WATCH: Norway’s This Daze Drops Addictive Track ‘Skiptracing’
WATCH: Norway’s This Daze Drops Addictive Track ‘Skiptracing’
We don’t blame you for hitting repeat
Words by: Meaghan MacDonald
Indie band This Daze just dropped their latest track, “Skiptracing.” Opening with an addicting guitar riff, the song transforms into something that would fit perfectly on the soundtrack of a 90s teen film. Despite its upbeat, carefree attitude, the song offers up raw, reflective lyrics about everyday life. The second chorus breaks open with the lines, “What’s left for me/Working five days a week/Coming home/So I’m just tracing/Skiptracing.”
Hailing from Trondheim, Norway, the band is composed of guitarist and vocalist Erland Eggan, guitarist Martin Engelien, bassist Martin J. Ringerud, and drummer Hallvard L. Näsvall. Forming back in 2019, This Daze has one EP under their belt. They’ve also been named ‘Unsigned Band of the Month’ by NRK P3, which is Norway’s equivalent to BBC.
The band spoke on the single’s meaning, saying “Battling out the ever prevalent fight between internal and external forces, ‘Skiptracing’ crosses the intersection of finding oneself and finding one’s place in others. It leaves you wondering whether you should be left with a positive or negative outlook through exploiting the irony we all meet of tracing positive change without really searching for it.”
The video for “Skiptracing” is visually stunning. It opens with a far shot of the band members standing around, immediately cutting to them in different scenarios, such as crossing the street or standing on a subway platform. In a favorite shot, the band continuously gets on and off an escalator, all while vocalist Eggan begs the question, ‘what’s in this life?’
The visuals and the vibe of the song match up perfectly, creating a moment that you’d swear was from the 90s. Comparable to the likes of The Strokes and Dinosaur Jr., This Daze manages to be uniquely their own.
The band’s first EP, This Daze, came out back in 2020. Only three songs long, the EP leaves you wanting more and more from the band. Their single, “A Sign, The Truth” amassed a whopping, well deserved, 37,307 listeners on Spotify. With their nostalgia-riddled sound and their raw, intimate lyricism, it’s no wonder the band is steadily growing in popularity.
“Skiptracing” offers listeners a peek into their newest album, which is coming sometime next year. The track showcases This Daze’s ability to balance deeply introspective lyrics with a casual, relaxed sound that resonates with any listener. With only a few tracks out, This Daze proves themselves time and time again, making them a band you definitely want to keep an eye on.
