Imaginary dragons group. Imagine Dragons: interesting facts, best songs, history, listen

At the beginning of 2009, the guys started working in the studio. And on February 1 they released their first EP, Imagine Dragons. And on April 1 of the following year, their EP Hell and Silence was released (Grammy nominee Mark Needham participated in the recording). Both EPs were recorded at Battle Born Studios. They were soon invited to perform at the annual Bite of Las Vegas festival as the "Most In-Demand Band of 2010" on local 107.9FM. They were chosen to headline the Vegas Music Summit, were named a "Must See Live Band" by Las Vegas CityLife, were named "Best Indie Band of 2010" by Las Vegas Weekly, and were awarded the "Best Record of 2011" award. from Vegas Seven magazine. In November 2011, Imagine Dragons signed a contract with American record label Interscope Records. They worked closely with producer Alex Da Kid, with whom they recorded their first disc in West Hollywood. Their EP was titled Continued Silence and released on February 14, 2012. Imagine Dragons prepared very carefully for the release of their debut album.

“By releasing a series of EPs, we were testing the waters. We wanted our debut album to be successful,” Wayne admitted in an interview.

On September 4, the world heard Night Visions, the band's first full-length album. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200. The single "It's Time" peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 4 on Billboard Alternative and number 4 on Billboard Rock, and is now certified platinum.

Compound

• Dan Reynolds - vocals, cajon, bass drum, snare drum, acoustic guitar (2008–present)
• Ben McKee - bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, acoustic bass guitar, electric mandolin, bass drum (2009–present)
• Wayne Sermon - guitar, electric mandolin, viola, backing vocals, tom-tom, acoustic guitar, bass drum (2009-present)
• Dan Platzman - drums, cello, viola, backing vocals, cajon, acoustic guitar, snare drum, violin (2011–present)

• Andrew Tolman - Drums, vocals (2008-2011)
• Brittany Tolman - piano, vocals (2009-2011)
• Teresa Flaminio - keyboards

• Ryan Walker - keys, electric guitar, snare drum, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric mandolin, synthesizer, bass drum, dulcimer (2011–present)

Discography

• Imagine Dragons EP (release: September 1st, 2009)
• Hell and Silence EP (release: June 1, 2010)
• It's Time EP (release: March 12, 2011)
• Continued Silence EP (release: February 14, 2012)
• Hear Me EP (release: November 25, 2012)

• 2012 - Night Visions

Soundtracks "Imagine Dragons" for films, TV series and games

• TV series "Beauty and the Beast" S01E04 - "Round and Round"
• Film "The Guest" - "Radioactive"
• TV series "Arrow" - "Radioactive"
• Movie "Iron Man 3" - "Ready Aim Fire"
• Game "Assassin's Creed III" - "Radioactive"
• Movie "Fast and Furious 7" - "Demons"
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - "Who We Are"
• Film “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” - “It’s Time”
• Film "Frankenweenie" - "Lost Cause"
• TV series "The 100" - "Radioactive"
• TV series "The Vampire Diaries" - "Radioactive"
• Game "League of Legends" - "Warriors"
• Movie "Transformers: Age of Extinction" - "Battle Cry", "All For You"
• TV series "True Blood" - "Radioactive"
• Game "Pro Evolution Soccer 2015" - "Demons"
• Game "FIFA 2013" - "On the top of the world"
• Concert tours[edit | edit wiki text]
• Imagine Dragons on Tour (2011-12)
• Fall Tour 2012 (2012)
• Europe Tour 2012 (2012)
• Night Visions Tour (2013)
• Into The Night Tour (2014)

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

Brief history of the group

It all started in 2008, when future lead singer Dan Reynolds met Andrew Tolman, who played drums at the private Mormon Brigham Young University, where they were both students. The young people decided to unite and invited other members to their team: Andrew Beck (guitar), Dave Lemke (bass) and Aurora Florence (keyboards). Soon the first victories came, in the university “Battle of the Bands” and similar competitions. Few people know that in the same year this composition released a mini-album of five compositions called “Speak to Me”. And already at that stage of their career, the group had many fans in the American 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.

