aBOUT THE TEAM
laura reyes (she/her)
Founder
It is no secret that Laura, founder of Daybreak Music, has a long history in the digital music space. From starting her journey as a playlist curator under Laura’s playlists to a writer for blogs including Fashionably Early and Ones to Watch, she decided to start her own project. She designed Daybreak to highlight new artists, rising stars, and your favorite radio artists.
Laura is originally from Dallas, TX but currently resides in music city, Nashville, TN. She primarily listens to pop and indie music and desires to find new and emerging artists. Some of her favorite things are iced lavender lattes with oat milk, making playlists, traveling and learning about different places, attending concerts, reading books, and eating new foods.
Laura’s favorite artists are:
- wave to earth
- The Marías
- Stray Kids
- Luna Li
- Charli XCX
julia falcone (she/her)
lead curator
Music has always been something she couldn’t stop rambling about to anyone who would listen. After getting a degree in the music industry in college, she has learned firsthand the inner works of record labels and music publishing. With her outspoken nature, she makes it her goal to seek out and find the best new artists as well as help cultivate engaging and seamless playlists. Julia has curated for A1234, and now Daybreak Music.
Julia is a Queens, NY native where she still resides. She mostly listens to pop, r&b, and alternative but also has a habit of listening to the same album for months on end. In her spare time she loves to collect records, play tennis, make coffee with her nespresso, read, and try to remember where she last put her glasses.
Julia’s favorite artists are:
- Kehlani
- MUNA
- The 1975
- Rina Sawayama
- Jon Bellion
sidney parish (she/her)
editor & lead writer
Music has always been a constant in Sidney’s life. While she credits her parents and friends for influencing her appreciation of music, it only continued to grow as she realized she could make a career out of it.
Originally from Memphis, TN, Sidney eventually moved to New Orleans, LA, where she attended Loyola University New Orleans and graduated with a degree in Music Industry Studies. Since then, Sidney has cultivated a deep love and respect for all aspects of music, and aims to infuse her passion and creativity through her writing. Aside from music, Sidney enjoys reading, cooking new recipes, collecting plants, iced yerba mates, and hanging out with her two cats.
Sidney’s favorite artists are:
- Vampire Weekend
- Faye Webster
- Frankie Cosmos
- Alex G
- Hovvdy
rachel liu (she/her)
lead writer
As a full-time college student (aka woman in STEM), Rachel turns to music and writing to escape the pressures of life. Her life is about to get more exciting, though, when she studies abroad in Tokyo during the Summer. She began her journey in the digital music space as a writer for blogs under Laura’s playlists and is continuing that under Daybreak.
Rachel is originally from SoCal but currently resides in Flagstaff, Arizona. She primarily listens to modern R&B and indie pop music, and desires to show her personality through her playlists and writing. Some of her favorite things are oat milk matcha lattes, cooking and baking, trying new foods, attending concerts, and dressing up to go nowhere.
Rachel’s favorite artists are:
- Omar Apollo
- Daniel Caesar
- Joji
- Jeremy Zucker
- ASTN
our extended team
Natalie (she/her)
curator
Music is something Natalie has always loved as she’s grown up listening to classic rock and Taylor Swift. She’s played the drums for close to thirteen years, while also learning to play the ukulele and bass guitar.
Now, as a full-time college student, Natalie enjoys spending her free time discovering new artists and curating playlists. She’ll continue curating for Daybreak Music.
Natalie is a Bay Area native where she still resides. She primarily listens to indie pop and pop, but loves exploring new genres. In her free time, she loves to make jewelry, go camping, thrift, and spend time at her local coffee shop.
coffee order: –
natalie’s favorite artists:
- maude latour
- quinn xcii
- taylor swift
- lauv
- flor
Anna Koenig (she/her)
writer
Ever since being forced into piano lessons in first grade, Anna has had music running through her veins. Indianapolis, IN area born and raised, the ever changing weather has made her quite adaptable. She loves anything with a good sound that she could listen to at all times of the day. She’s a huge fan of indie pop and r&b but she also loves exploring the range of sound in Kpop, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese music. To say that language isn’t a barrier for her would be an understatement (ask her about pretty much any Kpop group and she could write you an essay). She is currently finishing up her degree in Communications and Psychology from Hope College. Aside from keeping herself afloat at school, she loves reading, making playlists, talking to people on Twitter, randomly facetiming her sister, and driving around to get lost.
