Imagine Dragons: interesting facts, best songs, history, listen

imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons is a popular indie rock band from America, which has become a real sensation and never ceases to amaze its listeners around the world for many years. Their music unites people with completely different tastes. All this is due to the unreal charge of positive energy, drive, feeling of fullness of life in their texts and presentation. These guys won acclaim from the very beginning of their careers and keep it still. The phenomenon of their popularity is related to the fact that they do something that many missed: high-quality bright music in the genre of rock, combined with a life-affirming meaning.

Brief history of the group

It all started in 2008, from dating the future lead singer Dan Reynolds to Andrew Tolman, who played the drums at the private Mormon University of Brigham Young, where they were both students. Young people decided to unite and invited other participants to their team: Andrew Beck (guitar), Dave Lemke (bass) and Aurora Florence (keyboards). Soon came the first victory in the university "Battle of the group" and similar competitions. Few people know that in the same year, this composition was released a mini-album of five tracks called "Speak to Me". And already at that stage of the career, the group had a lot of fans in the US state of Utah, especially in the city of Provo where the university of its founders is located. But in the same 2008, Beck and Florence left the team.

2009 was marked by the arrival of a new guitarist - Wayne Sermon, part-time old friend of Tolman, who had graduated from that time music college. The wife of drummer Brittany Tolman was invited to perform vocals and play the piano. A little later Lemke leaves the squad. His place will be taken by a friend of Sermon's college, Ben McKee, who played the bass guitar.

The artists decide to move to the homeland of the soloist - Las Vegas. During this period, they released two records: "Imagine Dragons", "Hell and Silence". Then the group performs most often in entertainment establishments such as casinos and strip bars. However, the chances of success were greater at the new location.

Widespread fame came by chance: the lead singer of the recognized rock band Train seriously ill shortly before the biggest festival Bite of Las Vegas 2009. Imagine Dragons appeared in their stead before an audience of more than 26 thousand people! In a year, they will be invited to the same event as the “Most Demanded Group 2010”. Now Imagine Dragons can be heard on the radio, they receive the title of "Best Indie Group 2010". The third album, entitled “It's Time” of 2011, brought the team the first contract with a major label, as well as the prize for “Best Record of 2011”. The Tolman family in the same year leaves the band, to which Daniel Platzman and Teresa Flaminio (keyboards) will join together. The latter stayed in the composition for a short time and at the beginning of 2012 left the team, making it a quartet, which it remains to this day. Since then, this is a men's group.

The fourth album "Continued Silence" was released in collaboration with Interscope on St. Valentine's Day 2012. This one, like the previous three EPs (mini-albums), is well received by professional critics and ordinary listeners. According to Reynolds, thanks to these releases, the musicians were able to understand how they would better develop in the future to make the album as cool as possible.

And they did it! September 4, 2012 a major debut album "Night Visions" was released, which immediately took all the places of honor in the charts in more than 20 countries of the world. Within two weeks, 83,000 copies were sold. This is the most triumphal debut since 2006. The album became "gold" in seven states, and "platinum" in fourteen, including four of them "double platinum": in the United States, Mexico, Sweden, Austria. In Canada, the release was such three times already! He received the title of the best rock album on the Billboard Music Award, and also nominated as the international album of the year for the Juno Award. The Billboard publication called the performers "The Brightest New Stars of 2012", and also presented them the status of the 2013 Breakthrough Group.

For the next full-scale album to be just as successful, the musicians followed the path of mini-releases they tried out, experimenting with them, testing the public's reaction. In early 2013, released the EP "The Archive". The soundtracks were recorded: "Battle Cry" (for the new film "Transformers"), "Warriors" ("Divalent, Ch. 2: Insurgent"), "Monster" (for the game). In addition, individual singles were presented. In most cases, the work of this period was well accepted by the people. The artists began to write the second major record.

In the same year, Imagine Dragons went on a tour of Europe and America, called Night Visions, presenting their album of the same name. Their fame was so great that the organizers had to add to the planned concerts another 13. Tickets were all sold out, and the price remained democratic. Even so, the fees were huge. As a result, the musicians were in the top 20 concert tours according to Pollstar. As a result of these trips, a release with live performances was released.

Artists have repeatedly admitted that they write music on the road. The road gives a sea of ​​vivid impressions and inspires them to work. Relatively soon after the end of the tour, a fresh record "Smoke + Mirrors" appeared (02/17/2015). In conversations with journalists, Reynolds noted their common inclination towards perfectionism, the work on the second studio album was carried out thoroughly. The guys care about their creative reputation.

The result of this work was a tour around the world, lasting more than 9 months. In this case, there was no deafening success. Critics found it "mediocre", the disc was sold in several smaller editions.

