Jeremy William Smith wasn’t one of those kids who sang into a hairbrush in front of the mirror dreaming of being a famous pop star. “I never planned on being a singer,” he says. “My mom made me take piano lessons when I was in first grade and at first I hated it. But then I just fell in love with it and it’s been a constant thing in my life ever since.”
Thank goodness for persistent parents. Jeremy is now the frontman and chief songwriting force behind Days Difference, a young quartet from Virginia Beach, VA, who are gearing up to release their self-titled debut album — a breezy collection of pop gems that showcases the melody-minded songwriting, expressive vocals, and dynamic piano sound of 20-year-old Jeremy. Jeremy formed Days Difference in May 2004 with his 22-year-old brother Jonathan on drums and another set of brothers, 21-year-old Micah and 22-year-old Jeremiah Ricks, who play bass and guitar, respectively. The siblings met when Jeremy and Jonathan filled in for a no-show pianist and drummer at a high school concert that Micah and Jeremiah were performing. “We jammed it out onstage and the chemistry and connection we had together was incredible,” Jeremy recalls. “We knew it was special and that we had to do something together.”
Fully committed to giving the band a shot by May of 2006, Days Difference spent several years honing their propulsive pop sound by opening for artists such as Paramore, Lifehouse, Third Eye Blind, Jack’s Mannequin, and Yellowcard when those artists came through Virginia Beach. In 2007, they released an independent album, Numbers, then embarked on a nationwide tour, in which everything that could have gone wrong did: a tire on their trailer fell off, a show was canceled when the promoter got hit by a car, Jonathan got a concussion playing soccer, Micah broke his collarbone playing football, and they received a $500 parking ticket to top it all off. “I never really believed the whole ‘earn your keep’ thing, but we’ve really paid our dues,” Jeremy says.
The tour may have been grueling, but “it taught us a lot,” Jeremy says. “We really grew as a band and as friends. We had some tough times, but we never doubted ourselves.” You can hear that confidence and camaraderie in the songs on their debut album, an all-killer, no filler set that brims with fresh-faced enthusiasm and the wide-ranging talent of this young group of musicians. To help bring out their best, the band’s team enlisted several veteran co-writers and producers, including Wayne Wilkins (Beyoncé, Natasha Bedingfield), Andrew Frampton (Natasha Bedingfield, Kylie Minogue), Stefanie Ridel Fair (Fergie, Pussycat Dolls), Michael Smidi Smith (Pussycat Dolls, Tupac), and Tim Myers, former bassist for OneRepublic. Myers and Jeremy co-wrote four key tracks “Radio Song,” the touching ballad “Imperfections,” and the radio-ready “Falling Into You” and “Magnetized.” The first single “Are You Happy?” produced and co-written by Jimmy Harry and Jeremy Smith hits radio in early September.
“From the second we worked together, Tim and I saw eye to eye on everything, including the way the melodies and lyrics were supposed to sound,” Jeremy says. “It’s almost as if he were my musical twin, but better. As far as co-writing, I just wanted to create the best songs possible. Great songs make great bands, and if you don't have great songs, then there's really no point in releasing an album. We wanted to make an album of hit singles — with great lyrics, great melodies, and great hooks. If you strike that chord with every song, people will connect with you better.”
Certainly the folks at Universal Motown saw the potential in Days Difference and their ability to connect with a wide audience. The band signed to the label a mere 24 hours after playing a well-attended industry showcase in June 2008. Disney has also climbed aboard, casting Jeremy, Jonathan, Micah, and Jeremiah as members of Miley Cyrus’s backing band in the big-screen version of Hannah Montana: The Movie, which hits theaters in April.
Jeremy, for one, can’t wait to get things going. “I’m excited to go around the country and meet people and play for them,” he says. “I love music and I figure that when you love something and you’re able to share it with others, it’s inspiring. As a band, we want to have a positive effect on people and influence them in a good way. What better way than to pursue your dreams and do what you really love?”
Days Difference will be released in Fall 2009 on Universal Motown Records.
AMAZING PEOPLE
****send in a fan pic and we will add it here!****
****send in a fan pic and we will add it here!****
Band Members Jeremy Smith: Lead Vocals and Piano Jonathan Smith: Vocals and Drums Jeremiah Ricks: Vocals and Guitar Micah Ricks: Bass
Contact: daysdifference@gmail.com *PLEASE DO NOT SOLICIT THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR PHOTO PASSES OR PRESS PASSES TO CONCERTS. IT WILL BE REGARDED AS SPAM AND DELETED.
