Dear Darkness
Detroit, Michigan, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
Music
Press
"Dear Darkness is Stacey MacLeod on vocals and guitar backed by Samantha Linn on drums and backing vocals. None of us need to waste any time pretending to be surprised that only two people can make a lot of ruckus in one rock band with such a setup — certainly not here in Detroit, where we have precedents for such a thing. Dear Darkness have been around a few years and are one of the best bands in the city." - Metro Times
" I know the word 'extreme' was getting thrown around a lot in soda commercials and skater vernaculars during the early 90's, but it occurs to me that, with a subdued elegance beneath the coarser punk veneer, MacLeod and Linn are exploring the extremes of whats capable with just the guitar, the human voice and a couple of drums and drum sticks... Gnarly, yet pretty. Demolishing, yet delicate... That's the blend... Dear...and Darkness." - Deep Cutz
"I am inspired by the minimalist guitar of Johnny Ramone. Brett Anderson from Suede and Adam Ant inspire me vocally. I wish I could write lyrics like Jarvis Cocker from Pulp, because I love the humor in his words. Todd Trainer from Shellac and Keith Moon from the Who both inspire and influence Samantha as a drummer." - Music Sound Rocks
"The blades in Dear Darkness' Swiss Army Knife of gnarliness include the rawest of indie rock's roots, that early stuff from the 80's that dabbled with noise-pop and nearly gnaws at your ear, but also some dark, trippy punk, with ramshackle riffs and quavering vocals that still attain discernible (and even indelible) melodies, albeit deploying minor keys for optimal malevolent-esque evocations and grit-blasted overtones. Some rhythms can pummel but others may strut, the guitars may be a bit surfy sometimes but are set up to screech, if needed and the bewitching dual-vocal effect nicely augments the allure." - Deep Cutz [[Uncutz]] Jeff Milo
: March 2014 in Ferndale
Sound: “Elemental and combustible” modern “first wave” rock.
Members: Stacey MacLeod — vocals, guitar; Samantha Linn, drums.
Influences: PJ Harvey, the Beatles, Polvo, Guided By Voices, Morrissey, Beach House, Phantogram, Blonde Redhead, Belle & Sebastian, Wild Flag, the Ramones, Arcade Fire and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Day Jobs: MacLeod is an adjunct professor in the English department of Macomb Community College. Linn is a baker at Trinospheres in Detroit and also has a solo project called Arch Mystics.
What’s In A Name? MacLeod says Dear Darkness is taken from the song of the same name on PJ Harvey’s “White Chalk” album. “It seemed perfect for us, since I can’t help but sound kind of dark, when I sing. We titled our album ‘Pleather Pants’ because neither Sam nor myself feel we are very ‘cool’ like the rock hipsters who play music. We aren’t cool enough wear leather. Also, I’m vegan and I would never wear a leather jacket anyways.”
Well-traveled: MacLeod is a Michigan native who lived in Nashville from ages 13-30, where she was in the bands Pop Roxy, the Features and Self. Linn is a Boston native who moved to the Detroit area about 10 years ago. The two played in the Looms and the Heaven & Hell Cotillion before forming Dear Darkness.
Favorite Gig: MacLeod says the duo particularly enjoyed this year’s Dally In The Alley show in Detroit. “The Dally is nonprofit and ran by volunteers. The vibe of the Dally is down-home Detroit. The bands that play the Dally are usually edgier than the ones who play at the other local music festivals. We love being part of a new breed.”
Hear ’em: Dear Darkness recently released its first album, “Pleather Pants,” via Bandcamp and at shows.
See ’em: Dear Darkness next performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Ferndale Public Library, 222 E. Nine Mile Road. Great Lakes Ghost is also on the bill. Admission is free. Call 248-546-2504 or visit http://ferndalepubliclibrary.org.
