Whether you’re crazy about Coronation Street, ecstatic about Eastenders or hurry home for Home and Away, there is no doubting that soaps always draw in millions of views. So what better place to showcase your music than on one.
Five piece Indie band, Daytona Lights, did just that in October 2011 when they got the chance to appear on Channel 4’s soap, Hollyoaks, after meeting their producer, Steve Levine.
“Not long after we got signed, he (Levine) got a call from the producers of Hollyoaks saying that they wanted a new and real band to be in the show, play their songs and generally have a jolly on the show,” said the band.
“We auditioned by doing a very intimate gig and they said; “Yes please”. We were given a piece of paper which we signed and then we put all our things in a van and went to Liverpool. We thought it was a very innovative and different way to launch a band and we liked that ambition of trying something new,” they continued.
The band came into the soap as individual characters who then formed a band. Eventually the band got spotted by a talent scout with the help of Michaela McQueen (Hollie-Jay Bowes). They left for London and a developmental contract at the beginning of this year.
Being a band thrown into the acting world, surely it must have been a bit awkward to play exaggerated versions of themselves? “We didn’t mind because we understood that the audience would enjoy the journey of seeing something come together like that on-screen and then enjoy the pay off of finding that we were a real band all along,” they said.
“A lot of the time they (their characters) were exaggerated versions of ourselves which was sometimes very funny. By the end we couldn’t tell whether life was imitating art or the other way round!”
Being in such a high-profile show will have gained them new fans and given them a way of getting their music out to people who wouldn’t necessarily give them the time of day. But it’s not just fans of the show that they have gained, it’s also fellow cast members as well. On Channel 4’s Hollyoaks Music Show, cast members were seen singing along to their song “Lillian”.
“The significant difference in fans since being on the show is that there are more. We are very happy that so many people seem to like our music,” they explained. “The other members of the cast of Hollyoaks who were singing along only reflected the appeal our music has on the people who enjoy it. It’s energetic, rich in texture and memorable. Like a good curry.”
But do they worry about being known as that band from Hollyoaks for the rest of their career?
“Only people who aren’t into the our music might associate us with Hollyoaks and that’s fair enough, because they are not interested. But the people who are interested and have discovered us through being on the show or through watching us play live seem more interested in the music rather than us being on TV,” they said.
It’s not been decided if the boys will make a comeback at any point but even if they don’t, they’re happy with their time spent there.
“We all feel that it’s very important to the growth of the band that we can sustain ourselves like we did before we got into this adventure. We want to go out on the road soon, promote our debut album and keep writing new material,” they said.
Their debut album, “This Modern Landscape”, is available to buy on iTunes or from their official website. You can keep up to date with all the latest Daytona Lights news on their Facebook page.