After the work done, the group announced its retirement about a year in length, leaving the fans a whole film about their concert life "Imagine Dragons In Concert: Smoke + Mirrors". However, the promise made to all failed. Within a few months, two soundtracks were released. A great response was caused by the song "Sucker For Pain", in contrast to the sensational film "Suicide Squad", for which it was recorded.

The singles for the third studio album became real hits: "Believer", "Thunder", "Whatever It Takes". The frontman himself evaluated the work done as an entry into a qualitatively new stage of development. However, critics are not asleep, for some of them the disc with the telling name "Evolve" seemed like an attempt to delight the masses of fans, and not the realization of their potential. Be that as it may, many tracks have really fired. The combination of genres is wonderful here. Thanks to him, each listener loved something different among the songs that came out.

Interesting Facts

• According to the soloist, each musician records his own part of the future track separately. As long as it does not bring none of them knows how the final version will sound. The ideas and demos of many tracks are recorded by artists during the tour.
• Artists often leave Easter eggs for the future album in their social networks, offering the fan to guess their meaning. Often, the first one who guessed is sent a prize.
• Frontman Dan Reynolds said that when he wrote the song, an idea for a video clip was born in his head.
• Ben McKee (bass player) has golden hands: he loves and knows how to sew. Oddly enough, he is a pro in making hats. Another feature of this man is the insensitivity of taste buds: he practically does not feel the spices.
• Wayne Sermon (guitarist) often suffers from insomnia. However, he knows how to use it for the benefit of, writing music at night.
• Dan Reynolds despite the good, optimistic songs, he himself is subject to panic attacks and depression. Creativity helps him cope and find the right path. He was born to a Mormon family. Mother and father held strict views on the upbringing of children, which affected the boy. He was trained in Mormon organizations. Dan was the seventh child out of nine. The frontman simultaneously participates in common with his wife Ajay Volkman of the Egyptian music association.
• Artists closely monitor the public reaction to their activities. So, Reynolds studies all references to them on the Instagram social network after speeches.
• The name of the team consists of a real and quite logical phrase. Translated from English, it means "Imagine dragons". However, this is an anagram, the meaning of which is not known to anyone except the children themselves. Fans come up with many comic versions, but the truth remains hidden.
• The group has more than 70 nominations for various awards in the field of music. Of these, 23 wins.
• The covers are what the band likes to play. It was from them that the guys began their career.
• Reynolds with her brothers and sisters in childhood shot all sorts of videos, some of which went into the clip for the song "Roots". Creativity was inherent in the future singer from an early age.

Best songs

To select a small number of the best songs from the whole set is very difficult. The fact is that all the creativity of the group is very original and interesting. Your attention is presented diverse work.

• One of the biggest hits of Imagine Dragons is undoubtedly "Radioactive"It was from her that the road to world fame in 2012 opened an ode to the musical group. The song received fifteen nominations in various charts, four of which won a landslide victory. According to Rolling Stone, this is the biggest rock hit of the year." more than 10 million copies have been sold out. This track is still loved by fans so far, it sounds fresh, inspires confidence in its own strength, contains a powerful charge of energy.

"Radioactive" (listen)

• "Roots". A kind, sentimental track dedicated to its roots: family, home, place where the person grew up. The musical component is far from being assessed uniquely, but it’s an art to be perceived by everyone in its own way, but the emphasis here is on the atmosphere The impression is reinforced by a clip that combines a video sequence from childhood and touring life, emphasizing longing for distant and loved people.

"Roots" (listen)

• "Gold". A song with a truly charming chorus from the album Smoke + Mirrors. The message is that not always desired material wealth is the key to true happiness. With a lot of wealth, a person can lose everything human in himself.

"Gold" (listen)

• "Sucker for pain"This song was recorded for the film from Marvel" Suicide Squad "together with a group of hip-hop artists, including Lil Wayne. On the day of publication of the song they also published a video on it (06/24/2016). Clinging track with a particularly memorable tune Imagine Dragons. The song is warmly received by critics and fans.

"Sucker for Pain" (listen)

• "Believer"The strongest recording from the" Evolve "disc, as popular as the first on this list. The text raises the eternal theme of the struggle against all obstacles, the way forward despite the pain received in the breach. Dan Reynolds' vocals are revealed here in full power. the main hit of the last album.

"Believer" (listen)

Imagine Dragons Movies and Games

Imagine Dragons is an unusual rock band. In it you can not see the sugary handsome, in which girls from all over the world would definitely fall in love. However, these guys were able to win love and recognition due to their sincerity, charisma and dedication. The vocalist's voice at the concerts is even more beautiful than the recording. Artists do not stand still: each release marks a new stage of their creativity, brings an original sound and video sequence. We hope that their energy and potential will suffice for many more years.