The year 2009 was marked by the arrival of a new guitarist - Wayne Sermon, also an old friend of Tolman, who had graduated from music college by that time. The drummer's wife, Brittany Tolman, was invited to perform vocals and play piano. A little later, Lemke left the team. Sermon's college friend Ben McKee will take his place on bass.

The performers decide to move to the soloist’s homeland – Las Vegas. During this period, they released two records: “Imagine Dragons”, “Hell and Silence”. Then the group performs most often in entertainment venues such as casinos and strip bars. However, there were more chances for success in the new place.

Widespread fame came by chance: the lead singer of the recognized rock band Train became seriously ill shortly before the largest festival Bite of Las Vegas 2009. Imagine Dragons performed instead in front of an audience of more than 26 thousand people! A year later, they will be invited to the same event as “The Most Popular Group of 2010.” Now Imagine Dragons can be heard on the radio, they receive the title of “Best Indie Band of 2010”. The third album, entitled “It's Time,” released in 2011, brought the band their first contract with a major label, as well as a prize for “Best Record of 2011.” The Tolman family left the band in the same year, to which Daniel Platzman joined them. and Teresa Flaminio (keyboards). The latter did not stay in the lineup for long and already left the group in early 2012, making it a quartet, which it remains to this day. Since then, it has been an all-male group.

The band's fourth album, Continued Silence, was released in collaboration with Interscope for Valentine's Day 2012. This, like the previous three EPs (mini-albums), are well received by professional critics and ordinary listeners. According to Reynolds, thanks to these releases, the musicians were able to understand how best to develop in the future in order to make the best possible album.

And they did it! On September 4, 2012, the major debut album “Night Visions” was released, which immediately took all the places of honor in the charts in more than 20 countries around the world. Within two weeks, they sold 83 thousand copies. This is the most triumphant debut since 2006. The album went gold in seven countries and platinum in fourteen, including double platinum in four of them: the United States, Mexico, Sweden, and Austria. In Canada, the release became such three times! It won the Billboard Music Award for Best Rock Album and was also nominated for International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards. Billboard named the performers “The Brightest New Stars of 2012” and also gave them the status of “Breakthrough Group of 2013.”

In order for the next full-scale album to be just as successful, the musicians followed the tried and tested path of publishing mini-releases, experimenting with them and testing the public's reaction. At the beginning of 2013, the EP “The Archive” was released. The following soundtracks were recorded: “Battle Cry” (for the new Transformers film), “Warriors” (“Divegent, Chapter 2: Insurgent”), “Monster” (for the game). In addition, individual singles were presented. In most cases, the work of this period was well received among the people. The artists began writing their second major record.

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 13 more concerts to the planned concerts. All tickets were sold out, and the price remained affordable. Even so, the fees were enormous. As a result, the musicians were included in the top 20 concert tours according to Pollstar. Based on the results of these trips, a release was released with recordings of live performances.

The artists have repeatedly admitted that they write music on the road. The road gives them a sea of ​​vivid impressions and inspires them to be creative. Relatively soon after the end of the tour, a new album “Smoke+Mirrors” appeared (02/17/2015). In conversations with journalists, Reynolds noted their general tendency towards perfectionism; 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, the resounding success did not follow. Critics found it “average”; the disc sold in slightly smaller copies.

After the work done, the group announced their retirement for about a year, leaving fans with a whole film about their concert life, “Imagine Dragons In Concert: Smoke + Mirrors.” However, the promise made to everyone could not be fulfilled. Within a few months, two soundtracks were released. The song "Sucker For Pain" received a great response, in contrast to the acclaimed 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 assessed the work done as entering a qualitatively new stage of development. However, critics are not asleep; to some of them, the record with the self-explanatory title “Evolve” seemed like an attempt to please the masses of fans, and not the realization of potential. Be that as it may, many of the tracks really took off. The combination of genres here is wonderful. Thanks to him, each listener fell in love with something different among the released songs.

