The Darts are an all female punk band who originate from Seattle Washington, a fertile breeding ground for interesting music, the city that gave us Jimi Hendrix and the 90s grunge movement. The members are Nicole Laurenne on vocals, who is a former judge, Rebecca Davidson on guitar, Lindsey Scarey, with a very appropriate surname on bass, and Rikki Watson on drums. They come from a label called Adrenalin Fix Music (EU) or Meow Hiss Music (US). Both names describe the band well.
The Darts specialize and ply their trade in a subgenre of punk made famous the Cramps and the Misfits – horror themed garage rock with surfer licks. Their songs are short and catchy, but contain enough energy and raw musicianship to belong in the “punk” category. Like those other bands, they use the horror iconography as a prism to explore deeper lyrical themes such as relationships and modern society.
Their latest album is entitled Halloween Love Songs, released on March 3, 2026. The title is blunt and straightforward, echoing the sound of the music itself. There is no misdirection or subterfuge on what content the music will
containThe first track is called Midnight Creep, which starts the album off with a confident and assertive jolt to the senses. I am immediately reminded of L7, another all-female West Coast band, one of my favorite 90s bands, underrated legends from the grunge era. In addition to that, this song and others on the album are evoking old-school Halloween songs like Monster Mash or Thriller, songs that we would hear during elementary school at a random Halloween-themed birthday party at the Red Roof Inn swimming pool.
On Midnight Creep, who is the creep in question? Since the whole album is influenced by supernatural themes, one could assume the creep is a standard horror monster, like a zombie or a ghost. Or, perhaps, even better, it could be an undesirable romantic suitor, someone oblivious to social graces. The beauty of the title is it is open to multiple interpretations.
The next track, Zombies on the Metro, also uses horror tropes to explore societal issues. When I first read the title, I immediately pictured a crowded metro ride in a dirty city, with the zombies being modern people addicted to cell phones or perhaps harder drugs. The description on YouTube says the song is about how your job will “zombify” you, which confirms the modern-day satirical slant that I suspected.
Later on, our ears are gifted to Vampires in Love. These are not like the vampires from Twilight, more like the vampires from Park chan-wook’s movie Thirst. These vampires are raw, unhinged and beautifully aggressive. If I met them at a party or music venue, I would feel compelled to remain awkwardly in their orbit for as long as possible.
The guitars on these songs are euphoric in their effectiveness. Most tracks feature crunchy guitar solos, dripping in fuzz, reminding me of a wax candle converted to music. Nicole’s lead vocals match the tone of the instruments, reminding me of Chrissy Hynde or Joan Jett. None of the songs feel too long or too short, they are all perfectly paced. Their live shows are often sold out, and it is not difficult to decipher why – just listening to the songs at home compels one to dance, as if possessed by a demon featured in one of the songs.
The lead single for this album is Midnight Creep, which also features a music video. This video was released on their Youtube channel. The music video depicts the band delivering a live performance at a Halloween party of some sort, with extras gallivanting around in ghost outfits, and crucifixes, pumpkins, and other Halloween iconography populating the background. The lead singer Nicole commands the energy of the room, with the demanding aura of an Ancient Greek goddess. Each band member is dressed in black, and the visual style of the video is reminiscent of 1970s exploitation films, with vintage effects like grainy texture, faded colors reminiscent of cheap film stock, scratches, splices, and unique angles and close-ups. At one point, Nicole uses lightning powers to transform a fellow band member into a spooky ghost. This is conveyed visually through a beautifully cheap lightning bolt ejected from her fingers, which is just the campy energy that this band represents.
Most importantly, the video reminds us that the band’s primary goal is to have fun with the audience, not necessarily to frighten the audience. They’re not trying to be Throbbing Gristle or Suicide, they’re trying to use horror imagery to make colorful music you can dance to. And in that regard, they produce above and beyond the intended results. I highly encourage anyone reading this to give the album and music video a chance, and perhaps even catch them live. They are not touring in July, but starting in late August, they are playing five gigs in a row on the West Coast, in Portland, Eugene, Seattle, Vancouver and Olympia.
Social Media Links:
https://www.instagram.com/thedartsus
https://thedartsus.bandcamp.com/music
https://thedartsus.bandcamp.com/music
