TV

EXCLUSIVE: Daisy Jones & the Six cast on learning how to make music

''I'm with the band.''
Loading the player...

It’s 1977 and the band Daisy Jones And The Six are at the height of their popularity. Rising from obscurity to selling out stadiums, they’ve made it big.

But then, in a move that shocks everyone, the band, fronted by Daisy and Billy Dunne, call it quits.

Decades later, the group agrees to reveal the truth behind their implosion.

The story is based on the best-selling 2019 novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

From below left: Karen, Graham (Will Harrison), Warren (Sebastian Chacon), Eddie (Josh Whitehouse), Daisy and Billy.

(IMAGE: Amazon Prime)

She may be the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, but for Riley Keough, playing lead singer Daisy meant learning how to actually sing before auditioning for the role.

”Sometimes when you’re an actor and really want to do something, you’ll tell them [the producers], ‘Yeah, I can do that,”’ the 33-year-old shares.

With the support of her husband Ben Smith-Petersen, Riley recorded a song and was amazed when the casting team asked to hear more.

”I sang really softly and sent it in and they said, ‘Great – can she sing out more?’ So I sang a little louder, sent it to them and they’re like, “Great – can she belt?”

With the help of a voice coach, Riley learnt how to really belt out a number and was cast as Daisy.

Above from left: Camilla, Billy and Daisy have a complicated relationship.

(IMAGE: Amazon Prime)

The story follows the complicated relationship between Daisy and lead singer Billy (Sam Claflin).

”Either they met each other at the wrong time, they were never meant to be together, or they’re meant to be together in the future,” she says.

”We meet Billy and he’s in a relationship, and it becomes this really complicated story between Daisy, Billy and his girlfriend Camila [Camila Morrone].”

Despite the characters’ dynamic, Riley says working with Sam was a joy.

”Actors can be hard to gel with because you’re all different types of performers, but it’s very easy to work with him,” she says.

Daisy and Billy rock out up front.

(IMAGE: Amazon Prime)

The pair began on the show with the same amount of experience in the music world. Sam, 36, believes it helped forge their on-screen chemistry.

”We’re the leaders [of the band], but probably the least musical” the British actor says.

”We’ve been squeezing each other’s hands the whole time. We’ve spent days listening back to our voices coming together.

”We had extra rehearsals where we’d have singing lessons to find that chemistry. We both started from the bottom, and we’ve found our feet together through this journey.”

WATCH NOW: How the cast immersed themselves into the 1970s. Article continues after video.

Loading the player...

The story spans the characters’ lives over several decades. It’s something Sam declares is a privilege.

”As an actor, it’s a blessing to have the opportunity to play a character from young to old, to track through the different moments in their history,” he says.

”I think that’s the thing that shapes us into who we are. So, you’re not making one decision – you get to live those moments and explore and experience them.”

Hunky Billy has plenty of fans.

(IMAGE: Amazon Prime)

Camila Morrone, whose character Camila is an honorary member of the band thanks to her relationship with Billy, says she can relate to her role in the public eye.

”I grew up in LA – you’re surrounded by stardom,” she shares.

”You can go to the coffee shop and run into somebody [in the industry] or an iconic legend. Camila is familiar with that, so I could tap into that.”

Meanwhile, Suki Waterhouse, who plays The Six’s keyboardist Karen Sirko, loved dressing up in ’70s fashion.

”We did so many costume changes, and for us to time travel back to the ’70s was a huge drawcard [to join the show],” the 31-year-old says.

Karen is the charismatic and headstrong keyboard player.

(IMAGE: Amazon Prime)

The scenes the cast are most proud of are when they’re performing.

”I don’t really know many movies or TV shows where you actually become a band,” Suki says.

”We can actually all play together, so I’m incredibly proud of us for that.”

WATCH NOW: Suki and Camila on their own experiences with fame. Article continues after video.

Loading the player...

Related stories