Interesting Facts

• According to the soloist, each musician separately records his part of the future track. Until it is mixed, none of them knows what the final version will sound like.Ideas and demo versions of many tracks are recorded by artists during tours.
• Performers often leave Easter eggs for a future album on their social networks, inviting fans to guess their meaning. Often the first person to guess correctly gets a prize.
• Frontman Dan Reynolds said that when he wrote a song, an idea for a video clip immediately appeared in his head.
• Ben McKee (bassist) has golden hands: he loves and knows how to sew. Oddly enough, he is a pro at making hats.Another feature of this man is the insensitivity of his taste buds: he practically does not feel spices.
• Wayne Sermon (guitarist) often suffers from insomnia. However, he knows how to use it for good, composing music at night.
• Dan Reynolds, despite his kind, optimistic songs, is himself prone to panic attacks and depression. Creativity helps him cope and find the right path.He was born into a Mormon family. Mother and father had strict views on raising children, which influenced the boy. His training took place in Mormon organizations.Dan was the seventh of nine children.The frontman simultaneously participates in the Egyptian musical association with his wife Adja Volkman.
• Artists carefully monitor the public's reaction to their activities. So, Reynolds studies all mentions of them on the social network Instagram after performances.
• The name of the group consists of a real and completely logical phrase. Translated from English it means "Imagine Dragons". However, this is an anagram, the meaning of which is unknown to anyone except the guys themselves. Fans come up with many humorous versions, but the truth remains hidden.
• The group has more than 70 nominations for various music awards. Of these, 23 were victories.
• Covers are what the band likes to play. It was with them that the guys’ career began.
• Reynolds and his siblings made all sorts of videos as children, some of which were included in the video for the song “Roots.” Creativity was inherent in the future singer from an early age.

Best songs

It is very difficult to select a small number of the best compositions from the whole set. The fact is that all the group’s work is very original and interesting. We present to your attention a variety of works.

• One of Imagine Dragons' biggest hits is undoubtedly " Radioactive" It was with her that the road to worldwide fame opened for the musical group in 2012. The song received fifteen nominations in various charts, winning a landslide victory in four of them. According to Rolling Stone, it is “the biggest rock hit of the year.” More than 10 million copies have been sold in America. This track is still loved by fans. It sounds fresh, inspires confidence in one’s own strength, and contains a powerful charge of energy.

"Radioactive" (listen)

• « Roots" A kind, sentimental track dedicated to one’s roots: family, home, the place where a person grew up. The musical component is assessed far from unambiguously, but that is why it is art, to be perceived by everyone in their own way, but still the emphasis here is on the atmosphere. The impression is enhanced by the clip, which combines footage from childhood and touring life, emphasizing the longing for people far away and loved.

"Roots" (listen)

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

"Gold" (listen)

• « Sucker for Pain" This composition was recorded for the Marvel film “Suicide Squad” together with a group of hip-hop artists, including Lil Wayne. On the day the song was published, a video for it was also published (06/24/2016). A catchy track, with a particularly memorable Imagine Dragons melody. The song was 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 path forward despite the pain received in the breach. Dan Reynolds' vocals are in full force here. This is the main hit of the latest album.

"Believer" (listen)

Movies and games that feature Imagine Dragons music

Imagine Dragons is an unusual rock band. You can’t see sugary handsome men in it, with whom girls from all over the world would definitely fall in love. However, these guys were able to win love and recognition thanks to their sincerity, charisma and dedication. The vocalist's voice at concerts is even more beautiful than in recordings. The artists do not stand still: each release marks a new stage in their creativity, bringing original sound and visuals. We hope that their energy and potential will last for many years to come.

Video: listen to Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons are considered heroes of their time. The band members create truly high-quality and memorable music in a variety of genres - indie, pop, rock, electronics, in which they raise important social issues. At the same time, their songs most often have positive energy and drive, for which the musicians are loved by thousands of fans from all over the world.

