Creatures’ is a testament to how fruitful this partnership has become and this driving, synth-laden track is, in my opinion, a total banger and their absolute strongest song to date. With this and the other two singles released earlier this year – ‘Sun’ and ‘Pause’ – Daytime TV are in a place where things really could turn golden for them. They might even go…wait for it…PRIME TIME! Boom boom! (Shit, unnecessary joke perhaps?? Hmmm)
As this was only a quick chat we then started running out of time – I think I was talking too much to be fair to the band – so I pushed on with musically adjacent questions for the final furlong.
I heard that one night in Cardiff while recording your album in 2022 someone pulled a gun on you. What happened there?
Gareth: We were walking around some back streets after recording one night with John and Will up ahead and me and Chris [the previous bass player] behind. Suddenly a guy came up to us, pulled a gun out and started saying to us, ‘Are you lost? Are you lost?’ It all felt so surreal and bizarre that it wasn’t scary at the time, it was only afterwards when it all sank in how dangerous it was.
Will:When Gareth first told us we started laughing just thinking how weird it was but then it actually dawned on us what a scary situation it was. We think there might have been a place to buy drugs nearby and they were scaring us off.
If you could be any dinosaur, which one would it be?
John: One of those ones that swim in the sea that are a bit like a crocodile.
Me: I think that’s an ichthyosaur but I’m not sure.
Naomi: A plesiosaur, just like Nessie with the long neck.
Will (remember he is actually Scottish): Nessie is actually real. [I’m not sure if he was joking or not but his accent gave him natural gravitas and this went unchallenged]. I’d be a triceratops, I love all that head banging.
Gareth: I was going to say triceratops but I’ll change to velociraptor.
At that we ran out of time and ended the chat. I’ve got to say that I loved talking to the band and could have happily carried on blabbering away for ages (they might say differently). They were genuine and gave me a real feel for how tightly knit and authentic they are. I’d also like to say that if you’ve read this Daytime TV and are shaking your heads with my shocking recount of this chat then John you were absolutely right, my handwriting is terrible and I couldn’t read it back very well.
The band then went on to treat us to a selection of their new material. The recent single ‘Sun’ and the stunning ‘Creatures’, followed by two excellent new ones ‘Meditate’ and ‘Anger Management’. The latter being a song about letting bad experiences stay in the past and not determine your present. Will sings, ‘They’ll come for you so what you going to do?’ Don’t let the bastards get you down. It sounds as if Daytime TV have met one or two in the past but they are thankfully very much staying there and long may that continue.
I was really impressed with Daytime TV. I loved their friendliness, obvious talent, love of music and their clear drive to make this band something special, a success they genuinely deserve. Signing to Marshall Records and working with Pete Hutchings is clearly paying off and their new material is very strong, check out ‘Creatures’ and then work back to see for yourself. If I was you I’d also look at their October tour dates and get a ticket quickly as the smaller, MVT venues clearly won’t be big enough for them for very long. Future you could be that irritatingly smug person saying, ‘I remember when I saw them in ….’ Go on, do it, we all secretly love being that guy.
