With a sell out show in Whelans for their debut gig already consigned to history, new Dublin act Darling have been building momentum over the last few months achieving great radio response to debut single Echoes. Now with their second single Sail Away heading for release collegetimes.com sat down with the duo to get to the bottom of what drives Darling to do that thing they do...
Welcome guys, it's been a whirlwind few months since you arrived on the scene with MTV's new music site, Today FM and a host of renowned blogs championing you. Do you feel things starting to fall into place?
Yeh man it's been very cool for us. We spent a lot of time behind the scenes writing and demoing songs, working out the details of the live show and generally just making sure that when we came out all aspects of the band were exactly how we wanted them to be. From the name down to how we presented ourselves on stage, in interviews, art work etc. the fact that since the EP came out we've gotten a lot of love across the board from the industry in the shape of blogs and radio and the general public is a real validation that we did the right thing in waiting till we were ready. We didn't wanna make any mistakes once we started.
Naturally a certain amount of our readers would be too young to remember The Kinetiks, but how does it feel for both of you to come back with a new polished sound ahead of your Academy show on the 7th February?
It feels exactly how it should feel. It doesn't feel like a comeback or anything! We're really looking forward to the show, it's only our 5th gig or something so we're mad to get out in front of everyone again! Playing live is just a really special thing and it's something that I get an incredible amount of inspiration and enjoyment from.
So did you guys lock yourselves away to specifically change from the sound of the Kinetiks or did you want to see what naturally evolved?
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The idea with locking ourselves away was we wanted to learn how to write songs from the ground up. We spent 12 months in the spare room of my parents house in north county Dublin, Knee to knee Lennon and McCartney style and tried to see what we could come up with. We studied all the songs we loved and pulled them apart and tried to work out what made them great, and tried to put those moments of greatness into our own music.
Being quite the New Wave fan I initially thought the band Darling from late 70's London had reformed. Were you guys aware of them and what pushed you to go with the name?
The name came quite late, we wanted something that suited the music. Something that sounded quite soft and effeminate. Like the sound, it just had to sound right. That was the important thing, it took ages actually. At one point we were gonna be called The Wheels. Jesus that would've been horrific.
What was it like working with Stephen Lipson? Some big names on his CV. Did you ever feel under pressure to create something worthy of sitting alongside the work he's done with the likes of Ultravox and the Pet Shop Boys?
We went over there to come away with music that would stand next to all those amazing artists he's worked with. In his studio in west London we really laid down a blueprint of how we wanted the record to sound. Echoes was the jumping off point, that was the moment when we looked at each other and went, "yes! this is the music we wanna make! This is how we want it to sound". It was a big moment listening back to Echoes at the end of the first session with Steve. I got a lump in my throat, to me it sounded perfect and I wouldn't change a note.
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So, like the Pet Shop Boys, you guys appear in press shots etc as a two piece. What way do you break it down on in a live setting with such production quality to live up to?
Live we're a 4 piece rock n roll band. That was always the plan bass, drums, 2 guitars and a singer. Simple and effective. We pushed ourselves to represent the songs as accurately as possible onstage. The biggest compliment is when you come offstage and people say it sounded exactly like the EP or whatever. We're tight, loud and we can all play so that helps. I'm not into scrappy bands that sound great on record and then you go see em live and they just can't pull it off. It turns me off straight away.
Debut single Echoes was a cracking foot-stomper (great bass sound by the way...spot the bass player..lol)) to launch your career with. New track Sail Away shows the more emotional side of Darling, it seems reminiscent of Feeder circa Pushing the Sense era. What artists influenced you both the most while you wrote the new Darling material?
Haha! Thanks dude, the bass is SOOOO good on it. Sounds HUGE!! Yeh I suppose the first EP is an introduction to the band so we wanted to show people two sides of the coin. Not come out with 2 bangers you know? Influences wise were all about Tears For Fears, OMD, The Beatles, Tom Petty, The Strokes. I'm a music nut to be honest!
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(Col – I’m a massive Tears for Fears fan…Kudos!!)
Can we expect to see Darling on the festival circuit this summer or is it all very hush hush at the moment?
We'd love to be, we've a few cool shows to announce once the Academy 2 is under our belt but definitely hope to make the festival circuit. We're also gonna be in the studio as much as possible to keep recording. I think that's the life blood of this band, we just wanna keep releasing music.
What does the future hold for Darling? Album on the way?
We're chipping away at the record. We've another EP on the way first though, and maybe one after that. We wanna build the story of the band as much as we can before we put out the album. Radio is starting to come around so that's really exciting. I want to hear these songs on the radio.
And finally......as quick as you can invent a drinking game for our readers based around your debut single 'Echoes'. lol....
Haha! You're not he first person to say that Colin! Hopefully it could replace The Police Roxanne drinking game! We can only dream I guess!
Darling play the Academy 2 on Friday 7th of February. Tickets €10 on sale now. Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for a pair of free tickets to the gig.
Darling are on Twitter here and Facebook here.
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