History of creation and composition

The leader of the group by name began studying music at the age of 6, playing the piano. When the boy was 13, he secretly used his older brother's computer to use a voice recorder to record a song about his disappointments and experiences.

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Vocalist Dan Reynolds

The history of the creation of the band Imagine Dragons (translated as “Imagine Dragons”) began in 2008, after Daniel met drummer Andrew Tolman. The guys studied together at Brigham Young University.

The young people discovered similarities in musical preferences and life goals - both dreamed of creating a rock band. Later the guys met guitarist Andrew Beck, bassist Dave Lamke and violinist-keyboardist Aurora Florence.

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Guitarist Wayne Sermon

Over the years of the group's existence, the composition has changed several times. Aurora and Andrew left Imagine Dragons a few months after forming the band. Then, in 2009, Andrew Tolman invited his school friend Wayne Sermon to the group as a guitarist, and then his wife Brittany Tolman, who took the place of keyboardist and backing vocalist. After Dave Lamke left, Ben McKee became Imagine Dragons' bassist.

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Bassist Ben McKee

In 2011, Tolman's wife announced her departure, and Teresa Flaminio took her place for six months, playing keyboards. After that, the band did not have a permanent keyboard player, and during concert tours and recording songs in the studio, this vacancy was occupied at various times by Ryan Walker, William Wells and Eliot Schwartzman.

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Drummer Dan Platzman

The current lineup of Imagine Dragons is as follows: vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dan Reynolds (the only permanent member who has stayed in the group since its inception), guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman.

Music

Imagine Dragons' musical career began with a victory in the Battle of the Bands, held at one of the universities in Utah, and in several other competitions. The band recorded their first composition entitled “Speak to me” in 2008. Next, Dan Reynolds decided to move with all the members of Imagine Dragons to his hometown of Las Vegas. There the group began performing regularly in strip bars and casinos.

They received their first success after participating in the Bite of Las Vegas and Vegas Music Summit music festivals, where they performed in front of an audience of 26 thousand as headliners. The young team was invited to radio broadcasts, authoritative music publications gave them high-profile titles - “Best Record”, “Best Indie Group”, and record labels offered contracts. As a result, they signed an agreement with Interscope Records.

Before signing the contract, Imagine Dragons managed to record 3 mini-albums. The debut EP of the same name was released on September 1, 2009, June 1, 2010 - Hell and Silence, March 12, 2011 - It's Time.

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive

With the release of their fourth EP, Continued Silence, on February 14, 2012 on Interscope Records, the group gained real popularity. The single Radioactive instantly took top positions in the world music charts, was nominated for over 10 awards, winning four of them, and also received diamond status in the United States for selling more than 10 million copies. The second commercial success was the song Demons: released as a single, it sold more than 4 million copies.

Despite the fact that all 4 records were received quite warmly by critics and listeners, the performers wanted more. In one of the interviews, the band’s lead singer shared that when releasing their first mini-albums, the musicians “tested” the waters before recording a truly high-quality first disc.

And so it happened - on September 4, 2012, Imagine Dragons presented the album Night Vision, released with the participation of music producer Alex Da Kid. 83 thousand copies of the album were sold in just 2 weeks, and subsequently the disc received gold status in 7 countries, platinum in 14 and double platinum in the USA, Sweden, Mexico and Austria.

Imagine Dragons - Demons

In addition, the band's debut album won the "Best Rock Album" nomination at the Billboard Music Awards in 2014, and Rolling Stone magazine gave the song "Radioactive" the title of "Biggest Rock Hit of the Year."

Then the musicians returned to their proven path - they recorded a mini-release of The Archive, as well as soundtracks for films - Battle Cry for the new part of Transformers, Warriors for "", Monster for a computer game. A presentation of individual singles took place. This stage of the Imagine Dragons' creativity was received positively by the audience. After that, they began writing their second full-length album.

