In 2020, longtime voicebox Dan Smith returned to his native Australia and parted ways with the band after so long in the vox seat. The band, urgent and charged with conviction, are set to continue championing and contributing to the health of the very scene that birthed them as they pen the narrative of their new chapter. Over a raucous decade, DARKO have by definition, become veterans of the UK Punk scene and it is not uncommon to see them standing as an essential name within the intricate and complex world of contemporary Punk and Hardcore. ‘SPARKLE IN MOTION’, is available today on Vimeo On Demand. SPARKLE will be available digitally, on 4-panel wallet CD and colored 12″ vinyl EP cut at 45 RPM.įans who want early access to all four tracks can purchase an exclusive 34-minute 4K feature, directed by Benny P (KoRn, Lenny Kravitz, Buzzcocks), featuring candid interviews and playthrough videos of ‘SPARKLE’ in its entirety. It’s also the quintet’s first release featuring new frontman, Tom West, previously of Almeida. UK veterans Darko return with SPARKLE, a genre-defying EP showcasing classic Darko vibes mixed with some new twists and turns. ‘Cruel to Be’ is available now on all digital platforms, with ‘SPARKLE’ set for release via Lockjaw (EU) and Thousand Island Records (CA) this fall. Longtime fans of the skate punk stalwarts are bound to have strong opinions about the departure of their signature double-time drum assault, in favour of explosive post-hardcore sensibilities, funk-influenced bass licks, and stadium-rock choruses taking the band’s sound to bold, unchartered territory. The theme of standing up to structural injustice endures here, with barbs such as “Be kind all you like, but does it nullify their cruel, barbaric policies?”Īlongside being perhaps the most provocative offering, this third single from the upcoming EP ‘SPARKLE’ is DARKO’s most sonically unconventional release to date.
Recently the band has made headlines for calling for a cull of misogynists within the punk rock community in ‘The Ladder’, and a misanthropic attack on selfishness in COVID-era Britain in ‘AUX’.
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Cruel to Be is dedicated to anyone who’s fed up with being told they’re overreacting to being smeared and dehumanised by professional antagonists with enormous wealth, reach and influence.”ĭARKO has pulled few punches since West – previously of Almeida – was unveiled as the band’s new vocalist, replacing Dan Smith who fronted the band from 2010 to 2020.
West continues: “Often the worst bullies use their massive platforms to attack marginalised groups, and then claim they’re the ones being bullied when people fight back. Calling out a bigot doesn’t make you as bad as the bigot.” “It’s a lovely sentiment, but if we aren’t standing up to bullies, we aren’t being “more kind” at all, we’re just being cowards and hypocrites. We’re often lectured about how much nicer the world would be if we were all “a bit more kind”, says new singer Tom West.