The World of Daisy Jones & The Six
An image of fictional band Daisy Jones & The Six
I can’t believe I have only discovered the world of Taylor Jenkins Reid in the last few weeks. But how glad I am to be here, here every Friday evening, for three hours. If you don’t know who Taylor Jenkins Reid is, let me catch you up. She’s the best-selling author of Daisy Jones and the Six, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising, and many more novels. Her book Daisy Jones and the Six has recently been produced for Amazon Prime by Reese Witherspoon’s production company “Hello Sunshine”.
The Premise
Set between the sixties and seventies in America, the story chronicles the early beginnings and meteoric rise of the rock band “Daisy Jones and The Six” led by Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, and their subsequent shock departure from the entertainment world. The series follows a documentary format where band members tell their version of events that led to the demise of the once-great band. Throw in some drugs, alcohol, sex, love triangles, and broken hearts and you have a guaranteed hit on your hands.
The Cast - Riley Keough
From being a best-selling book to being produced by Hello Sunshine there’s only one more thing that could make the show exceptional; its cast. And Reese Witherspoon didn’t come to play, she came to dominate and got the one and only Riley Keough to be the eponymous star, Daisy Jones. I hadn’t heard of Keough before the show but one quick Google search told me that she was the first granddaughter of the one and only Elvis Presley, her mum is the late Lisa Marie.
I watched a clip on Instagram the other day where Riley talked about her audition tapes and her singing voice. They asked if she could sing loud and add a more anthem quality to her voice - with her bloodlines if she can’t do it, no one can. The soundtrack undoubtedly makes the show 10,000 times better and their Aurora album allows the band to have over 2 million followers on Spotify.
Sam Clafin
Joining Riley as the lead actor is Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, the rock star heartthrob who ended up in rehab when the band was enjoying mild success. After this awakening, he became a teetotal musician on tour buses who would rather run and sit by himself than face temptation. But is it the alcohol and drugs he is tempted by or the fiery redhead who challenges his every move? Claflin is incredible as Billy Dunne, his acting and characterisation makes you want to scream at him for being an asshole whilst embracing him for being so vulnerable and lost. Together the pair’s onscreen chemistry is exceptional and you genuinely feel like you’re watching a rock music documentary similar to the likes of Fleetwood Mac.
Ah, Camila
When I grow up I want to be Camila Morrone and when my boyfriend grows up he also wants me to do Camila Morrone. She’s a stunning actress and her storyline and characterisation is phenomenal. She’s indirectly the third member of the love triangle being Billy’s wife. I was so happy when she had her moment of revolution (no spoilers here), she needed something to make her feel not just “a mom” because this is where Billy failed her. The toil of having their baby so young is evident and you can get the vibe of resentment from both of them.
Camila could have been a famous photographer yet she stayed at home to let Billy pursue his dreams. She’s a kickass mum, and a talented photographer yet was robbed by not being the band’s first choice for an album cover photographer. Spoiler alert, it’s her talent, and broken heart, that captured Aurora’s cover image. The saddest image in the series.
The Rest of the Band
Each other band member and supporting character enhances the storyline by offering alternative versions of the drama whilst also having their own secrets to deal with. Suki Waterhouse as Karen is literally the coolest person on TV and makes me want to add Suki to a potential list of baby names. Graham (Will Harrison), Warren (Sebastian Chacon), and Eddie (Josh Whitehouse) are the perfect casting for their roles. Their paths work to fuel the storyline and I could definitely write another blog post on Eddie’s character alone about bass-man jealousy.
Influenced
The season finale is due to air this Friday and I literally cannot wait. Although the sadness will consume me when I’m not getting my 70’s fix in terms of music, drama, and fashion. A word of advice to my readers I would not recommend doing a Zara haul post watching the show. Their fabulous wardrobes influenced by choices and I don’t know about you but a chiffon cape (in pink and cream) may be cool AF on Riley Keough in 70’s California but can someone break the news to Olivia that the look in Liverpool is just not the same.