Doomed Confessionary: The Scribe Sage (Daytripper)
Photo by Justin de la Cruz
Daytripper conjures earth-crushing desert stoner doom from the sands of Phoenix, Arizona – creating an immersive sensory experience to ensnare live audiences. With a unique fusion of infectious riffs, ritualistic theatrics, and captivating lore, Daytripper worships the doom craft with reverence for and expansion of the form. The release of their debut album, »Book I: The Trip« beckons to legions of doom worshipers and disciples of the riff to join the Tripper on this deep trip and carve a path through stone and sea to Jotunheim.
Daytripper’s debut full-length album »Book I: The Trip« was released on March 8th, 2024 and is available now on all major streaming platforms.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are the vessels of the Daytripper. We preserve and spread the Tripper’s word through bone-vibrating, down-tuned desert doom music and passages of lore – bound in a leather tome and recited at every live performance. The sages of the Daytripper dawn cloaks, envelop the stage in smoke, and transform each venue into a ritualic space where doom reigns supreme.
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
Releasing our debut full length album, »Book I: The Trip«, was our biggest challenge within the last year. Finalizing the tracking, mixing, and mastering of the album to the highest Doom standards were the first steps in preparation for the official release, but creation of the supplemental material also required the utmost care. Writing the extended lore for each track in addition to recording videos of lore readings and effect pedal demonstrations were necessary to launch our album release campaign.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Holding the finished album in our hands after months of preparation was our proudest moment thus far. Blasting the album in its entirety while gazing upon the breathtaking album artwork by Adam Burke / Nightjar Illustration was profoundly surreal. And following the album’s public release, the feedback and support from the doom community worldwide is beyond comprehension. As loyal listeners of doom ourselves, we’re proud to contribute this desert doom odyssey to annals of all that is slow and loud.
What was your biggest regret?
Initial expectations for the release date of the album required slight alteration to allow more time to finalize the merchandise and marketing materials. But once the date of the release show was confirmed, we had ample time to schedule out weeks of marketing and promotional posts leading up to the album release. Through patience and consistent content creation, we executed a successful campaign and minimized any initial regrets.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
The release show for »Book I: The Trip« saw many creative components converge, resulting in our best concert to date. Increased stage production featuring the debut of new costumes, new amplifiers, and the addition of the band’s fifth member – The Seer Sage – dazzled returning fans and first-time onlookers alike. Sacred relics mentioned in the album like the Marijuanakon and the Staff of the Bog also made appearances as stage props. And most notably, our set duration allowed for the performances of the entire 71-minute album including readings of lore between songs from the Marijuankon.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The doom community is strong, passionate, and supportive beyond expectation. The love for slow and low unites us, and it took collaboration with fellow Doom artists and guidance from wise community members to reach the audience we did for our release. As avid disciples of doom, it’s been an honor to contribute to the sonic conversation with »Book I: The Trip« and find listeners to guide on the journey.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Current favorites in perpetual rotation are Bongtower, Thou, Mizmor, Khemmis, Oranssi Pazuzu, and of course, Electric Wizard.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Phoenix, Arizona?
Phoenix, Arizona molds a fierce array of musical talents from the raw emotions harnessed when relentless rays of an unforgiving sun combine with the desolate solitude of the desert expanse. The atmosphere is rich for all genres heavy and loud. Bands in Phoenix like THRA, Scattered Guts, Sorxe, Saintbreaker, Eternal, and Gatecreeper are all titans in their respective genres. We aim to uphold the desert-tinged sounds of the Phoenix scene with reverence and expand the boundaries of the desert doom genre in our future compositions.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
So far our upcoming shows for the year are all in Arizona. Our next show is at the Yucca Tap Room on April 20th – a holy holiday observed by all fans of doom. But the support and encouragement from members of the musical community following the release of our first album has our sights set on playing our first out-of-state show later this year.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Writing is the most important task following the album release. Most of the songs for the second album (»Book II«) have been written and rehearsed, but the next phase is recording demos for »Book II« and fleshing out the tracks to feature on an upcoming EP before the next LP. Our focus on writing also includes new lore pieces for the next arc of the Daytripper’s journey. As the lyrics in the closing track of »Book I« foreshadow: “Beware the ocean / Calm before the storm / The Ship of Bones won’t save you / From the Oracle.”
How can people best support your band?
Listen to our album »Book I: The Trip« and share it with friends and fellow fans of doom. And for those craving the complete chronicles of the Daytripper’s backstory throughout the journey of »Book I«, full readings of the lore text for each song are available on the Daytripper doom YouTube channel.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Worship Doom.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well