Gareth Daley (born 29 September 1989), better known professionally as Daley (pronounced day-lee), is a British recording artist and songwriter. Daley first became prominent after co-writing and featuring on the Gorillaz 2010 single “Doncamatic“, having been spotted by the band’s creator Damon Albarn early in his career as an underground artist on the London music scene. The song exposed him to a wider international audience. In 2011, his mixtape Those Who Wait mixtape was independently released and achieved 150,000 downloads over its first twelve months. Its success saw him promptly signed to Universal Music.
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Daley was born and brought up in the suburbs of Manchester in the North-West of England. He completed secondary school, college and University studying Design & Art Direction at Manchester Metropolitan, pursuing music in his free time. He lived in Manchester until age 21, when he quit his job as a Graphic Designer and relocated to London to focus on making music.
Alone Together ft. Marsha Ambrosius
Daley has become known for his Alternative R&B sound, which contains hints of Soul, Electronica and Pop. His songwriting is vocal-lead and puts emphasis on vocal performance and arrangement, a trait that has often defined him when compared to his male contemporaries.
Remember Me ft. Jesse J
He has referred to his sound as ‘Future-Throwback’ in interviews, stating that the music has a familiar, occasionally nostalgic feel, contemporised with a futuristic sonic and production. Daley has stated that he has been influenced predominantly by a mix of US and UK sounds and songwriters, has cited some of his influences as: Prince, Chaka Khan, Radiohead, Maxwell, Sade, Joni Mitchell, Imogen Heap and George Michael.
Until The Pain Is Gone ft. Jill Scott