The Darts (US)

An all-female garage punk combo whose music fuses paisley-era fuzz with '70s punk swagger and primitivism, the Darts are a group that proves long-distance relationships can be rewarding. The Darts were formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 2015 by Nicole Laurenne, formerly a member of the Love Me Nots, Zero Zero, and Motobunny, and Michelle Balderrama of Brainspoon. The two friends decided it was time they started writing songs together, and with Laurenne on vocals and keyboards and Balderrama on guitar, they came up with a batch of songs and were eager to record. In need of a rhythm section, they reached out to friends living in Los Angeles, California -- bassist Christina Nunez, who had worked with Laurenne in the Love Me Nots as well as handling the bottom end for the Madcaps and Casual Encounters, and drummer Rikki Styxx (aka Rikki Watson), whose résumé included stints with the Dollyrots, the Two Tens, and Alice Bag. Laurenne and Balderrama cut their tracks in Phoenix, while Nunez and Styxx recorded their parts in Los Angeles, with producer Bob Hoag putting the pieces together. The Darts' first batch of songs were released on a 10" vinyl EP, dubbed EP 1, in October 2016, and the follow-up, the seven-song EP 2, dropped in January 2017. The Darts mastered the art of playing in the same room with tours in 2016 and 2017, where they honed their sound and won fans for their tough but fun-loving approach. "Take What You Need," from the first EP, earned a Coolest Songs in the World citation on Little Steven's Underground Garage radio show, and even earned social media shoutouts from horror novelist Stephen King and pioneering female rocker Genya Ravan. The U.K. garage rock label Dirty Water Records struck a deal with the Darts, and in September 2017 they released the group's first full-length album, Me. Ow.
© Mark Deming /TiVo