Collaboration || Dan Smith

Eleven.

𝙑𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙫𝙞𝙪𝙨, 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩
- 𝗦𝘂𝗳𝗷𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀

~ September 13th 2018 ~

"Congratulations!" Will pats me on the back as I more or less do the same to him back. Here at the studio we're a joint effort - even if I end up doing all of the work. I guess it's how it should be, I'm nothing with Bastille and as much as I hate thinking this...I'm nothing without them.

"And you too, Maze!" Woody then adds as he gives her a hug while we look at the currently streaming charts. Flowerbed has just broke a Spotify world record for the most streamed song in under twenty four hours. I don't know how that is even possible. Bastille have never been involved in this big of a song.

"I mean...I want to call my mom up. I'm so...happy I feel like I'm about to burst!" She doesn't seem happy - she seems really emotional. I would be too if I was her. She's an artist that appeared out of nowhere - but everybody somehow adores her.

I don't even think she's had an official interview yet or anything. I mean that's definitely going to change this afternoon for sure. Bastille were going into the live lounge. Just to preform some classics for all times sake...but I guess the new song is an excuse to bring Maisie along?

The world needs more of her. As so do I.

~ + ~ + ~ + ~

In the live lounge the radio DJ, Clara Amfo, sits at her desk to the side of of a long rectangular glass window, the outside edges glow neon to match the dark blue/purple theme of the studio building.

"And I understand that you're not only going to be preforming your record breaking track - but a cover song too!" She laughs with delight. Shyly Maisie nods her head with a pearly white smile. "Yeah...it was a last minute thing. Excuse us if we're really awful." I helplessly laugh, as so does Maisie. I don't know what it is...but Maisie looks pretty. Like really fucking pretty. Maybe it's the neon lighting? Maybe it's just her perfect face.

   "Don't say that!" Clara squeals in excitement. "Anyway, Flowerbed is iconic and I love it so much. Thank you for preforming that - it was incredible!" Clara has tried to make Maisie tall at least several times this past hour - but Maisie is really fucking shy. She just smiles and whispers 'yeah' or 'hi'.

   "Are you alright Daisychains...can I call you that or...?" Clara's voice trails off while Maisie nods her head. "You can call me whatever you want. I'm chill." The woman isn't lying. Maisie responds to anything and everything, she's so polite.

   "Ah that's good. I think I'm going to stick with your name then." Maisie nods her head. "So Maisie...how did Daisychains become a name? Can you run through the process for me and the listeners? Because you've popped out of nowhere and you've done no interviews according to Google. I think we're all very intrigued!" Maisie laughs nodding her head. She then shyly smiles at me. "My name is Maisie Chain...and Maisie rhymes with daisies...which is also my favourite flower. I guess another part of the reason is because me and my grandma used to sit on the decking of her ranch house with a basket of freshly plucked daisies from the meadow, and yeah, basically me and her would spend hours outdoors creating flower crowns, bracelets and necklaces out of daisychains..." Maisie's voice trails off as she then looks panicked. "Sorry I didn't mean to talk for that long." Clara looks touched.

   "Awe. That really brought me back to my childhood that did. Thank you for sharing that lovely story. It's brought a smile to my face." Maisie smiles even though she seems really uncomfortable.

   "Before you sing your cover song...can I ask you both a serious question about Flowerbed? It's actually a question of which fans are sending in too. So we're all on the same boat." I guess it's my turn to speak.

   "Right..." I wearily say.

   "So in Flowerbed it ha: came to many attention that this seems a love song...to each other. Because that's how it sung from two different perspectives." Oh fuck.

   Maybe it wasn't a good idea to release that song as the first song. I'm kind of getting used to the privacy and the secrecy. I think it's tasteful for two artists like us to keep things on the low and away from the toxicity that is fandoms.

   "No-no...I mean..." I nervously smile at the thought me me and Maisie becoming public - it's a nice thought but...that can't happen now. Instead of telling Clara and the rest of the world that we're happily boyfriend and girlfriend I shrug. "Both me and Maisie are people who like holding little bits back just because we want to hear our fans theories and perspectives..." Clara makes an 'ah' as she smiles a great big smile.

"So there's nothing going on between you and that very hot song." I shake my head - which pains me to do since it's a lie.

   Maisie has the palest pink - and of course baggiest - jumper on. It's like a thigh high dress on her. I don't know how she can wear it in this weather. It's way too hot. She also wears white mini shorts with it. She sits on the stall looking petrified and nervous of every person who is setting the sound equipment up.

   "Young love. Innit." Woody just has to say with a big smile on his face. The bastard. "Well then" - Clara laughs - "do you want to do the honours of telling us what the surprise song is?" I look at Maisie, I think she needs to get out of her shell and talk more. "Oh um..." she nervously laughs. Her voice is so quiet and sugary sweet.

Fuck I love her.

"Our cover is Vesuvius by Sufjan Stevens..." Maisie's voice trails off as she sniggers. "Which is weird thinking about how Bastille created a song about the destruction of Pompeii...because of Vesuvius." I lean forwards and laugh. She's got a point.

"Well then today is a history lesson! The live lounge is all yours for the next five minutes..." with that one of the radio's sound engineers nods their head for us to start playing.

And it doesn't sound as bad as I would've imagined since we have had no practice....