hair = pulled out

Things are really crazy around here, as you might have heard/could expect. We are heading to Montreal to record an album with Murray Lightburn. And to be clear, The Dears are one of my favorite bands. What is more, we have booked a show on the 16th of July to raise funds. Silly timing, we know. Please come, and/or bring/send your friends.

There is so much junk to fix these days, we really have no idea where to start. Demo, practice, budget, sleep, repeat. Who knew so many other things go into making a record other than the obvious. I would love to say I have just been practicing and preparing. But, no such luck. lose ends are everywhere and they need to be tied.

As for now we are off to la-la land to slave over delay noise, and what exactly it is that makes the kernel of a great song. We don't have the answers, but it is fun just to try. See you on the 16th.

Have fun, it is beautiful out

Wes

p.s. If you want to make a donation to our wide-eyed project, send me an email over at contact [at] thedarcys [dot] ca.

Mountain City Studio

I fear that our secret may be out.

The view from our window

8:30 am.
Dryden, ON

It's cold. We're camped out in a Wal-mart parking lot against the
wishes of the city of Dryden (who's law enforcement officers came to
escort everyone else but us off the premises last night. Apparently,
the campground lobby is huge in Dryden.

Everyone is asleep. Wes and Jason perched precariously on top of our
road cases and amps. Mike with a kick drum resting gently on his legs.
I'm upfront with a hard center console in my back. I've been reading
David Foster Wallace essays (which will hopefully explain some of the
sentence structure an tone of this post) and considering yet another
egg mcmuffin since sunrise.

Sorry if we've been out of touch on this run. Personally, I was a bit
blogged out after writing for exclaim! during our last tour. There are
only so many angles one can take on the road and truthfully, driving
has made up the bulk of this trip, hi-jinks are at an all time low.

I will say that this run has made me feel more like a band than
anything else we've done. We've recieved some big exciting news, which
will soon enough be revealed here, that has helped to cement that
feeling. Sled Island was a blast a whirlwind of andrew w.k. Spottings,
beer, ladyhawk shows and driving around Calgary trying to figure out
the city. We were up against the Breeders, one of the festival's
headliners, so our crowd was a little meager at first but kept
building and building until the sweltering mass (complete with spirit
fingers from
Caitlin from Calgary's fox opera) propelled us over the top and out
into the night. Also, apparently we were so loud that people came
upstairs just out of sheer curiosity at the kind of volume we were
producing.

Anyway, not all the shows on this run have felt as spectacular as Sled
Island, but they've all felt solid and composed, shoulder to shoulder.
Boys to men? (said in a manner as free from ironic undertones as
possible). Anyway, the moral of the story is that it feels great to be
out here. Cold fingers, sleepless nights, busted bank accounts Wal-
mart parking lots et al. It feels meaningful and worthwhile (we have
been afforded some gravity) free of the sometimes ennui inducing
experience of trying to be in a rock band.

Thanks for listening and showing up.
See you tonight in Thunder Bay.
Love,
The Darcys

CBC R3-30 Podcast, The Darcys, a little crush

My "friend" over at www.ryanedwardmiller.com decided to make a little video out of a clip that was aired on this week's R3-30 podcast... He chopped the audio and plopped in a picture of old me just for kicks. He thinks he is funny. He isn't all that funny.
If you want to hear the whole podcast, click here. Otherwise, watch the video below and imagine me turning red as a beet as a rather lovely letter is read aloud on the radio.


Danielle, I love you too.
Wes

And for my next trick I will successfully jump 4 inches into the air

Bruno, SK, our brand new love

Just keep going past Kirby St.
You get to Main St.
Take a right. If you get to Senior Citizens you've gone too far.



We played last night in the wonderful town of Bruno. Our host/promoter/photographer/barista Tyler informed us that we were the loudest band that had been through town, ever, but that he'd warned everybody. The folks of Bruno didn't seem phased by the noisier passages of the music. They didn't seem phased by the greasy hair and the hazy demeanor of five boys that have been sitting in a van for almost three days straight. Actually, in general it seemed well received. So a sweaty set was played to the All Citizen's crew (So sweaty that an impromptu set break was taken for everyone to go get outside for a minute). Drank a couple of Alberta Genuine Drafts. We were flooded with food from everybody (particularly Patty). Brocoli soup. Midnight Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Sausages. Then in the morning. Home made Salami from the good folk at Pulvermachers Brother's Grocers (there were 5 Pulvermachers in the audience last night!). It was indie rock band heaven. Took us by surprise, Bruno, you took us by surprise.

