- Film And TV
- 02 Mar 23
Prime Video's massively anticipated adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's bestselling 2019 novel Daisy Jones & The Six arrives Friday, March 3rd.
Based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & The Six is a limited musical-drama series detailing the rise and precipitous fall of a renowned rock band. Partially inspired by Fleetwood Mac legends Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's relationship, the chemistry between romantic leads and the band of actors makes it a show you won't resist bingeing.
In 1977, Daisy Jones & The Six were on top of the world. Fronted by two charismatic lead singers—Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin)—the band had risen from obscurity to fame. And then, after a sold-out show at Chicago's Soldier Field, they called it quits. Now, decades later, the band members finally agree to reveal the truth.
This is the story of how an iconic band imploded at the height of its powers, from creators Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber.
Advertisement
The Ensemble
The series stars Riley Keough as Daisy Jones, Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne, Camila Morrone as Camila Dunne, Will Harrison as Graham Dunne, Suki Waterhouse as Karen Sirko, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie Roundtree, Sebastian Chacon as Warren Rojas, Nabiyah Be as Simone Jackson, and Tom Wright as Teddy Price, with a special guest appearance by the brilliantly charismatic Timothy Olyphant as tour manager Rod Reyes. The deep-rooted connection between the entire cast shines through the screen, with the actors essentially learning how to become a real performing band for months during the pandemic. Their bond, therefore, isn't forced. The show was also executive produced by Reese Witherspoon, who rarely sees a televised or cinematic adaptation of a beloved book go awry.
The Soundtrack
The series will feature all original songs written and produced by Grammy nominated producer Blake Mills (Phoebe Bridgers, Marcus Mumford and Jackson Browne) and a number of other talented co-writers. The already stellar folk-pop bangers written for the series by the American songwriter made up a fictional album, Aurora - inspired by Rumours. The fictional album which zooms to the top of the charts in the book, is now an in-real-life record – cut in several stressful weeks at iconic California spot Sound City Studios. The bluesy standout single ‘Regret Me’ stuffed with catchy hooks and an instant earworm chorus, and 'Honeycomb' is one of the most addictive tracks to consume.
Riley Keogh
The daughter of the late Lisa-Marie Presley and granddaughter of Elvis clearly inherited boatloads of raw talent. Daisy Jones, who choses a new name after a childhood of neglect, is a hell of a role, and Riley Keough grabs it with both hands. Jones blazes through the Six, with an impassioned sense of what she wants to achieve and an inability to acknowledge the obstacles in her way. Keough and, to an extent, Claflin are such magnetic presences, but especially when Billy is watching Daisy, trying not to fall in love. How could he not, when he hears how passionate her voice is? You can't look away from her when she performs.
Advertisement
Queer Disco Gets Its Flowers
Nabiyah Be portrays the role of Simone Jackson, a then-closeted disco pioneer who is brutally shunned by the industry despite her talent. When she meets Bernie, a club promoter and DJ who sees right through her, Simone's life is changed forever. Seeing the rise of disco in '70s New York is one of the better plot points, with queer joy radiating through the dancefloors of freedom. Be is exceptional in her part, and her chemistry with the ice-cool Bernie is electric. Also, queer Black artists kickstarted nearly every genre of music, including rock 'n' roll, so it's about time they got more credit.
The Rock 'n' Roll 70s
From wardrobe to set design, the makers of Daisy Jones truly went all out to bring the 1970s rock era in Los Angeles to life. There's plenty of sex, drugs and everything in between, with scenes in beautiful Greek islands to give you a reprieve from Hollywood. For inspiration, TV and film hairdresser Maryann Hennings took The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen as inspiration for the male characters. "I googled a lot of hot rock stars and started there," as she told PEOPLE. ""ut the women — Suki Waterhouse, who plays Karen Sirko, I just [thought] Brigitte Bardot. Every time I looked at her, I could just see her with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and big blonde, beautiful hair. Of course Riley, who played Daisy Jones, that girl is a chameleon. I mean, she turns into the character she's supposed to be. I just saw Stevie Nicks, who is like hyper-feminine, intuitive and bohemian."
Daisy Jones & The Six is available to stream on Prime Video from Friday, March 3rd.
Advertisement
Stay tuned for an interview with Sam Claflin and Camila Morrone in the March issue of Hot Press.