“Indie rock kind of becomes work, so I listen to way more rap than I used to, and singer-songwriter stuff,” Van Houtven said.
As Pajama Day matures as a band, it hopes to continue to evolve and mature its music.
“I think definitely a certain level of self critique has to happen,” Gotelli said. “Like Louis said earlier, trying to think of it as a bit of a job, but not in the dull, boring, monotonous way, more like putting a lot of time and commitment into it and really taking it seriously.”
Pajama Day’s music is available on all streaming platforms.
Wake Moody
Wake Moody was surrounded by the classical R&B stylings of Earth Wind & Fire, Bill Withers and Al Green growing up. These artists were all staples in forming Moody’s musical personality.
“In high school and college, I got into indie rock, and then I just ended up gradually going back to that comfort food, the kind of root of what I got into musically at the beginning, the R&B, the soul-classic stuff,” Moody said.
He studied media and journalism and music at UNC, but music is what stuck with him post-graduation.
“It has just been the one thing I'm best at at any point, and at this point it's the way I can make the most money, have the most fun, make the most meaningful connections and make the most meaningful memories,” Moody said.
As a musician, he has challenged himself to go beyond playing the piano and guitar, and he now finds joy in producing as well. As an artist, he continues to gravitate to anything that involves music.
“If I'm getting to be a musician, that's the victory I needed, so pretty much I'll say yes to anything that keeps me in the world of music,” he said.
Wake Moody’s music is available on all streaming platforms.
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Dan Kelo
As a musician with experience in multiple styles of music and multiple instruments, Dan Kelo finds himself meshing well in the band he plays with, called Harbors — and succeeding as a solo artist. Kelo has played various styles of music including folk, pop, indie rock and electronica.
“I guess it's being able to express different parts of my musical self, he said. “I feel like I'm a slightly different person in each of these contexts, but down deep it's all the same.”
Kelo has three projects that he’s working on: a solo project, a project with Harbors and a fake band project under the pseudonym “Ever Glo”. His reasoning is to appeal to those who look for a younger face in music.
“I'm getting older, I want to be able to compete in a space with the indie rock stuff that's out there that's being put out by much younger people,” he said. “I think if they actually knew who I was behind this thing, it would generate less interest.”
In Kelo’s work with the Harbors, he shares his classic guitar styling with modern, eclectic songwriter and guitarist Michael Itzkin to create a cohesive sound.
With Itzkin being the songwriter for Harbors, he has more time to focus on his own projects and spend time with his two children. His life experiences have helped him to define his own sound and discover the type of musician he wants to be.
“What is it that I'm trying to be at the core, is somebody who creates music that can touch people,” he said. "I'm not looking to blow people's minds with virtuosity, I'm looking to move them in some way.”
Kelo said his record with the Harbors is set to be released in less than a month.
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