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DAISYGRIM

Local Alternative Rock Band DAISYGRIM are no strangers to the UAE’s ever-evolving music scene. Having been on the live circuit locally and internationally for the last 3 years, the group has received a large amount of support from local music buffs and concert-goers. The head-banging drumming of Emirati drummer Sultan Al Ameri really hits you in the head, while South African/British vocalist Greg Brown balances the stakes with his sweet, comforting voice. After headlining the “Rock in Goa” festival in India in late 2014, the band has been working towards the release of their debut album ‘Who We Were’, a title inspired by Daisygrim experiencing significant changes in their lineup. Over the past few years, Daisygrim have become well known for their interactive live shows and fun onstage presence, with their music best-described by a recent feature in “Timeout Magazine”. “Imagine Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam singing over rock guitars played by The Beach Boys and Johnny Cash,” read the feature. “Now sprinkle in some psychedelia and an edgy rock beat, and you (hopefully) get the idea.” When asked, however, the group has a hard time explaining their style of music as elements of hard rock, funk, and folk seem to make themselves present throughout prior releases. The name “Daisygrim” revolves around the concept of dark and light, the battle between good and evil, the hard and the heavy, portrayed through vocalist Greg Brown’s lyrics and the band’s instrumental work behind the music. In recent months, Daisygrim has been working alongside LA producer Joshua F. Williams and are anticipating the release of their new single entitled “To Be the Sun.” The is set to be a part of the first volume of the “Go Play the World” compilation album, courtesy of Go Play the World and Fairplayed Music, a recently launched platform that supports of independent musicians in the UAE. Although the group has been somewhat quiet in the eyes of their supporters over the last year, Daisygrim has been working behind the scenes, developing their new sound and perfecting their live presence with a fresh lineup, in preparation for a strong comeback to the local music scene.

@gregrwbrown @sultan_ameri

-Grayce Aboujawdeh

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Imbue

Imbue is currently one of the greatest Arabic-Jazz fusion bands in Dubai. Their diverse roots and respective passions for music is what makes them so mesmerizingly dynamic. Like the warm August sun, Syrian vocalist and guitarist Maher Al Halabi dawns on his audiences far and wide, his graceful voice melting hearts. Al Halabi’s voice, smooth and sensual, is perfect for his genre of singing.  His motivation, he mentions, was that of a typical rebellious teenager. “I just wanted to drive my parents crazy and find a place to run to,” said Halabi. “Music was that.” Lebanese bassist Jeffery Ayache, known to be the former bassist of Mashrou’ Leila (2008), provides the ambient, subtle groove that makes Imbue so entrancing. Ayache has been slapping the bass for eleven years. “Music has always been my weakness and my strength. It's the way I express myself,” he said. Growing up in a Columbian household means salsa (and I’m not talking about the dip) for Juan Manuel Arenas, the extremely talented drummer of Imbue. Having graduated from a music school with a percussions degree is a reflection of his great knowledge of music. Arenas plays all types of percussion instruments, from the drums to marimbas to the xylophone. Having moved around a lot because of his parents’ work, music was the drummer’s best friend, accompanying him wherever he went. “Music has always been my friend,” said Arenas. Malena Avila, born in Havana, is not only gorgeous, but is also a stunning flutist. She ties the band together, leaving all those listening to Imbue curious to discover who the mysterious, enchanting woman is. Avila manages to showcase exactly who she is through her eccentric playing style, a mix of jazz and Cuban traditions. Paired with the musicians is lyricist Bassel Abu Fadel, who currently lives abroad and was unavailable for an interview. His lyrics seem to leave the audience on their toes, slowly falling in love with Imbue with the passing of every verse. The band members all met by chance, forming Imbue a little over two years ago, they soon realized that their skills complemented each other’s. Imbue took the time to thank Abbo for his constant support, and the opportunity to jam at Go Play the World events. “Without Abbo, we wouldn’t be here recording our song.” Imbue is an inspiration, a wonderful mix of cultures that’s easy on the ears and pleasing to the mind. They dream big, and inspire people to dream even bigger.

@imbueband

-Grayce Aboujawdeh

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Hasan Malik

With Pakistani roots, born in the USA, and raised in Dubai, Hasan Malik is clear evidence of the melting pot of cultures that Dubai is. Being a star at such a young age, 16-year-old Malik is beyond what words can describe. "Music was never about motivation for me,” said Hasan. “It has always been a constant in my life.” Hasan discovered his true passion, singing, when he was eight, although he had been playing the piano since the age of five. He continues to play the ivory white and charcoal black keys to this day, elegantly mixing Pop, RnB, and a little bit of Soul. "Hasan Malik is the perfect definition of a prodigy" said Josh Williams, founder and producer of Record Pro Records. Although truly talented on the keyboard, Malik was born to sing. First time visitors of open mic nights or local artist showcases are often left with gaping mouths and wide eyes when they hear the ageless, powerful voice belonging to the young Hasan Malik.   "Being on stage is all about breaking down the fourth wall between the audience and myself,” said Malik. “This is equally a sense of freedom that I get when performing –otherwise, it's as if time stands still and all the adrenaline that has built up inside of me leading up to the performance comes to stand still."   Hasan took the time to thank Abbo for starting and hosting the open mic nights, which he considers to have given him an outlet to grow and pursuit his passion while gathering feedback from other local musicians he looks up to. 

   “The informality and regularity of these nights means that there isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t have the opportunity to perform at a venue across the city,” said Malik. “Being sixteen, performance is key to developing as an artist and, with the open mics, there is no shortage to do so.”