In parallel with this, the musicians went on a tour of Europe and America, entitled Night Visions after the name of the album of the same name. Their popularity reached such a level that the concert organizers had to increase the number of performances by 13. At the same time, the price of tickets remained affordable, so they were quickly sold out. The fees amounted to huge sums. According to Pollstar, the Dragons' concert tour made it into the top twenty. At the end of the tour, the group released a disc with recordings of live performances.

Artists have repeatedly said that they compose their main hits on the road. The path inspires them, gives them a sea of ​​bright impressions and motivates them to be creative. On February 17, 2015, the presentation of the group’s new album, called Smoke+Mirrors, took place.

Imagine Dragons - Believer

Speaking to reporters, Reynolds repeatedly noted the band's general penchant for perfectionism, from the choice of font for the logo to the final selection of songs for the album. After the success of Smoke+Mirrors, the band embarked on a 9-month world tour. However, sales fell compared to the money earned from the previous full-length album

Next, the band members announced a creative break, giving fans a whole documentary about their concert life called Imagine Dragons In Concert: Smoke + Mirrors. However, after a couple of months, they still recorded 2 soundtracks, one of which - Sucker for Pain - was recorded for the popular superhero film "".

Imagine Dragons is a popular rock band from the USA, which consists of 4 members. The guys quickly climbed to the top of the musical Olympus, their hits called “Radioactive”, “Demons”, “Believer” and “Thunder” were broadcast on all the best radio stations in the world.

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/people/94046170@N07

Millions of devoted fans dream of purchasing a precious ticket to the band’s concert. Vivid performances are real shows that take place in packed stadiums. The text of this article contains the most interesting and fascinating facts about this musical group.

1. Founder and “face” of dragons.

Dan Reynolds was born on June 14, 1987 in the popular tourist metropolis of Las Vegas. The guy grew up in a large family (he had 8 siblings). Even in early childhood, he became very interested in music. The boy took piano lessons and also learned the art of playing other instruments.

Dan did well at school, and a little later he entered the university, because he dreamed of getting a job in the FBI. It was within the walls of this educational institution that the guy had a dream of becoming a famous musician.

2. Creation of a team.

Reynolds in 2008 started thinking about creating a new rock band. He and guitarist Wayne Sermon decided to start playing together. The guys often sang at small creative evenings and rehearsed regularly. Soon several participants joined the musicians at once. The new members of the association are bassist Dave Lemke, guitarist Andrew Beck and pianist Aurora Florence.

3. Secret name.

The name of the group Imagine Dragons can be translated into Russian as “Imagine Dragons”. Few people know that this phrase is actually a successful anagram. The guys rearranged several letters or sounds of certain words. As a result of such actions, the world-famous name of the group was formed. At the moment, the secret of the name is known only to a couple of people.

4. First successes.

The guys dreamed of making themselves known to the general public. They won the Battle of the Bands competition, which took place at the university. The musicians were active participants in almost all local talent shows.

In 2008, the guys released a small collection of songs called “Speak to Me.” Although experts consider this work to be of fairly high quality, the group failed to become known outside of Utah. Andrew Beck and Aurora Florence did not see any special prospects and were forced to end their creative endeavors in this team.

5. Moving to Las Vegas.

Soon Dan Reynolds decided to return to his hometown. Ben McKee joined the band to fill the vacant position of bass guitarist. Also, pianist Brittany Tolman (the drummer's wife) began collaborating with the guys. The nightlife of Las Vegas was simply in full swing! The guys regularly played their best songs in night bars and performed professional covers of other people's works.

6. Lightning success.

The popular music festival Bite of Las Vegas 2009 became the starting point for the rise of the Dragons. This musical group became the headliner of the show by a lucky coincidence (they replaced the rock group “Train”, which could not take part in the concert). The 26 thousand audience warmly welcomed the guys. The creative breakthrough was very rapid, after some time the musicians were recognized as the best American indie band in 2010.

