Who are the brothers in Daisy Jones and the Six?

IF YOU’RE A fan of Almost Famous, regularly listen to Fleetwood Mac’s discography or have a penchant for flares — no doubt you’ll worship Daisy Jones & the Six.

Prime Video’s upcoming ’70s-set series, based on the global bestseller of the same name, has been more than five years in the making. The producers even got a first look at the fictional novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, years before its release — revealing to Vanity Fair they “fell in love” with the prepublication manuscript.

While multiple COVID-19 enforced disruptions led to prolonged shooting delays — the cast got together in Los Angeles just one day before California went into lockdown — the long-awaited limited series developed by Reese Witherspoon‘s lucrative production company, Hello Sunshine, is almost ready to ‘rock and roll’ (couldn’t help myself). The streaming giant unveiled a short — yet electrifying — teaser of Daisy Jones & The Six overnight as well as officials stills, with a new feature by Vanity Fair, accompanied with cast interviews, supporting the release.

Whether you’re new to The Six world or need a little reassurance that the adaptation will do justice to the evocative book, BAZAAR breaks down all the groovy details below — including the perfectly-suited cast.

What is the Daisy Jones & the Six about?

Adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel of the same name, Daisy Jones & Six follows the decades-long trials and (musical) tribulations of a band in the ’70s, partly inspired by Fleetwood Mac. Much like the legendary British-American group, the fictional band also has its own messy romantic break-ups between members — which eventually leads to its demise.

Key characters in the 2019 New York Times bestseller include the titular Daisy Jones, a hedonistic LA club-goer from a wealthy yet inattentive family — who feverishly spends her days at Los Angeles’ iconic Chateau Marmont and the Viper Room. Initially, performing as a solo artist, Daisy eventually teams up with blues-rock band The Six and is subsequently catapulted to fame. But after having an affair with the band’s alcoholic frontman, the alluring Billy Dunne, she begins to lose herself — as well as her career.

The book itself is structured like a long-running interview, which Jenkins Reid said was to enable readers to immerse themselves in the story. “I wanted it to feel as real as possible. I wanted you to feel immersed in it, and not like you were reading fiction, but like you were there,” the author told Rolling Stone.

“For me, the best way to do that was to mimic what I would argue is the best medium for stories about rock — which is a rock documentary.”

Husband-and-wife executive producers and writers Scott Neustadter and Lauren Levy Neustadter “fell in love” with the prepublication manuscript in 2017 and felt an innate urge to adapt Daisy Jones & the Six for screen. “I flipped for it, and really just sort of fell in love with the whole thing,” Scott told Vanity Fair. “Transporting to the 1970s Laurel Canyon music scene was, like, the greatest gift I could imagine.” 

According to the outlet, the pair “retained the structure of the story” with the characters looking back on their lives — yet shortened the time span to about 20 years. They also shot on location, with many scenes set on the Sunset Strip.

Working closely with Jenkins Reid, Scott — whom previously collaborated with writer John Green for the adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars — maintained the importance of portraying fan-favourite moments.

“I was a fan first. And so for me, it was always like, I would be so mad if someone adapted a book that I loved and didn’t do the right thing. So I kind of always come at it from that perspective. Hopefully — hopefully — people will be pleased.”

Who stars in Daisy Jones & the Six?

Arguably, one of the best castings for a miniseries in years. Riley Keough, Elvis Presley‘s granddaughter, plays Daisy Jones — a character she felt instinctively close to. While admitting to Vanity Fair she’d never heard of the book prior to optioning the script, Keough “knew” she’d play the ethereal ’70s wild child.

“All I knew is she goes, ‘it’s called Daisy Jones & the Six, and it’s about a band in the ’70s.’ And in my head, I was like, I know I’m playing Daisy. I just knew it,” the 33-year-old said.

“The only other time I’ve experienced that is when I met my husband and I knew a week in that I’m gonna have kids with him and marry him.”

