Daydream Catapult is a Nashville-based pop trio consisting of founding members Chris Ray, Elle Bijet, and Tom Johnson. Anchored by acoustic and electronic influences, the band’s sound is a concoction of dynamic musical escapes for the discerning listener. Since their formation in 2012, Daydream Catapult has been evolving their own unique take on pop. From the acoustic guitar and vocal mix of their early days, the trio has since added subtlety and depth to their original compositions. Through their use of modern electronic production, the band’s emerging sound is rich and layered with strong rhythmic underpinnings and orchestral accents. Members - Chris Ray - Guitar, ukulele, vocals, percussion, keyboard, MIDI programming - Elle Bijet - Vocals - Tom Johnson - Guitar, vocals Band Origins Elle Bijet and Tom Johnson first met in July 2007 at a local songwriters meetup in Nashville. A year later, they were performing together in small venues as Güerosmith, a Spanish-language acoustic cover act, before starting to work on original material. In June 2009, the pair met Chris Ray at an open mic hosted by Nashville's Bluebird Café. Ray and Bijet soon began co-writing songs (as well as dating). A short time later, Johnson began creating complementary guitar parts for some of Ray's instrumental pieces, as well as supporting selected duets by Ray and Bijet. After Johnson moved to Austin, Texas, in 2010, the two guitarists continued to collaborate long-distance. Meanwhile, Ray and Bijet tied the knot in June of 2011 and began performing locally under the name Chris Ray and Elle Bijet. Not long after returning to Nashville in the summer of 2012, Johnson became a regular guest performer at the duo’s shows. The musical collaboration progressively intensified, until he became a full member of the band. Along the way, Bijet’s brother, Carey James, stepped into the role of executive producer, providing sound business direction and guidance. The trio adopted the name Daydream Catapult in 2014. The Story Behind the Name Chris Ray explains: "We knew from the start that we liked the word ‘catapult' – it was action-oriented and had a great rhythmic cadence that allowed the word to roll smoothly off the tongue. We also knew of no other band name that featured that word, and this uniqueness was a major deciding factor. "It took us a little longer to arrive at the word ‘daydream.' We knew that rhythmically, the word had to be two syllables, because we wanted the name to sound like 'dahp-dahp catapult.' We eventually chose the word ‘daydream' to complement ‘catapult,' because we loved the juxtaposition of an amorphous and abstract noun next to a solid, physical, powerful machine. More importantly, the name accurately encapsulates how we feel about our calling as a band: to dream up musical art and launch it out into the world." Band Trivia - Name Game! Before arriving at the name Daydream Catapult, the band brainstormed many other options. Ideas that were too comical to make the final cut include: The Giddy Lizards, Nonchalant Number 9, Group Hug Insurance, Epic Failsafe, and Herbert Says Hey. - Delicious! Tom is a long-time vegetarian. - Fetch my lyric pad! Many of the band’s original songs were composed with temporary lyrics based on the antics of Chris and Elle’s two pets, Sugarlump (their dog) and Pounce de Léon (their cat.) - Eight-ball, corner pocket! Chris is a highly accomplished pool player. He attributes this to being able to drink beer while playing. - Linguists salute! Tom and Elle speak several languages.