7. Debut album.

The guys began to work energetically in the recording studio, as well as create new songs and lyrics. Night Visions became the first full-length album for dragons, which almost immediately climbed to second position on the Billboard 200 chart.

The guys actively collaborate with various projects: they record soundtracks for films and games, go on their first big tour and appear on various radio stations.

8. First visit to the Russian Federation.

The team released their second album, Smoke + Mirrors, in February 2015. The best compositions of the album were the songs “I Bet My Life” and “Gold”. Soon the band went on a long world tour.

On January 24 and 26, “Dragons” thundered in Moscow and St. Petersburg. All tickets for performances at the Ice Palace and the Olympic Sports Complex were sold out. Also in honor of the album, the film “Smoke+Mirrors Live” was created.

The video for the song stars actor Dane Dehaan.

9. The last work of “Dragons”.

The third album, entitled "Evolve", was released in the summer of 2017. The guys did not stop being creative during the vacation they went on after a ten-month tour. Dan Reynolds stated that he wanted to take a break since the group had been working continuously for more than five years.

The great popularity of the rockers provoked the early release of a new album, the first composition of which was the song “Believer”. Even before the official release of the work, the guys published a couple of videos with tips. An attentive viewer could decipher the code word in Morse code. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and also topped the Top Rock Albums, Norwegian Albums, Swiss Albums, Finnish Albums and Canadian Albums charts.

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10. Charity.

"Dragons" do not forget about charity. In 2013, they created the Tyler Robinson Foundation, which helps sick children resist cancer. Members of the association regularly organize charity concerts and dinners. The guys help anti-violence organizations.

They also released the song "I Was Me", the proceeds of which were used to support refugees fleeing the Middle East. The cover of "I Love You All The Time" was released in memory of the victims of the Paris terrorist attack. In 2017, Imagine Dragons began collaborating with an LGBTQ organization.

11. Best music video.

The dragons' most popular video is "Radioactive", which has been viewed more than 800 million times by YouTube users. Actors Lou Phillips and Alexandra Daddario, as well as famous puppeteers from the Puppet Heap company, took part in the filming. This work is included in the prestigious top 100 most viewed clips on the Internet.

12. Trophies and prizes.

The rockers are winners of many prestigious awards. In 2012, the video for the song “It’s Time” was nominated for the MTV Video Music Awards in the category for best rock video clip, and in 2013 the guys could also become the most popular group of the year according to the Teen Choice Awards. “Dragons” have a victory in the prestigious Grammy competition, which they received for the best performance of a song in the rock genre.

13. Facts about the group members.

Ben McKee has an atypical hobby for a man; he loves to sew and has even succeeded in making beautiful hats. Guitarist Wayne Simon has huge problems sleeping. He composed most of the songs and melodies at night. The band's leader Dan Reynolds and his wife are participating in the musical project "Egyptian".

14. Love for recording covers.

At the beginning of their existence, “Dragons” actively performed songs of other artists at concerts. In certain cases, they still do this. At their concerts they played songs by Rush, The Rolling Stones and The Cure.

15. The process of creating tracks.

All members of the team are working on creating a new song. Together they make adjustments to the text and only then bring it together. Reynolds also noted that while writing the track, he already knew what the video clip would look like.

The music of the Imagine Dragons group carries some kind of supernatural charge of positivity, which magnetically attracts music lovers with completely different tastes.

The main styles played by the members of Imagine Dragons are alternative and indie rock. But musicians are not limited to just these genres. Their work contains a lot of pop rock and electronics, and in some places even folk rock and hip-hop “slip through”.

Unlike young rock bands that have been unable to move from garages to the stage for years, this unusual band almost immediately declared itself as a new star in the world of modern rock music.

The beginning of the Imagine Dragons story

Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds began taking his first steps in music by playing the piano at the age of 6. Then, at the age of 13, he would sneak onto his older brother's computer to turn on the audio recording function and sketch songs about his teenage experiences and frustrations.