AIM SN: DaysDifference
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P.O. Box 65076
Virginia Beach, VA
23467
heyyyyyyy. so its 5am and i just thought id come say hi to the coolest people in the world ahaha i hope all is well on your tour and you guys are relaxing but having fun at the same time.. i hope your weekend went great.. have a wonderful sunday..
Hey guys I just want to see how you are all doing, especially with the tour finishing. How did you guys like Canada, I went there a couple years ago with my family. We camped for 2 weeks there. The weirdest thing I saw there was they had milk in bags, it was so funny. So Kati and me have to go get Micah's gift, yea we have been soon busy but we should be able to get it tomorrow and mail it soon. It will be fun just like the rest of them were from us. Yea we were busy last weekend cause we went on a 30 mile canoe trip with out youth group. It was so cool, we camped on sand bars and in the middle of nor where. Best trip ever! lol. I hope you guys have a good week! ~Liebe Fischy~
hey! ur very welcome :P ur guy's music is rlly awesome n rlly unique! :] its rlly amazing! ru guys on itunes? or utube?? i need yalls music on my ipod!!:P take care!!
hey guys :) i hope you had an amazing time on tour! i'm really sad that i couldn't see you guys, but i hope to see you back in canada next time, and not just in toronto! what are you up to now that tour's over? love you guys <3
hey guys! so a little bird told me today was your last show... I'm sure you had a lot of fun! and that people really enjoy what you did there :) too bad I live so far, but I wish I could've gone :(
oh....thats realy cool in a way lol....haha jon......i think i took a pic wif u after u guys played at the chance. hmmm...oh wow i cant believe i forgot to tell u that my dad died last june....like everyone who knows me knows that and i guess since u know me.....u have a right to know lol....i find some other peoples comments very amusing....they all seem to be the same things pretty much saying that they love u and ur so awesome.....and well idk....i was never one to do that....i just wanna talk to u guys as i f u wer like random people i met.....which in a way, u are lol.....but yea....comment me back. lqtm.....apparently that means laugh quietly to myself.
Yo whats up? You guys are pretty sweet. I see you guys are local, and we are too. Let us know what you think of the old stuff we have on our myspace. We have some new stuff coming soon.
heyy guys so i just got back from seeing you tonight, and although i think i already told you this but you were amazing! i really hope you guys come back to Pa soon =]
oh and when you waved to my friend and i when we were leaving after we yelled bye totally made my entire night, you guys are seriously amazing =] <3
hey guys, i was at the concert the 17th, and i absolutely loved it! it was my first concert, and you were amazing. i'm a senior, love to sing, draw, and read, with a passion. can you tell me about yoursleves? :]
You guys are definetly going to go far in the music buisness!! I love your music!!It makes me have a huge smile on my face:] Kinda like that----> :D That's how my huge smile can be described:D I LOVE YOU GUYS!! Never forget Days Difference is a triple threat: Good music Great Hair Gorgeous;D Hahaha I love you guys!! <3333
You guys are definetly going to go far in the music buisness!! I love your music!!It makes me have a huge smile on my face:] Kinda like that----> :D That's how my huge smile can be described:D I LOVE YOU GUYS!! Never forget Days Difference is a triple threat: Good music Great Hair Gorgeous;D Hahaha I love you guys!! <3333
we miss you guys so much! come back to maryland soon, please! we hope you had fun on this tour, can't wait till the next one! :D -Lindsay, Jhana, & Rachel! :)
no problem (: i saw you guys in cleveland with cartel and all time low on thursday and i really liked your music. i love how the piano adds in with everything
ahh! you guys were amazing tonight. jeremiah i loved meeting you. that was insane, i like spazzed out after worddd. you probably dont remember but thats okay. [: ah! i love you guys.
HEY! I saw you guys at Sandcastle on the 17th!! U GUYS WERE AMAZING!!! great openeing band! Once i got home i got ur CD. And it was soooo cool that i got to talk to Micah
I'm SO STOKED for the new single :) After hearing Jeremy perform it on KISS FM, I can already tell I'm going to love it! Hope you guys enjoy some much-needed rest time now that touring is done for the summer.
And since you've asked about Jon's hairstyle for the album photo shoot, hopefully this means we'll be getting an album release date soon? Please? :D
-Peyton
P.S. Jon's hair looks amazing no matter how he cuts or styles it, so I'm not worried about which one he chooses. ;)
hi (: when you guys were in cleveland on thursday you signed my shirt that said "who the hack is days difference ?!" thank you so much, i love it. your amazing <3
