San Diego-based band almost monday got their start playing self-booked shows in their hometown, soon drawing a rabid following on the strength of their larger-than-life energy, effortless charm, and sing-along-ready anthems. Initially crossing paths while surfing, best friends Cole Clisby (guitar), Dawson Daugherty (vocals), and Luke Fabry (bass) have been dreaming up songs with a distinct surf-rock feel since 2015. almost monday instill each song with the same unstoppable joie de vivre they bring to their onstage performance. “At some point I started dancing really crazy at our shows, and I feel like it helps the whole crowd to put their guard down and let loose,” says Dawson. “That’s what we want for our music in general: to give everybody that feeling of dancing alone in your bedroom, where you’re not self-conscious at all—you just feel completely free to be yourself.”