But actually The story of Imagine Dragons has begun a little bit later - in 2008, when Reynolds meets drummer Andrew Tolman while attending Brigham Young University.

Finding similar musical tastes and life aspirations, the two students decide to form a band, joining guitarist Andrew Back, bassist Dave Lemke and keyboardist/violinist Aurora Florence.

Imagine Dragons lineup turnover

Over the next 9 years, the composition of Imagine Dragons changed several times. So unless you're a fan who wants to know every last detail of the band's history, feel free to skip the next two paragraphs.

After not playing in the group for even a year, Beck and Florence leave. Then in 2009, Tolman invited his school friend Wayne Sermon to play the role of guitarist in the band. A little later, Andrew brings his wife Brittany Tolman into the group, who takes a place at the keys and sings backing vocals. After this, Lemke left and the place of bassist was taken by Ben McKee at the invitation of Sermon.

In 2011, the Tolman couple left the group. McKee invites drummer Daniel Platzman to take the place, and Theresa Flaminio takes over the keys instead of Brittany, only to leave just six months later. After her, the group did not have a permanent keyboard player, but Ryan Walker (2012–2015), William Wells (2015–2017) and Eliot Schwartzman (2017–...) are invited for concert tours.

Currently permanent Imagine Dragons lineup– vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dan Reynolds (the only one who stayed in the group from its inception to the present day), guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman.

Through thorns to the stars in an accelerated version

Imagine Dragons began their musical career by winning the university's Battle of the Bands and several other local competitions (in Utah).

The first song “Speak to me” by Imagine Dragons was recorded in the year the group was created (2008) with its original lineup.

Then Reynolds decides to move the group (with an updated lineup) to Las Vegas - to his home. The group begins to perform regularly, however, at first mainly at night - in casinos and strip bars.

But after performing at festivals Vegas Music Summit (headlining in front of 26,000 people) and Bite of Las Vegas (Most Popular Band 2010), everything changes: invitations to radio broadcasts; high-profile titles (“Best Indie Band 2010”, “Best Record 2011”, etc.) awarded by reputable music publications; a contract with a major record label (Interscope Records).

Before the contract is signed, the group manages to record three mini-albums.. The self-titled debut EP “Imagine Dragons” was released on September 1, 2009. The following year, on June 1, the second EP “Hell and Silence” was released. The third mini-album "It's Time" was released on March 12, 2011.

The fourth EP “Continued Silence” is already being released on the Interscope label (02/14/12). Track No. 1 “Radioactive” quickly wins top positions in the music charts all over the world, is nominated for a dozen and a half awards (wins 4) and subsequently becomes the calling card of the team. In the USA, this track received diamond status based on sales results (more than 10 million copies).

All 4 mini-albums are quite warmly received by critics and listeners(especially "Continued Silence"). Reynolds subsequently reports that with the help of these releases the group “tested” the waters to release a really cool debut album.

Which is exactly what they did - “Night Visions” is released on September 4, 2012, recorded under the direction of producer Alex Da Kid.

Before the long play had time to come out, immediately began to “skim the cream”: 1st place - in Scottish Albums and three TOP Billboard charts (“Rock Albums”, “Alternative Albums” and “Catalog Albums”); 2nd – in the Billboard 200 and the British chart; other top places in weekly charts in another 20 countries.

In just 2 weeks, 83,000 copies were sold, making the record the most successful debut album since 2006.

Based on sales results, Imagine Dragons' album “Night Visions” went gold in 7 countries. And “platinum” at 14. Of these, 4 times 2 times platinum (Austria, Mexico, Sweden, USA) and once 3 times (Canada)!

Also among the achievements of the debut album of Imagine Dragons is the victory in the “Top Rock Album” category at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. And the composition “Radioactive,” which the long play inherited from the EP preceding it, was called “the biggest rock hit of the year” by Rolling Stone magazine.

Repeated, not as deafening, but still a success

Before releasing their second album, Imagine Dragons again decided to follow the proven path of “testing the waters” - releasing mini-releases.

