New Kids On The Block: Daemon
by barelylocal | This article is from June 2024, so some info may be outdated.
The shows throughout June saw two newcomers to the scene, Idiots Haven and Daemon. I got to chat with both of these bands and learn more about them.
NOTE: This article only includes the Daemon interview. You can read Idiots Haven's interview here.
“We’re Daemon. That’s the name, right?”
I’m sitting on the patio of Cultivate 712. Across from me is Daemon, the newest band to the Waco scene, composed of Kayden on bass and vocals, Emmanuel on drums and Carson and Eduardo on guitar.
Immediately, it’s clear that they’re all close friends. They’re so comfortable with each other. It feels like a group of guys just hanging out. This makes sense when they tell me how they got started.
“Me and Carson talked about [having a band] sophomore year,” Kayden says. “‘We’re gonna play, we’re gonna play.’ The problem was always finding a drummer.”
The band finally started taking shape whenever Kayden and Eduardo started working at Raising Canes together.
“We both talked about music,” Eduardo says. “I play guitar and he plays bass and sings, so I said we should just get together and jam out.”
Kayden was still on the fence about putting time and money into playing for real. After all, they still didn’t have a drummer. That is, until Eduardo suggested a drummer he knew: his brother, Emmanuel.
“As soon as he mentioned he had a drummer, I was like, ‘Oh, let’s do this!’” Kayden says. “We needed somebody to play lead, so I called Carson. I said, ‘Do you wanna play thrash metal?’ He goes, ‘I’ll give it a try!’”
The group was originally going to play grunge, with Carson citing Nirvana as the “gateway drug band.”
“Then, Eduardo’s like, ‘I wanna play thrash! I wanna get people moving!’” Kayden says. “‘Fuck it. Let’s do it.’”
They list dozens of bands as inspirations. Mostly thrash, of course, but they all have varied music tastes. Other artists are mentioned like Jimi Hendrix, Olivia Rodrigo and Daft Punk.
“It’s not just metal,” Eduardo says. “It’s a bunch of music that we take and put in a blender and try to make it our own.”
Out of the four of them, Kayden has been in the scene the longest. Collectively, though, they say their favorite thing about the scene is the community.
“It’s the only place where you can hit the fuck out of everybody and they say thank you for it,” Carson says. “It’s so strange.”
Kayden mentions that the group wants more people involved in the scene, though.
“There were a lot of people here tonight just to see us and we’re really grateful for that,” he says. “But we wish everyone would’ve stayed around the entire night and come to more than just one show.”
When I ask about their favorite local bands, they’re quick to name Idiots Haven. They talk about how eager Idiots Haven was to play with them, and how chill they are.
“That was the first time I ever met them and I got the firmest handshake of my life,” Carson says.
They mention Forget-Me-Nots and Gobblinz as general local Texas bands and DogBite and Rewound as more Waco-specific.
“Also, RASURA. I fucking love RASURA,” Carson says. “I’m so sad I’m not listening to them right now.”
RASURA’s set had started about halfway into our interview. I decide to let Daemon go and end the interview. When I ask if there’s anything else they’d like to add, Carson speaks up first.
“I got my back blown out in the mosh pit,” he says. “I set my guitar down and got my shit blown.”
You can follow Daemon on Instagram at daemon.tx. Their shows are actually insane, so don’t miss the next one.
Read part one with Idiots Haven here.
