Daya

Daya Artistfacts

  • October 24, 1998
  • Grace Martine Tandon is a Pennsylvania native of Indian, German, and Irish descent, who records under the name of Daya. "I changed my name to Daya; that's my stage name," the singer told ABC Radio. "It's because I wanted a little more privacy in my home life, and I think that Daya really gives me that. And I really love the name. I think it's really great for my image... it's a loose translation of my real name, Grace, in Hindi, and my grandfather emigrated from India."
  • Daya started playing the piano at the age of three, switching from classical to jazz piano eight years later. By this time, she had also learned to play the guitar and ukulele.
  • Daya's professional career began in January 2015 when she was invited to LA for a writing session with Gino Barletta [JoJo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jessica Mauboy] at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles. One of the songs created in this initial songwriting session was "Hide Away" which became her first hit single in the US.
  • Daya gained international recognition in 2016 after lending her vocals to The Chainsmokers' huge hit "Don't Let Me Down."
  • Daya wrote her very song on the piano aged 12. She called it "Dance" but told American Songwriter, "The crazy thing is that it wasn't just about dance. It was about putting yourself out there and doing what you want."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")

Terry Jacks ("Seasons in the Sun")Songwriter Interviews

Inspired by his dear friend, "Seasons in the Sun" paid for Terry's boat, which led him away from music and into a battle with Canadian paper mills.

How The Beatles Crafted Killer Choruses

How The Beatles Crafted Killer ChorusesSong Writing

The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.

Graduation Songs

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.