First, the EP “The Archive” was released (February 12, 2013). The group then wrote three soundtracks: “Monster” for the IOS game “Infinity Blade III”; "Battle Cry" - for the film "Transformers: Age of Extinction"; “Warriors” – for the film “Divergent Chapter 2: Insurgent.”

And finally after the release of three more singles(“I Bet My Life”, “Gold” and “Shots”), when the musicians realized that most of the new tracks “went over” to listeners and critics, The release of the second album was announced.

The Imagine Dragons album “Smoke+Mirrors” was released on February 17, 2015. In support of it, a world tour lasting almost a year took place (04/12/15–02/05/16).

Also, a video concert “Smoke+Mirrors Life” was filmed for the release of the album. It was released in cinemas worldwide on March 2, 2016.

This time the album received more mixed criticism.- mostly positive, but there were also ratings marked “average”. In particular, Metacritic rated “Smoke+Mirrors” at 60/100.

As for the chart achievements of the second album, it basically repeated the successes of the debut album, in some places raising the bar even higher: 1st place in Canada, Scotland, Britain and three American Billboard charts.

And here Sales this time things went a little more modestly– only “gold” status in 7 countries. Although, you must admit, it’s still hard to call such results a failure.

A fresh dose of indie rock from Imagine Dragons

Fans of the band can already prepare their ears: new album "Evolve"(name stylized as ƎVOLVE) coming out very soon– June 23.

The fact that the record will be of high quality can be judged by the already released singles.

In 2016, the Imagine Dragons songs “Sucker for pain” and “Levitate” were released. The latter continued the soundtrack “tradition” and was featured in the film “Passengers”.

And this year the group pleased with the compositions “Thunder”, “Whatever it takes”, “Walking The Wire” and the undisputed hit "Believer" starring Dolph Lundgren in the video. And if the rest of the songs are on the same level, we have a great album ahead of us.

In addition, Dan Reynolds claims that compared to the two previous full-lengths, Evolve is an evolution of Imagine Dragons.

A tour is also planned in support of the third album, which starts on September 26. True, for now the musicians plan to limit themselves to American cities.

For now, all we have to do is wait for the release (to be published on the same day) and hope that someday the Imagine Dragons group will drop by with a concert in our area.

Some interesting facts about Imagine Dragons

1. The creative process in a group usually comes down to each participant superimposing his part on a previously created computer model. After mixing, according to the band's frontman Dan Reynolds, this unique puzzle produces the composition in the form in which it reaches the listeners' ears.

Therefore even the performers themselves do not know what the next song will be until they finish it.

2. The “old-timers” of the group have some rather interesting features.

McKee has no taste spices and enjoys making hats.

Sermon suffers from insomnia and composes music at night.

Reynolds is Mormon, and he also suffers from depression and anxious behavior. In addition, he has a joint project with his wife Aja Volkman called Egyptian.

3. Although the translation of the name of the group Imagine Dragons (“Imagine Dragons” or “Imagine Dragons”) in itself is self-sufficient, in fact this is an anagram, the decoding of which only the musicians themselves know.

But that didn't stop fans from speculating. The most popular are “gained in orgasm,” “a Gemini so grand,” “desiring a mango,” and “radio for older men.” aged men's radio").

4. The team in total was nominated 73 times for various music awards, receiving 23 wins.

5. In addition to those already mentioned in the article, the Imagine Dragons group also appeared in other films and games. Their music in total is used as soundtracks in almost five dozen films and “toys”.

The most famous: the films “Iron Man 3”, “Suicide Squad”, “Legend”, “The Host”, “Frankenweenie”, “Continuum”, “Kung Fu Panda 3”, “Angry Birds at the Movies”; TV series “Arrow”, “The Vampire Diaries”, “Lucifer”, “The 100”, “True Blood”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Riverdale”, “Orange is the New Black”; games "Assassin's Creed III", "FIFA 13", "Battlefield: Hardline", "Uncharted 4".