I stumbled across Daisy on a late-night live stream where she was excitedly promoting her upcoming debut headline show in Birmingham. Fast forward two weeks and we are stood outside The Sunflower Lounge, just an hour before she is due on stage. You’d think she would be nervous, but she has the aloofness of a well-versed pop star. 

Daisy Peacock – yes, that’s her real name – is a 21-year-old musician from Sheffield. She’s currently studying at BIMM Birmingham and is hopeful to pursue a career in music once she graduates (and based on her success already, I am sure we will be seeing her on much bigger stages very soon).

 

Daisy, I think we need to address the elephant in the room. How are you feeling ahead of your debut headline show? Excitement? Nerves?

Daisy: Oh god, mainly very excited. It’s been very stressful because I’ve organised it all myself, which I’m proud of, but it’s been hard, it’s been overwhelming at times. So, yeah, I’m excited now, now that doors are open and everything and it’s going smoothly.

 

You’re a relatively new face in the Birmingham music scene, so tell us a little about yourself.

Daisy: Yeah, so I’m from Sheffield originally and then I moved here for university three and a half years ago. In that time, I’ve kind of just been developing my music. When I first came to Birmingham, I hadn’t released a song or anything and things have just kind of gone really well. I’ve just been gigging and doing as much promo as I possibly can. It seems to have gone right because now people are at my show, which is amazing!

 

If you had to describe your sound or style in three words, what would they be?

Daisy: Ooh, I’d say fun, flirty and unserious.

 

So, how do you prepare for a performance – not only practically, but mentally? Have you developed ways to emotionally regulate and manage your nerves and expectations? 

Daisy: Oh, good question! [She laughs, a little nervously, but it’s to be expected when you’re counting down the minutes until your debut headline performance.] You know what, I don’t get particularly nervous for the actual performing aspect anymore. Normally. Today, I am, but I think that’s just because people are usually seeing me as a support act or just a bonus to the main event, whereas today people have actually come to see me – which is crazy! So, I think I am more nervous than I was prepared to feel, but luckily, I’ve got the most amazing band and friends and family all here supporting me, which is so lovely. I’m so grateful to them and they’ve been my support system to be honest.

I almost felt like I was inferior to them because I liked pop music

Looking back on your journey, what has it taken to get here? What has been the most defining challenge, and how do you think it has shaped you into the musician you are today?

Daisy: I think my biggest challenge has been learning to not be afraid of being myself, as cringe as that sounds [I reassure her it’s not cringe at all]. I feel like I’ve finally gotten to a place where I’m not afraid to be girly and like pop music. When I first came to university, I met loads of new people, and lots of musicians who were so talented. I almost felt like I was inferior to them because I liked pop music, and I know that sounds stupid when it’s so popular, but in general I was so embarrassed to admit I like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo and people like that. But now I’m meeting people who also like those artists, who found me through liking those artists, and I’m proud of that. 

 

When you think back to your childhood, can you remember the exact moment you knew you wanted to pursue music? 

Daisy: Honestly, I feel like it was watching the ‘You Belong With Me’ music video by Taylor Swift. I watched all of her music videos [growing up] and I remember just thinking the story that she told through her music was so cool. That really stuck with me, and I remember thinking I want to do that. Then I was in the performing arts world for ages, doing music very casually, but once I got to uni, I started actually wanting to make a career out of it. 

 

Congratulations on your new single release this month ‘The Middle’. I’ve had it on repeat all week! Can you share your songwriting process?

Daisy: Well, it can be quite different every time. For ‘The Middle’ it just kind of came out of nowhere. It wasn’t really a whole thing of me thinking ‘oh I’m going to write a good song today,’ so after I wrote it I didn’t think it would be one that would actually go anywhere. I used it in a lecture one day, and it was at that point I did think, ‘oh, I actually quite like this.’ But yeah, I wrote it so quickly. It was literally just a crash-out about a situation, which is why the lyrics are very conversational. The chords are very simple as well; it’s nothing too crazy. 

 

You’ve described your music as ‘songs about ur failed situationship,’ and ‘Girlbestfriend’ channels that sharp, sardonic female rage. How much of that comes from lived experience and would you say authenticity is integral to your songwriting?

Daisy: Yeah, I mean a lot of it does come from personal experiences, or at least my friends’ personal experiences. I think I’m quite good at holding a grudge for long enough to get a lot of songs out of it. [We laugh] I’ve recently been trying to write songs from other perspectives, but I think there’s no better inspiration than something happening to you. It’s also the way I deal with things a lot of the time, just thinking ‘yeah, I’ll write a song about it.’ I felt that especially with ‘The Middle’ it wasn’t this carefully crafted song, I didn’t feel the pressure on myself to want it to be good. I think that’s sometimes how songs end up being better though, when it’s not nailed down to that, you know what I mean?

I think there’s no better inspiration than something happening to you

 

A year from now, what would success look like for you? Is there any new music on the horizon? Any more gigs planned?

Yeah, I’ve recorded the next couple of single already and I’m so excited to release them within the next few months. I think in a year I’d like to be doing slightly bigger shows, obviously this is my first headline, but I’d love to support an artist on tour who was bigger than me and get to experience some bigger crowds. That would be cool. I’m excited for the festival I’m doing this summer, so to get to do more festivals next year would be amazing as well. And yeah, just finding more people that like my music and want to support me and stick around. 

 

On the back of that, what would be your dream venue and who is your dream artist to open for? 

The Amira in London looks cool, I went to one of my first shows there. Or, this is dreaming big, but Red Rocks in Colorado. It’s this really cool amphitheatre in the desert and it looks so cool. My dream person to open for would probably be Alessi Rose because I’ve literally followed her for so long and she’s such an inspiration.

To get put in the ‘Top 10 Songs of the Year’ by someone was so crazy to me

 

Your debut single ‘You Don’t Want Me Enough,’ gained major recognition. It earned you a top 10 spot in the Song Academy’s Young Songwriter Competition in 2024, and Citrus Records Song of the Year list. What did that mean to you, and how did it change how you approached music after?

Yeah, that was really cool. To get put in the ‘Top 10 Songs of the Year’ by someone was so crazy to me and made me so excited to keep going. As a small artist, and obviously I was even smaller back then, it meant so much to have somebody say, ‘keep going’ and that I was on the right track. It was really validating.

 

You’ve mentioned an Alanis Morissette influence on your music. What is it about her work that resonates with you, and how would you say it appears in your own work? 

Daisy: I just love how she’s very unafraid to be herself, and this sort of rocky and edgy side to her writing and voice is really cool. I think, especially when I play ‘Girlbestfriend‘ with my band, I love that rocking out feeling. 

 

Finally, Daisy, where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? What’s the dream?

Oh my gosh. Well, the dream would be to make a comfortable living off my music. Hopefully I’ll have released more music, in 10 years’ time I definitely want to have released an album and be touring. I want to play everywhere I can, whenever I get someone commenting like ‘come to my town!’ I have to reply ‘I hope I can one day,’ but I hope I genuinely can do it one day. I also hope I’m as happy as I am now and enjoying the journey as much as I am right now, because I love it so, so much.  

 

Thank you so much for your time, Daisy, and best of luck for your sold-out headline show!

Daisy: Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!

 

Daisy was right – her show is flirty, unserious and so much fun. It is really no surprise the gifted singer-songwriter has amassed a cult following in her short musical career; one person on the front row even had her lyrics tattooed on their arm! Daisy is sure to go on to do great things in the music industry, and you should follow her on Instagram @daisypmusic and TikTok @daisypmusic for the inside scoop on her upcoming projects! 

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