Daley

Gareth Daley, known professionally as Daley, was born and raised in South Manchester, England. Before pursuing music full-time, he studied Design & Art Direction at Manchester Metropolitan University and worked as a Graphic Designer, video editor, and animator. At the age of 21, he relocated to London to focus on his music career. His early involvement in the UK live music scene included performing at open-mic nights and industry showcases such as ‘Troy Bar,’ ‘iluvlive,’ and ‘Wired.’ During this period, he shared stages with artists like Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Emeli Sande, and Maverick Sabre, many of whom he later collaborated with or supported on tour.

Daley’s career gained significant momentum in 2010 when he caught the attention of Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn. This led to a collaboration on the animated band’s ‘Plastic Beach’ album, where Daley co-wrote and provided lead vocals for the 2011 single “Doncamatic.” Following this, he joined the ‘Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour,’ performing alongside notable artists such as Little Dragon, De La Soul, Lou Reed, and Snoop Dogg. “Doncamatic” received early support from BBC Radio 1Xtra, which helped propel Daley into the spotlight, leading to a BBC Introducing feature and recording sessions at Maida Vale Studios.

In 2011, Daley released his independent mixtape, ‘Those Who Wait,’ which garnered 50,000 downloads in its first month and 150,000 downloads overall, establishing his alternative R&B sound. He later signed with Universal Music (Polydor Records in the UK and Republic Records in the US), achieving Billboard chart success with singles like “Alone Together” featuring Marsha Ambrosius, the Pharrell Williams-produced “Look Up,” and “Until the Pain Is Gone” featuring Jill Scott. His official debut studio album, ‘Days + Nights,’ was released in 2014, followed by ‘The Spectrum’ in 2017, which included collaborations with multi-Grammy winner Jill Scott.