Maren Morris Felt ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ Is an Accurate Picture of Life as a Musician
Is Daisy Jones & The Six a cliché of ‘70s rock’n’roll, or a fresh reimagination of the novel of the same title? Critics are split, but for country artist Maren Morris, the series gets a few key things right. The Prime Video limited series follows the rise and fall of a fictional band modeled after Fleetwood Mac.
Daisy (Riley Keough) is a troubled aspiring star with a knack for songwriting. Frontman Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) is seeking to redeem himself when he and The Six are stiff-armed into collaborating with Daisy, who eventually joins the band. The collaboration of Daisy’s lyrical prowess and stage presence combined with Billy’s magnetism and drive to overcome his demons create a powder keg of emotion that is enthralling, if a bit predictable.
Morris and Marcus Mumford covered ‘Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)’ from the series’ soundtrack
In the 10-episode series, Daisy and Billy’s first recording together is for “Look at Us Now,” which Billy originally calls “Honeycomb.” It’s a seminal moment for the rest of the series: Billy is attempting to mend fences with his band and his wife, Camila (Camila Morrone), while Daisy breezes in and rewrites the song — effectively making it a much bigger hit than the original.
Marcus Mumford, who rose to fame in the band Mumford & Sons, worked with producer Blake Mills to write the track for the series and the accompanying album Aurora. The album and the series both premiered on March 3, with significant attention on both. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart and No. 10 on all albums.
As a follow-up exclusive for Amazon Music, Mumford covered the single with Morris. The duo followed the setup that Billy and Daisy did, recording together in the studio and working on how they wanted their unique version to sound.
Morris said recording the cover like Daisy and Billy did lead to ‘magical moments’
Mumford said that for the recording with Morris, they stripped the song back to just vocals and acoustic guitar, and they layered on elements they both wanted. The result keeps the essence of what Daisy and Billy record on screen but with touches that bring the song into the current era. For Morris, the experience was all the more powerful because the duo recorded it together in person rather than just layering voices in the mixing process.
“I love being in the room and singing with someone live,” Morris told Entertainment Weekly. “I think you get those magical moments when two singers are in the studio together, facing each other, singing at one another.” Morris said that shows attempting to depict what it takes to find success as a band or emerge as a star on tour “so often get it wrong.” However, one creative choice in Daisy Jones helped keep the show based in reality.
“One of the components of Daisy Jones is that they chose to ground this fictional universe with real songwriting.” Morris said. “The music in the show that Blake Mills created and the incredible performances by the actors gives this world a heartbreaking authenticity.”
The Amazon Prime series received mixed reviews from critics and fans
The effort to create a hit TV series paired with the release of a studio album is no easy feat. And while the show attempts to celebrate one of the greatest eras of rock music, some critics say it ultimately falls short. New York Times television critic Mike Hale writes that the series tries to evoke pure nostalgia for the ‘70s music scene but compares it to artificial sushi: “The flavor is artificial, like rock ’n’ roll surimi,” he writes.
Other top critics on Rotten Tomatoes pan the series for leaving out key elements from the book that would have helped it shine and for run-of-the-mill stereotypes of love triangles, drug use, and those on the quest for fame at all cost. However, there are plenty of fans for every naysayer: Critics on the platform still average out to a 71% fresh score, and audiences rate it at a higher 78%. Many applaud Keough’s performance in particular, and one critic called it “magnetic and high-energy.”
All episodes of Daisy Jones & The Six Season 1 are streaming on Prime Video.