We were especially taken aback when the Town of Bruno gave us an engraved plate to commemorate our visit here. Next time they've promised us some engraved Cutlery.

From the bottom of our hearts, Bruno,
Thank you

(p.s. Best of luck at UofC next year, Delani)

Before the Storm: The Darcys in Winnipeg

I am the ?uestlove of this bitch

Live the dream. Seriously. You may find yourself in Winnipeg with only
an in-store at 8pm (4 people came to during a wind storm) but you will
leave playing a show with Novillero and a cool band from Boston called
The Main Drag.

It never hurts to ask.

Love,
Wes

AMPED UP TV Presents: The Darcys @ NXNE

NXNE Photos: Chromewaves.net

Photo courtesy of Frank at Chromewaves

Frank's Review of the Show

NXNE = HORN SECTION

We have a horn section for NXNE. A Saxophone. A Trumpet. A Trombone. I hope that excites some of you as much as it does us. Thursday June 18. Midnight.


Update: Thanks to everyone for coming out last night. It was nice to see so many friendly faces and so many strangers. Special thanks to Lauren for putting the whole thing together, our lovely and talented horn section: Tom, Carolyne and Jen. Videos and Pictures up here soon, as soon as breaths can be caught. Thanks also to: Tyler and Julian.

On a sunny friday morning, I discover.

On a sunny Friday morning, I discover. Our cover of Final Fantasy's The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead is featured on this week's CBC Radio 3 Podcast. (the Summer Festival Guide Edition). You can check that out here. A stamp of summer approval from the Ceeb!

Our summer festival dates (with a few more to be announced) are as follows:

NXNE FESTIVAL 2009
JUN 18 | Clinton's
No Shame/ Forward Music Presents:
The Darcys, Great Bloomers, Boys Who Say No, Sleepless Nights, Grand Theft Bus, Share

JUN 24 | Winnipeg, MB
Music Trader

JUN 25 | Bruno, SK
All Citizens

SLED ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL 2009
JUN 26 | Calgary, AB
The Legion (Upstairs) w/ WOMEN, Lazertag, Sean Nicholas Savage, O'Death

JUN 30 | Thunder Bay, ON
Black Pirate Pub

We play tonight in London, Ontario. w/ Wax Mannequin at the Black Shire Pub. So come on down, after all it's Friday.

with love,
The Darcys

London Calling

photographs

hey all. we recently posted up a bunch of photos from our last couple months on the road. you can check them all out here.

PITTER PATTER MUSIC FESTIVAL

PITTER PATTER FESTIVAL 2009:

MAY 28 | Bread and Circus | Toronto
w/ Crush Buildings & TBA
12AM

MAY 29 | The Ford Plant | Brantford
w/ Mardeen & Knock Knock Ginger
11pm

MAY 31 | Marcello's | Mississauga
w/Parlovr & Modern Boys Modern Girls
12AM

* we are giving out free CDs at the Brantford and Mississauga shows...

OVER THE TOP FESTIVAL

photos: akFAORO

over the top - sneaky dee's

this is us. standing on a bridge. in two days (thursday, may 21) we will do a similar kind of thing (standing) on the stage of sneaky dee's in toronto. this time with guitars and drums, and a bit more enthusiasm. all this for the attendees of this year's over the top festival. with the ghost is dancing and clues to follow, its going to be sweet. you should come. tickets are available around town, and hopefully at the door.

come for 10. we play shortly after.

k? k.

Bonus: Today at 1:30pm. We play some stripped down acoustic versions of our songs and have a chat on Liquid Lunch with Hugh, available at thatchannel.com

Staring at the sun | More like the moon

wahoo

this is not a tour wrap up post. this is a we-made-it-alive post. this is a we-drove-3000km-in-two-days post. this is a we-will-post-more-when-we-are-done-sleeping post. there was a dinosaur.

From Edmonton to Purgatory

Thank you to the Bishop family for housing us. To CJ for putting on our show and to Megan Marie James for this drawing. A big thank-you to Owen and Gavin who played horns on When We Were a Wilderness tonight. Also, Cadence Weapon was at our show. Weird.