He wasn’t trying to make us into some band that existed in his mind. “He told us to just sit down and write what we’d been doing,” says Reynolds. The band’s full-length debut, the Grammy-winning soundman subtly garnished Imagine Dragons’ musical approach. The hard work paid off in 2011 when British producer Alex da Kid helped negotiate a deal with Interscope Records. “But it provided enough money to pay the rent and eat Top Ramen or Taco Bell.” “The ding-ding-ding from the slot machines was louder than the tiny speakers they gave us,” recalls Reynolds.
The band rigorously worked the club and casino scene in Las Vegas-Reynolds’ hometown-while releasing a series of independent EPs. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Sermon in turn recruited two fellow Berklee alums, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. Imagine Dragons’ journey began four years ago, when Reynolds was introduced to guitarist Wayne Sermon. People can call the music what they want.” But I love big, poppy melodies and I’m not going to apologize for that. “We have guitars and drums and bass,” says Reynolds, “so people call us a rock band. Last year “Radioactive” earned the group a Grammy for Best Rock Performance. In an era when pre-fab pop dominates, the group scored big with a back-to-basics approach. Vaulting into the limelight two years ago with the smash hit, “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons has since garnered a reputation as one of rock’s brightest hopes. I’m trying hard to balance those things.” I have a wife and a 2-year-old daughter, and I love being home with them. For me, rock ’n’ roll was about people doing what they wanted to do and saying what they wanted to say.
“It sounds cliché,” he says, “but I never got into rock ’n’ roll for fame or drugs or girls. Just ask Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds. Imagine Dragons finds success takes some getting used to