Despite music being in her blood, Keough still went through an intense audition process — she was advised to “belt out” Lady Gaga’s ‘Shallow’ — and undertake rigorous singing lessons to get her vocals up to scratch. The Daisy Jones & the Six producers stressed for authenticity in the series, with no dubbing allowed.

“I sounded so bad that I started crying,” Keough recalled to the outlet. “I was like, ‘I can’t do it,’ and when I can’t do something it lights a fire in me to be able to do it. I was like, ‘I have to do it.’ I’m gonna go to this vocal coach, and he’s gonna teach me how to f–king belt, whatever I need to do to get this. It really became about pushing myself to do things I’ve never done before.”

Likewise, British heartthrob Sam Claflin, who plays The Six lead man Billy Dunne, had to learn guitar — as well as take up vocal training. Producer Lauren Levy Neustadter told Vanity Fair during London’s lockdown, Claflin would essentially put his kids to bed and then stay up late for guitar lessons over Zoom. “He [Claflin] transformed his body to really be like a ’70s rock star. He would get on the Zoom and get on the guitar and he would work with his vocal coach. It was nonstop. He was really transforming into Billy, and Riley did the same,” she said.

Claflin also acknowledged that when he first held a guitar, it didn’t feel right — but following extensive training, partly due to COVID-19 related production delays, it felt almost natural.”When I first got that guitar put in my hand, [I thought] this is not gonna feel right with this in my hand,” Claflin recalled. “But by the end of it, I just felt like Billy, Billy felt like me. It just pours out of me.”

Other Daisy Jones & the Six cast-members include Camila Morrone as Billy Dunne’s wife, model and singer Suki Waterhouse as keyboardist Karen, Sebastian Chacon as drummer Warren Rhodes, Josh Whitehouse as rhythm guitarist Eddie Loving and Will Harrison as Billy Dunne’s younger brother and lead guitarist Graham Dunne.

Also rounding out the list includes Timothy Olyphant as band manager Rod Reyes, Tom Wright as record producer Teddy Price, and Nabiyah Be as disco singer and Daisy Jones’ best friend Simone Jackson. The actors also reportedly portray their aged characters in the documentary-style shots set 20 years after the band hits the big time.

“I think when you love each other the way that we do, it comes across onscreen, you know?” Keough told Vanity Fair of the ensemble’s colloboration. “That’s what I’m excited for people to see because that is authentic, you know? It was a joyous experience. And it was something I really needed in my life at that time. I wanted to make something that made me feel joy.”

Will Daisy Jones & the Six be supported by an original soundtrack?

With no dubbing or sampled records, the limited series is gratifyingly supported by 25 original tracks. Evoking the sounds and synths of the ’70s era, producers turned to Blake Mills and Tony Berg as collaborators and lead songwriters for the show. Mills previously played on Bob Dylan’s records and toured with Joni Mitchell. Fictional songs from the book, such as ‘Regret Me’ and ‘Aurora’ will not only be presented in the series but will be released with a soundtrack by Atlantic Records.

“It sounds vibrant,” producer Scott Neustadter said of the band’s sound. “It sounds kind of fresh, and doesn’t sound like play acting. [The songs]  should feel like songs of that era, but they should kind of stand the test of time. And that was the challenge that we gave the songwriters and they were the best in the world.”

What can we expect on the fashion front?

Plenty of vintage gems. The trailer and official stills show a plethora of dopamine-inducing ’70s’ fits from floaty bohemian gowns to cowboy boots and lots of double denim. Unsurprisingly, bangs are also in abundance. But in hopes of avoiding kitschy looks commonly seen at Halloween or costume parties, wardrobe head Denise Wingate thrifted all over the US to source unpretentious yet striking ensembles.

“She toured with the Bangles,” producer Lauren Levy Neustadter said of Wingate. “She lived and breathed that era and then really brought it to life.”

When will Daisy Jones & the Six be released?

Fortunately, the series is only a few months away from release. Prime Video announced it’ll premiere on March 3, 2023. Just enough time to read the book for the first, or tenth (like us), and grab a few effervescent outfits for your halycon days inspired viewing party.

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