DAYGLOW: THE ONE MAN SHOW

This piece was first featured in Moody Magazine, the official publication of the Moody College of Communication. For the original copy, click here. 

AUSTIN —- The best way to describe Sloan Struble is goofy. It sounds like an adjective someone would use to describe their crazy uncle at Thanksgiving or an animated character on Nickelodeon -- but Struble, in all sense of the word, embodies goofiness. From his boyish smile to his uncoordinated, patterned clothes, he has an energy that can fill a room with childlike excitement.

You can ask his BYX brothers like freshman Griffin Hess who describes him as “quirky, eccentric, and creative.” Or his roommate, freshman Jared Greer, who says he is “one of a kind.” But do not let the goofiness fool you. When he is not hanging out with his BYX friends or skateboarding through his living room, Struble is hard at work on his music: writing, recording and producing. The 19-year-old’s Callaway House dorm resembles a condensed recording studio. It’s a peek behind the scenes of a project he calls Dayglow.

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A little over two years ago, Struble began this indie-pop-inspired project. The goal was to create songs that could be performed live by a five-piece band. In the past, he had dabbled in

Soundcloud covers, mix mastering and poetry, but this idea was different. It no longer involved just Struble and a computer; Dayglow required publishing his personal lyrics and sharing music with bandmates.

The concept was worlds away from any of his musical endeavors in high school, yet it was more rewarding. “[Dayglow] opened many doors creatively,” Struble said. In Sept. 2017, Dayglow debuted its first single, “Run the World” with himself as the frontman and an assortment of musicians accompanying him.

As of 2019, Struble is the only permanent member of Dayglow; the rest of the musicians come and go depending on location and schedules. While Struble does not plan to make Dayglow an official band ever, he is not opposed to having a stable group of guys for touring purposes -- what matters most to Struble is his creative liberty.

“I’m hoping to keep Dayglow as independent and DIY as I can and have control of writing and producing the songs and just the direction it heads,” Struble said.

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If his Spotify streams and recent performances are at all indicative of his direction, then Dayglow has a promising future.

Earlier this fall semester, Dayglow reached one million streams on the streaming platform. Struble did not expect this to happen so quickly, considering his debut album “Fuzzybrain” was released in September, but the popularity was instant.

“[Dayglow] is different from most of the music you hear on the radio,” junior Emily Loney said.

“It makes you want to roll down your windows and play it as loud as possible.” Loney went on to describe the Dayglow concert she attended as amazing. “His music brings people together,” she said.

On-campus, Dayglow has performed at locations such as the Tejas and Zeta Psi houses. However, his reach is not limited to UT Austin.

In March, Dayglow performed four shows for SXSW-affiliated events -- one of which was in Dallas. He also performed at the BYX Island Party in College Station, home of Texas A&M University.

These shows pale in comparison to the direct messages Struble receives on Instagram from fans all over the country raving about his music.

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Luckily, fame has not changed Struble. The cool and comfortable performer on stage is the same boy pictured with the boyish grin and the wacky clothes online. This rare authenticity separates Dayglow from most artists of this generation. He is unapologetically “quirky, eccentric, and creative,” making this goofy musician that much more appealing.