By Lexxington Many Heads
Photos by Sylvan Breaker
They Say Stories is a rising indie rock band from Siksika Nation, blending raw guitar-driven sound with influences of traditional singing and ’90s bands such as Pavement, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, and Fugazi, to name a few. The band comprises Sylvan Breaker (frontman, main singer-songwriter, and guitar player from Siksika Nation), Dalton Dodginghorse (the drummer and a member of the Tsuu’tina Nation and Siksika Nation), and two non-Indigenous members, Christa Clifford (vocalist), and Liam Gonzalez (bassist). Together they channel a unique sound — a sound that tells stories.
The band’s name, They Say Stories, is rooted in the tradition of oral storytelling. For Sylvan, stories — whether about family, folklore, or legends like Napi — were a key part of growing up and understanding identity and culture. These stories, often told by his mother, shaped who he is today. The name reflects the idea that who we are is formed by the stories we hear and carry with us throughout our lives.
While They Say Stories is a relatively new project, the musical chemistry has been building for a while. “Dalton and I have been playing together the longest and it’s only been about two years that him and I have been playing together,” Sylvan said. “Everyone else came in after. Christa’s the newest, about six months in, and Liam’s been with us for over a year.”
Despite their short time together, the band has already made serious waves. In a whirlwind moment of recognition, They Say Stories went from local indie rock band to being played all the way in Seattle, WA, on KEXP radio, and their debut album, Daydreams Will Do, was featured on KEXP’s 6 Albums to Listen to This Week this past July. Featuring songs of demos written as far back as 20 years ago, Daydreams Will Do, released on July 4, 2025, is an album about a relationship between two people and the stages one goes through — love and sometimes heartbreak.
Sylvan Breaker provides a deeper insight into the story behind Daydreams Will Do and how They Say Stories came to be. Sylvan has been playing the guitar for a long time. He first started playing with his cousin, and they started out with nothing but a chord poster and book and bouncing off each other’s playing. Many years later, prior to They Say Stories, he was in a different band called Chief n’ Council, a two-piece garage rock band that started in 2017. During this time, Sylvan was writing songs for Chief n’ Council, and a lot of good ones too. He also had songs that he had written that were just as good, but they didn’t quite fit the mold for what Chief n’ Council was doing. These songs were softer and went in a different direction. Sylvan shared, “For me, I’ve always kind of pressed record. When you’re always writing stuff or creating stuff, I always go back to what Tenacious D said: ‘Always press record.’ So, I ended up having so many of these different demos.”
Sylvan also co-collaborated on these songs with Siksika member, the late Gerrance Sitting Eagle, who helped write and played with Sylvan in previous bands. Gerrance was the kind of gifted musician who could pick up anything and play anything, and when Sylvan and Gerrance would play together, their spirits would connect and communicate with each other on a different level. “He was older than me, he was my older brother. I had these songs, and I didn’t want to give up on them,” Sylvan shared.
Before Gerrance had passed away, Sylvan received a grant from Calgary Arts Development and then he started working in Tsuu’tina. Sylvan had met Dalton at work, and they both found out that they each had interests in playing music — Dalton on the drums and Sylvan on the guitar. After sitting there for a while, one of the oldest songs being Wedding Party, which was written 20 years ago, Sylvan brought some of the demos with drumming he had created with Gerrance to Dalton, post-pandemic, and his goal was to preserve how the drums were played, in honour of his brother.
Realizing that these songs were gold, they decided to go through them, record, and then see what happens after. Little did they know, this would be the door that would lead to the start of They Say Stories.
They Say Stories recently released their debut album, Daydreams Will Do, on July 4. It was recorded at Child Stone Studios in Calgary, Alberta, with producer Chris Dadge. The band found the process both challenging and inspiring — especially their first few days recording drums, which were intense and meticulous under Chris’s guidance (himself a drummer). Dalton, the band’s drummer, laid down all the drum tracks in just three days during 8–10-hour sessions, and then they moved on to recording guitar, bass, and vocals. The recording required patience and trust in the process, with the full picture only becoming clear during mixing and mastering.
Originally, Sylvan envisioned these songs as two EPs — one of them being called Portraits of Love, where it would represent the stages of a relationship — but the project evolved into a full-length album. Songs like 49 Love, Wedding Party, Special Tea, and Fool For You are just a few of the songs off the album that are very strong and very relatable. “I’ve been there and know that feeling. Those are songs of someone who’s gone through it.”
Sylvan also reflected on the song Keep Dreaming, and compared it to his experience with the release of the album: “I was tired of dreaming. I needed to wake up and me releasing this album was me waking up.”
The songwriter’s favourite track to write was Rawr XD. It came together late one night after he shared the opening lyrics with his partner, who insisted he write them down. Inspired by his love for Godzilla, the song became an ode to the iconic monster. Although the official Godzilla “rawr” couldn’t be licensed, he improvised and performed the “rawr” himself at the end of the track. Interestingly, alternate versions of Rawr XD exist, including a more melancholic “howl” rendition and even a banjo version, each offering a different emotional tone.
The hardest song to write was Ransoms, particularly because of its intro riff. While he loved the opening, figuring out how to follow it proved challenging and took time to develop. As for knowing when a song is finished, it’s a mix of instinct and feedback. “Sometimes, you just kind of feel it, that nothing else could be done.” He also relies on a bit of research and input from others to confirm when a track is ready.
Musically, Daydreams Will Do doesn’t stick to one genre; rather, it blends different styles and vocal techniques, showcasing the band’s versatility. From soft melodies to gritty growls, the album reflects the band’s range. A standout moment includes a powerful one-take yell on Special Tea, inspired by the lead vocalist’s background in powwow singing, which helped shape his breath control and vocal strength.
It’s clear that the band’s immense talent, variations in sound, and rawness — both musically and emotionally — boosted their stance in the music scene and provided them the opportunity to be featured on a well-known radio station based in Seattle, Washington.
After noticing a colleague was featured on the KEXP music program Sounds of Survivance, Sylvan reached out to DJ Kevin Sur on July 1 and asked him if he could submit his music to him. Kevin said yes, so Sylvan sent him a demo code and their Electronic Press Kit, and Kevin loved what he was hearing.
Going back and forth for some time, Sur asked for more download codes, and within 90 minutes of sending the first email, Sylvan got news that his music would be playing on KEXP radio. “…He was like, ‘Hey I passed this on to DJ Cheryl Waters and you guys are going to be on air, so tune in now!’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on? Are you kidding me? This never happens.’ And sure enough, it did, and I was dumbfounded.”
Later, Sur messaged again with the news about the album making KEXP’s weekly list on their Instagram page. “I was floored,” Sylvan said. “I told my partner; I believe in these songs… I just felt reaffirmed that what I’m doing is right, and there are people out there who want to listen to our songs.”
Before ending the inspiring and insightful conversation with Sylvan, he shared a beautiful answer to what kind of messages and emotions he hopes the band’s songs leave with their listeners: “That you can live your life to it. You can have your conversation with whoever, and you can be with who you want to be with and still have our music in the background, and it be part of your life. And when you’re ready to hear that song that you need to hear at the time, that it gets you through whatever you’re going through.”
They Say Stories will be hitting the stage on September 12 at 6 p.m. at WhatFest at the Neverland Boutique in Calgary, Alberta. They are also in the process of making vinyl records for Daydreams Will Do, so, come fall,