Surf ’em: www.facebook.com/darknessdear and https://deardarkness1.bandcamp.com/ - The Oakland Press Gary Graff
"Their music is moody and heavy and intense and guitar-driven. It’s equal parts theater major and art school, with both T. Rex and Siouxsie impulses locked down tight. If they lived in Brooklyn, New York or Los Angeles., they’d be hugely famous already." - Metro Times/Mike McGonigal
"It's not everyday that you hear a good two piece band, and it's even more rare that the two piece that catches your ear is made up of two females...This two piece reminds me of two things, Sleater Kinney and David Bowie, both amazing artists in their own right... But, before you click over to hear them, or head out to see them play live, check out our interview with the ladies and fall a little in love with their personalities before you fall in love with their sound!"—Hip in Detroit - Hip in Detroit
Discography
On Dear Darkness's sophomore album, Be Nice Honey, Stacey MacLeod and Samantha Linn are heard scouting the carcass of punk, lapping the liquor from its veins, and gnawing on its minimalist bones. The Detroit duo, regularly compared to T. Rex and Royal Trux, warp the essence of punk in 10 perfectly concise songs, with dirty, distorted electric guitar, crashing, bruised drums, and little else. But despite its simplicity, there's something here that goes much deeper. The sound is dense and gritty. The vocals evoke Bowie and the lost croon of '70s glam. The lyrics lure the listener with animal matter, from the devil and rock 'n' roll to suicide, sexual predation, doom, and classic angst and unrequited love. Recorded by legendary Detroit producer, Jim Diamond, who worked on the first two White Stripes albums, Dear Darkness's Be Nice Honey is tense, jagged--and catchy as hell.
Photos
Bio
Dear Darkness, duo, is blowing up in Detroit right now! Stacey MacLeod, lead singer, played at a private party for Iggy Pop at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Detroit, for a pop-up exhibit opening, called "American Valhalla: The Art of Post Pop Depression." Raganar Kjartansson, international artist, (who worked with Sigur Ros and The National) collaborated with both Stacey MacLeod and Samantha Linn on a conceptual performance called "Woman in E."
Dear Darkness played in-store at THIRD MAN RECORDS in Detroit, on May 14, 2016.
Dear Darkness is riotous and no frills rock, a duo whose sound is waxing and combustible—think the rawer side of PJ Harvey mixed with the rock economy of The Ramones, the drama of Siouxie Sioux mixed with the faux-pomposity of Pulp. Dear Darkness’s music could be called “bedroom pop,” but if then, the curtains are drawn and the lamps are covered.
The band is popular for their uninhibited, live performances. MacLeod abandons the mic. Swept up in rock 'n' roll and the energy from the audience, she dances to the corners of the stage, screaming out over the crowd. Meanwhile, Linn, seemingly reserved, plays so hard she breaks her sticks and suddenly drops to the floor between songs. The audience feels the thrall. The band plays out regularly and has played large festivals, including The Dally In The Ally, The Makers' Fair at The Henry Ford Museum; Arts, Eats, and Beats; LadyFest Grand Rapids, The Hamtramck Music Festival, and Foxfest.
On Dear Darkness's sophomore album, Be Nice Honey, Stacey MacLeod and Samantha Linn are heard scouting the carcass of punk, lapping the liquor from its veins, and gnawing on its minimalist bones. The Detroit duo, regularly compared to T. Rex and Royal Trux, warp the essence of punk in 10 perfectly concise songs, with dirty, distorted electric guitar, crashing, bruised drums, and little else. But despite its simplicity, there's something here that goes much deeper. The sound is dense and gritty. The vocals evoke Bowie and the lost croon of '70s glam. The lyrics lure the listener with animal matter, from the devil and rock 'n' roll to suicide, sexual predation, doom, and classic angst and unrequited love. Recorded by legendary Detroit producer, Jim Diamond, who worked on the first two White Stripes albums, Dear Darkness's Be Nice Honey is tense, jagged--and catchy as hell.
Band Members
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