Static Daydream

Static Daydream formed as a noise pop and shoegaze duo in Fredericksburg, Virginia, built around Paul Baker—previously the vocalist in Skywave and Ceremony—alongside his girlfriend Jamie Casey. Their sound draws from Psychocandy yet remains abrasive and heavily distorted, capable of stripping paint from walls, while Baker’s melodic instincts keep the tracks propulsive and instantly catchy. Themes of heartbreak and paranoid isolation dominate his lyrics, lending the material a Cure-like undercurrent of melancholy. Baker and Casey first began collaborating musically in 2012; two years later Moon Sounds Records issued their debut EP, The Only One, and Saint Marie Records included two of their songs on the Static Waves 3 compilation. The same two labels jointly released the band’s self-titled debut album the following year.