When Rachel Bruch approached Dylan Daquano in their first year Theory of Music class, neither of them realized that her invitation to play together would really go anywhere. “I had seen him around and based on him wearing a hat, I figured that he plays music that isn’t just classical,” Bruch, one half of Wilfrid Laurier University-based band Raydea, reminiscenced. “Then one day he had his guitar case with stickers on it and I was like ‘okay he definitely plays guitar.’ I missed playing my own music from high school … I asked him if he played and it was meant to be.”
The two began by jamming in each other’s dorm rooms. They then began to play the occasional coffee house. It wasn’t until Bruch came back from her semester off that they began to get serious but most importantly find a name. Eventually they settled with Raydea.
“It’s the first two letters of [my] name and the first two letters of [Rachel’s] name. It’s pronounced Ray-Dee-A,” said Daquano.
“The toughest part is coming up with a name, I think. In high school, I was in a band but we never came up with a name. We were just Rachel and Andrew … I wanted to stick to the theme of having something to do with my actual name,” chimed in Bruch.
Despite only being an official band since January, both Bruch and Daquano are already prepared to be in it for the long haul. They’ve begun planning for the summer: busking in Germany, applying to play at festivals and playing at local venues. They both plan to stay in Waterloo for the summer to fully dedicate themselves to the band.
“It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s not stressful, we’re playing more than I’ve played in a long time. In the past month, we’ve played six or seven times [at different venues],” he said.
Daquano is a second-year music student, with a focus on teaching music, while Bruch began in music but is now a second-year global studies student who hopes to double major in vocal or music therapy as well.
Despite their backgrounds in music, both acknowledge that classical music did not influence them, though Bruch admits that being classically trained as a vocalist and a violinist has given her the confidence to perform.
“I do think learning the classical stuff at school really helped me hear out new chords and progressions that I probably could’ve figured out but now I know what’s going on … it definitely helps to have the classical training,” she said.
It also helps that both Daquano and Bruch have been in previous bands.
“[My previous band] was kind of similar [to this one]. He played with a loop pedal and I didn’t play guitar at this point. It was a less full sound … much more simplistic,” said Bruch about her previous band.
Daquano did not actually start out in folk music, but rather metal and punk.
“I’ve always liked metal, hardcore punk and stuff like that. But at the same time, I was listening to Alexisonfire and they had Dallas Green and he was one of the first guys to get me into stuff like that,” he said.
In spite of being classified as a “folk” band, neither Bruch nor Daquano really think they fall into that category.
“When I tell people we are ‘folky’, I don’t actually think we’re that folky. I mean we’re not singer/songwriters, three chord stuff really … it’s just hard to describe.”
“We could be indie, but what does that mean?” philosophized Bruch.
To keep updated with Raydea, like their Facebook page at facebook.com/raydeamusic and follow them on Twitter at @raydeamusic.