Hasan continued to describe Dubai’s buzzing music scene, highlighting how musicians are coming together to share their love for music. “The audiences are getting bigger each week,” said Hasan. “And there is no limit to how far the local music scene can go if all this energy continues to grow as it is.”

Dubai is finally finding its sound.

@hasanmalik99

-Grayce Aboujawdeh

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Vandalye

In spite of having been formed for a little over a month now, Vandalye have been amazing their audiences with spectacular, heart-felt music. Their talent seems almost instinctual, as though it was the resonance of thousands of years of ancestors playing.

After sitting down with the band, I got to know each of the members personally. Scott Attew (front-man), and the McCone twins (Thomas and Lucas) are distinct individuals who prove that being on the same wave length with your band members has very little to do with the time you spend getting to know them. “We saw each other and just clicked,” expressed the band members respectively. “We all have our own pros and cons in different musical areas, in which ultimately helps our band work well together.

Scott captivates crowds with his voice. Thomas enchants onlookers with his guitar. Lucas turns heads with his piano playing, as well as his skills on the cajón and banjo, quite the all rounder. It’s absolutely incredible to see how the McCone twins are constantly in harmony with each other, and always synchronising with Scott.  “Being on stage, we just lose track of time,” the band mentioned. “It’s just us playing for all our feelings to be released.”

Thomas and Lucas McCone, the charming twins who reign from New Zealand and Belgium, were professional tennis players before they decided to test the waters with a career in music, they threw away their tennis rackets and created a home music studio after discovering that music was what they felt most passionate about. On the other hand, British lead vocalist Scott Attew was pushed to start music by his dad, who saw potential in him playing the drums. Mr. Attew was right about the music, however, Scott’s true calling was guitar and vocals. Vandalye seems to be the perfect Folk/Alternative band. Smooth, swift, and sensational. What more could you want?

“Being on stage at an open mic night is always exciting and even comforting; thanks to Abbo, there’s always music spirit,” they continued. “Open mic nights are making Dubai's music scene more powerful, also giving us musicians a platform in which we can use to practice for bigger things. We're gaining more and more confidence from playing at “Go Play the World” events and around other musicians.”

All in all, Vandalye are a three piece alternative/folk act not to be missed, with great plans to take their music to new height, it’s going to be a while before these guys slow down.

@vandalye.band

- Grayce Aboujawdeh

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Leoné Murphy 

If her music doesn’t leave you speechless and covered in goosebumps, nothing will. With over 200 originals songs, South African beauty Leoné Murphy is a true inspiration to musicians everywhere. Music turned out to be Leoné's first love, thanks to the musical family she grew up in. Her talents thrived in her household, and everyone can see it. In fact, her first song, “Happy Ever After”, was written when she was 12. 

You can consider her a musical fairy, with a charming voice and a knack for playing the guitar and piano. Crowds at open mic nights and local artist showcases are always singing along to Leoné’s originals (and covers). “If I could fall asleep to her voice, I’d wake up in a better world,” said fellow musician, Chris Thomas (featured below). Leoné is a weekly performing pop/folk artist at Tribeca (JBR) on Saturdays, and at open mic nights at Wings n’ Rings (DIFC) on Tuesdays, as well as JazzPizza Express (JLT) on Sundays. 

She humbly expressed her gratitude for these nights by saying “I owe a lot to the open mic nights in Dubai, and Abbo, who started it all, going to open mic nights opened up a whole new side of Dubai for me. I’ve met so many amazing artists and beautiful souls.” These open mic nights, aside from being a lot of fun to take part in, are a way to discover the artists –like Leoné – who are creating the city's sound.

Leoné said “Personally, it’s a great support system where local artists get fair played, everyone’s rooting for everyone, and we’re all just doing what we love. It's definitely helpful for new local artists in Dubai; it’s a great place to practice and test out new material, as well as a great place to meet like-minded people and collaborate with other artists."

Leoné, and other artists, are truly a show worth watching. Join us, and support these amazing artists in a night charged with positive energy, delicious food and drinks, and just pure old-fashioned fun. Who knew Dubai’s local music scene was so spectacular? Leoné Murphy, a breath-taking woman. 

@1995leone

-Grayce Aboujawdeh

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Chris Thomas

Dubai: A city that’s bursting with so much energy that it’s hard to keep up with everything going on. People from all over the world come together, and, as cultures mix, it’s no surprise that some of that energy would come out of the music industry. In fact, if you look beneath the surface, you might find that the world’s most creative output is right here in Dubai. 

Out of the many talented musicians, Greek/Lebanese artist Chris Thomas sticks out. You can find him performing both originals and incredible blues/rock n’ roll covers during open mic nights at Wings n’ Rings (DIFC) on Tuesdays and Jazz Pizza Express (JLT) on Sundays, as well as the local artist showcase at Tribeca (JBR) on Saturdays.  

As if turning heads with his raunchy singing isn’t enough, Chris also makes sweet, sweet music with his guitar and harmonica. You can feel his energy the moment he steps on stage. 

When he was young, Thomas hated the car ride home because of his mother’s off-key singing. He grew frustrated from not being able to sing along with her, but that soon became sufficient motivation for him to turn into the musician he is today. Chris Thomas is like acoustic ZZ Top: electrifying and gritty, with mad guitar skills. 

Chris is absolutely unmissable. His mere presence guarantees an excellent show, as anyone who has watched him perform might agree. Perhaps open mic night host, Abbo, says it best: “He’s pretty much a tornado passing through when he’s on stage”. Don’t miss out on Chris Thomas, one of the many incredible local artists on the rise performing every weekend at the previously mentioned locations. Be a part of Dubai's music scene and support Chris and other local artists on the rise.

@xhris.thomas 

-Grayce Aboujawdeh