The Beauty In Sadness: An Interview With Providence’s Scaffolding

By Staff | June 18, 2026

Scaffolding emerged from Rhode Island's DIY music network, with a sound centered on layered guitar work consisting of both melodic phrasing and driving rhythm. The band maintains a rigorous rehearsal schedule, which translates into tightly executed, emotionally direct performances. Their recent songwriting has shifted, delving more into blending personal themes with sociopolitical content. The band actively participates in local community organizing, framing live shows as collective engagements with their audience. The group also explores external collaborations, spreading their wings into including dance-oriented remixes, which serve to sustain stylistic variation over time. We’re pleased to have had a chance to sit down with them for an interview.

The guitar interplay on your self-titled full length has been described as "twinkling yet driving" - is this an assessment you agree with?

I agree with the assessment. That is what I was really looking for in the sound of the S/T record. I was reaching out and working with Providence artists like Nick Sadler the composer and guitar player from Daughters and Kevin Steinhouser from Math the Band. I wanted to make a sound that is unique for the project and spent years finding the right pedals and gear to find that sound I was looking for. It is coming from my modern influences but I do just want to find the beauty in sadness.

Daniel, how do you balance your operatic vocals with the raw energy of your live sets?

Practice and nonstop singing in my regular life. I live for the raw power of a live performance and draw great inspiration from Victoria Ruiz from Downtown Boys. Seeing her perform really showed me the power of passion and how when you express yourself with all of your soul the room will notice and will appreciate your passion. Making sure I am singing all the time and knowing mic control through constant practice at Open Mics every week make it so I can be fully free and time out what I can and can’t do on stage.

Which tour memory from crisscrossing the United States and Canada stands out the most for the band?

Touring with Monsoon across the US and Canada was a dream. My favorite moment would have to be either our first ever sold out show in Rochester, NY at the Bug Jar and the kids bowing to me as we finished our set playing our song “Hallways”. We get off stage and encounter a woman covered head to toe in blood outside the venue. She asked for a lighter and we gave her one. She walked away. It felt like the “Got a light” scene from Twin Peaks: The Return.

or…

Right after we played Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn we got an odd message. This message was finding out that our show was getting canceled in Philly because Monsoon, who we were on tour with, was “too BIG” to play a house show. So, we found a house to host a show for us in NYC while at the bar at Alphaville in Brooklyn. We then managed to convince 4 acts who were patterns at the bar to play with us at this new found show. Then to text everyone we know in New York to manage to get a good crowd all within 18 hours of the show being canceled. It truly is amazing what happens when you don't give up.

Can you tell us about the decision to add dance remixes some of your tracks to your upcoming releases?

I have wanted to go in a dance direction for the project for a while. I draw great influence from LCD Soundsystem, TV on the Radio, Matt and Kim, Math the Band, Cristal Castles, and Future Islands. When I was in NYC the other week I ran into James Cade who offered to do these remixes of 2 of the S/T albums songs due to his love for them. I think collaboration and remix is something underused in the rock genres and I am so excited for it.

How did headlining Inkfest or playing Ithaca DIY Fest shape Scaffolding’s approach to performance?

Providence based festivals like Inkfest and Pvd Fest are works of love for the community. We over the past few years have become a strong part of that community being adjacent to Providence’s Scrams scene as the Rock Emo Alternative. I helped develop Inkfest with Red Ink Community Library to showcase all music in the community and when you play for the people who uplift you it gives you an urge to give it your all and push your performance to the limits of what you as a human can do to give that love back.

Ithaca DIY Fest was honestly a shock. I had wanted to play Ithaca for years so I booked a show with Practice At the local booker in the town and each time we played our shows got bigger and bigger building a strong fanbase at Ithaca College where their DIY club gave us the honor of being on the fest. It humbles me that a town of people I don't know 5 hours away has become so supportive of the music.

With comparisons to Robert Smith and Morrissey, do those artists consciously influence your songwriting?

Honestly, I didn't really listen to them until I got the comparison. I was just trying to sing in a way that felt true to myself and what I was trying to express within my music. Now that I have become more aware and fond of their music it is definitely a small influence. My main focus is to stay true to myself and my voice. Vocals that influenced me the Most were Justin Courtny Peirre of Motion City Soundtrack, Slaughter Beach Dog, The Pink Spiders, Jimmy Eat World, The Academy Is, Greg Mendez, The Modern Lovers, Blur, They Might be Giants, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Decemberists. Also one of my favorite songs ever After the Movies by Mo Tropper.

What has changed in the band’s dynamic now that the lineup has shifted?

I have had a few lineups throughout my projects over the years. The hardest thing to ask from people is time. Going on tour and not making money is hard on everyone and asking for time and commitment to a dream is very hard. I am very grateful and appriciative for the time and memories people have brought to Scaffolding. I am very excited for our current lineup which we premiere at the end of June. I am a very collaborative creator and I love working with new ideas cooking to make Scaffolding better.

After the Go!!! EP and your self-titled LP, what new themes are emerging on your sophomore full-length?

The growth in my songwriting has become more personal and focusing on being more explicitly political in a blunt and expressive fashion. Why does that make me depressed and feel hopeless? A new song I wrote about US involvement in the Middle East I am proud of the lyric “I think about the world the bombs that fly the blood upon my hands. As I sit safe at home with a thick cut steak in a brand new frying pan.” I want to lean into existential depression.

Anyone you'd like to thank for their support?

I don't get to thank the people who support the project and tell me how my music has helped their lives as often as I’d like. Their passion for the project drives me and their connection to the music has truly been one of the great joys of my life. The kind words mean a lot when the work is just as personal.

Our original Drummer Joey “Fingers” Doubis, Lucia Arias of (Anna Altmen) one of the first people to ever support my music, Sofia From Eel Pit Zine + Booking Tara & Vram from (Teaeater), Jasno Swarez, Joey and Seina (Monsoon) For going on a 15 day tour with us after we asked 2 weeks before the tour, Gavin Neves (Kamikaze GF), Emily Rose (Glambat) to more adventures in the future, for mastering all my records and being a great friend, Devindra & Gabriel of (Face the Music), Providence Everyone who has supported the project along the way Thank You Thank You Thank You

Links

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wW9bFSvwcvqaricrJDuxu?si=z1yHSQ_dRJGG02H_JU7Gog

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/scaffoldingmusic

Tiktok: @scaffoldingmusic

All links: https://linktr.ee/scaffoldingmusic

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