Coffee order: espresso makes me anxious so anything cold brew
Anna’s favorite artists:
- valley
- seventeen
- lizzy mcalpine
- pam anshisa
- citizen queen
Nina (they/she)
writer
Nina grew up all around music and has played many different instruments throughout her life. Born and raised in Los Angeles and now studying music industry at Berklee College of Music in Boston, you can find her going to a concert, crocheting, playing guitar, or reading a book (that is probably about music). They love sharing the music they love with other people, and you’ll probably hear them say, “I listened to them before they blew up!” about at least one artist.
coffee order: iced chai with oat milk and honey
nina’s favorite artists:
1. samia
2. noah kahan
3. lucy dacus
4. MUNA
5. taylor swift
Sasha (she/her)
writer
Sasha, based in New York, is recognized for intertwining personal stories and thoughtful analysis into her writing. When it comes to music, her exploration encompasses the beauty of lyrics and melodies in pop, alternative, and R&B, steering clear of analytical elements like chart numbers or commercial success. Instead, she delves into themes that gently inspire conversations about the human experience, fostering connections and shared reflections.
coffee order: Spiced Chai
sasha’s favorite artists:
- Rozie Ramati
- V (of BTS)
- Frank Ocean
- Tyler, the Creator
- Nathy Peluso
Megan (she/her)
socials
Megan has a history of becoming obsessed with musicians in a very short amount of time. Ever since she was young, she would find solace in listening to music and being able to get away from her life for a bit. Megan has had phases of being obsessed with Pentatonix, BTS, The Neighborhood, and Pink Floyd, just to name a few. Due to multiple failed attempts to learn how to play instruments, she has resigned herself to staying within the opposing side of the music industry- as a listener rather than a creator. Megan has grown up with a father with a strong love of heavy metal, and that shaped a lot of her listening in the early years, but now she has grown to find her own genre of music to enjoy.
Megan is originally from Green Bay, WI (Go Packers!), but is currently pursuing a degree in Neuroscience at UW – Eau Claire, although every day she becomes closer to switching to an English major. When she’s not zoned out listening to one of her (many) playlists, she’s either hardcore studying biology, working as a writing intern on-campus, or buying books (although not necessarily reading them).
Coffee order: Iced americano with cream and white mocha
Megan’s favorite artists:
- The Neighborhood
- DPR Ian
- Se So Neon
- Hozier
- Boyish
Tyerra Clayborne (she/her)
writer
While Tyerra grew up in a house hold that encouraged the creation of music, she get her first taste of what it feels like to recommend a song to someone (and for them to love it) in middle school. One of her favorite hobbies was burning Mix CDs to give to her friends, and that love for sharing and curating music has continued to grow.
By day she’s a marketing coordinator for a major health system out of South Carolina. By night she’s… well, take your pick. Lead singer, producer, songwriter, vintage curator, barista, blogger, film camera enthusiast, and the friend that says “yes”, even to the bad ideas.
Coffee Order: triple espresso over ice with brown sugar, cinnamon, white mocha, topped with sweet cream
Tyerrra’s Favorite artists:
- 5SOS
- ¿Téo?
- Lennon Stella
- Lizzy McAlpine
- Hippo Campus
Martina (she/her)
writer
Martina went to her first concert before she was even a year old thanks to the timing of her annual state fair and her music-obsessed parents. Since being raised on classic rock and 2000s country music, she’s dipped her toes into hundreds of genres, always excited to discover a new artist or a new song to loop for a month straight.
Born and raised in Ocean View, Delaware, Martina attended college just two hours away at the University of Delaware where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English. After graduating, she has been crafting artist interviews with Unclear Magazine while working full-time as a local librarian. She’s excited to be able to write about all of her favorite artists, new releases, and latest fixations with the Daybreak team. Some of Martina’s favorite things include making playlists, reading, taking walks on the beach, journaling, and ranting about her current obsessions with anyone who will listen.
Martina’s favorite artists are:
- ATEEZ
- Nothing But Thieves
- WOODZ
- 5 Seconds of Summer
- Ryan Beatty
Sam (they/them)
writer/ photographer
Sam was born and raised in New York and has been spoiled by live-music-loving parents. Attending concerts before they could form memories and hearing stories of their dad following around his favorite artists on tour, it seems that their adoration for live music was in their blood. Their goal is to always capture the magic of a good performance. When not at a concert, Sam studies film production at Brooklyn College and can probably be found at the movies or exploring a new bookstore. While always excited to explore new artists, Sam typically gravitates toward indie-folk music (for which they have their Joni Mitchell-loving dad to thank for that). Other favorite things include hiking, sour candy, thrifting, and playing board games. coffee order is iced vanilla latte
Sam’s favorite artists are:
- MUNA
- Leith Ross
- Samia
- Lucy Dacus
- Japanese Breakfast
daybreak 