I remember seeing Darkbird live for the first time earlier this year at The Far Out Lounge, and their song “Heartbeat” really grabbing my attention. The song has an upbeat, disco-ish vibe that causes involuntary dancing with every listen. Simply put, the track is groovy as hell. Considering that Darkbird is more than capable of channeling a heavy-rock sound also, releasing “Heartbeat” further showcases their versatility and talent in a new light.
Though they can most easily be described as a straightforward rock n’ roll band, the diversity of influences and sounds heard within their music makes them undeniably unique in their own right. The lead singer, Kelly, elaborates on the many inspirations behind them. “The band has a ton of individual influences. Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Randy Travis, The Pixies, Dr. Dog, George Jones…. I mean, the list goes on. Depression is probably our actual biggest influence.” Darkbird covers a wide spectrum within the rock genre. I certainly pick up on some of the classic rock influences, contemporary rock, and everything in between. That being said, they have an uncanny ability to make all of their ideas mesh to form their own musical identity.
I think that even the members of the band would admit “Heartbeat” is different from the rest of their previous releases. However, the decision to try something new didn’t seem to be a super thought out decision. For Darkbird, crafting this song was just a spontaneous and spur of the moment thing that just seemed to happen. Kelly explains, “The song had no prior intention. Brian wrote a part, I wrote some parts and it just became a poppy, dance jam. And it’s really about just needing to feel alive, whether it’s love, a substance or even an actual heart attack that wakes you up and gets you out of the hamster wheel that life can become, something needs to give sometimes.” The fact that this process was so effortless for the band members makes the song even more impressive.
This latest release proves that Darkbird has no barriers or creative limitations. They don’t allow genre or outside expectations to weigh them down. They simply make music that feels right to them and I think it’s safe to say that it’s working out for the five piece band from Austin. Though they already have plenty of great songs for fans to listen to, “Heartbeat” might be their awe-inspiring track to date.
– Quinn Donoghue