Welcome to The Drop, Refinery29's home for music video premieres. We want to shine the spotlight on women artists whose music inspires, excites, and (literally) moves us. This is where we'll champion their voices.
Refinery29 connected with alternative pop band The Aces the same way that most people do when they're trying to stay in touch in the age of the coronavirus: via conference call, with each of the four members (sisters Cristal and Alisa Ramirez, Katie Henderson, and McKenna Petty) scattered across their hometown of Provo, Utah. When asked how they were coping with the government mandated self-isolation, the young women were in high spirits, still perfecting their craft as musicians and connecting with their fans across the world.
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When The Aces first sat down to pen the lyrics of their brand new song, the band had no idea of the circumstances that would surround its accompanying music video release. The group's first single of the year, "Daydream" is reminiscent of the familiar sounds we know and love to dance to, boasting plucky guitar riffs and a bass that vibrates through your body. It is a song made ideally for the feel-good vibes of spring and summer, but its message will get you through even the hardest months of this quarantine period.
"As artists, it's our responsibility to comfort people," Alisa shared. "We just want to be comfort the world and be with them in a time where it feels like things are falling apart. We're here as a breather, to help people cope with whatever it is that they're feeling right now."
"Daydream" and its brand new music video, premiering right here on Refinery29, have that exact effect. The single is peak warm-weather music, the kind of tune that we're supposed to be tipsily dancing to at a rooftop bar or getting ready to before a night on the town. Instead, we're playing it on repeat in the confines of our home, the lyrics striking a special chord given the circumstances.
"So just hold on to the memory of me," lead vocalist Cristal belts out in the chorus. "Riding in your front seat every day. And I'll hold on to the smell of your sweater that you wore in December, when we met."
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It was written on a whim during a random studio session, but the more that the band listened to the "Daydream," the more it stood out as the first single of their forthcoming record. Though at its core, it's a love song about long distance lovers, The Aces acknowledge like the single is clearly applicable to the love stories between friends and family members currently practicing social distancing as well.
"People are separated right now, and they're not able to be together," Cristal explained. "The song now has a new meaning. We're all daydreaming about those good times when we were together and when we'll finally get to e together when this is over...it's so weirdly fitting."
In the visuals for the single (written and directed by Alisa) the band opts to highlight the platonic love between the bandmates over the standard romance story. "Daydream" begins with Cristal embarking on an epic journey across the desert, hitching a ride with a stranger before driving off with his car into the sunset to meet her girls. When The Aces are reunited, complete with badass matching leather jackets, more shenanigans ensue: sneaking into a motel room, dining and dashing after dinner at a local diner. The four best friends are thrilled to be together, at long last, all smiles as they take on their next adventure.
"Doing an on-the-nose love story for 'Daydream' just didn't feel right," Alisa detailed the group's ideation process. "The energy of the song is so nostalgic and free, so we wanted to make something that mirrored being young and wild."
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"It's supposed to remind you of the best summer of your life," Cristal added.
The mischievous grins and giggles seen throughout the video are genuine, a reflection of years of friendship between the bandmates who are more like family now. After all, they've been making music as a band since they were just kids.
Since those early days, the band has evolved, their sonic style morphing along the way. "Daydream" is a manifestation of that ever-evolving sound, a soundbite of what fans can expect to hear on The Aces' next album. The project, teased for a summer release, will feature more songs to sing at the top of your lungs — hopefully, by that time, outdoors and surrounded by the people you love most.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.