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THE DARTS (US), now based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 2016 with the goal of making great all-girl garage-rock noise, see the world, and have a fab slumber party every night. The four women threw on vintage black slips, kicked off their shoes, and set out on the adventure. In the first year, the band put out two self-produced EPs and signed with Dirty Water Records (UK), which then released the first full-length vinyl, Me.Ow (2017). Dirty Water then re-released the first two EPs as a second full-length vinyl, The Darts (2017). The band immediately went on tour with The Living End and Billie Joe Armstrong’s The Longshot, and soon found themselves on big European stages like Sjockfest, Cosmic Trip, and Roots n Roses.
In 2018, Jello Biafra signed The Darts to his label, Alternative Tentacles, released their first 7-inch, Bullet (2018) and then put out the third full-length record, I Like You But Not Like That (2018). The band supported their heroes The Damned on a US tour, performed on main stages at big festivals like Punk Rock Bowling, Hipnosis Fest and The Bash, and got placements on top tv shows like Peaky Blinders and reviews in top publications like Rolling Stone. During the pandemic, Vox hosted an Instagram Live session with over fifty thousand viewers. In 2022, The Darts released the EP Love Tsunami on Adrenalin Fix Music (France), toured it around the US and Europe, and performed on KEXP.
In 2023, Alternative Tentacles Records released The Darts’ fourth LP, Snake Oil, funded entirely by fans and co-produced by Jello Biafra himself. The band went on a 100-day European tour, with unique European editions of Snake Oil and sold-out shows in Madrid, London, France, and Scotland, plus appearances at top festivals Munster Raving Looney Party (Spain), Relache Fest (France), Festival Beat (Italy), Loungefest (Holland), and Muehlen Madness (Germany). The first pressings of Snake Oil sold out in both the US and Europe in less than two months and second pressings were rushed out on both continents during the tour.
While juggling the Snake Oil tours, the band recorded their fifth full-length record, Boomerang, with Grammy-winning producer Mark Rains (Hoover iii, Death Valley Girls) at Station House Studio in Los Angeles. Once again the album was released by Alternative Tentacles on different US and EU editions in the March 2024 - and again followed by over four months of touring in Europe, UK, and USA. The album catapulted the band into feature articles in Rock n Folk, Rolling Stone, and many other major publications, plus appearances on France 24 television, BBC radio, a live show at Barlinnie Prison in Edinburgh, and inclusion on many best of 2024 lists. During the massive tour, the band recorded two new singles in Lyon, France.
In 2025, The Darts will release the new singles in June on a compilation of early essential tracks, Nightmare Queens, on Adrenalin Fix Music and on an Alternative Tentacles split 7-inch with labelmates Tsunami Bomb. The band will head out on significant US tours with Dion Lunadon and SERVICE and perform at many more international festivals (Binic Blues Fest in France, BearStone Fest in Croatia, Relache Fest in France, Celebration Days Fest in France, Boneyard Fest in UK, LunaFest in Portugal, CornRock fest in Switzerland, Dollfest in USA, Tough Enough Fest in Belgium, etc).
The touring lineup for 2025 is Nicole Laurenne (lead vocals, organ), Lindsay Scarey (bass, backup vocals), Rebecca Davidson (guitar), and Rikki Watson (drums, backup vocals), plus an appearance by Heather Thomas (drums) in May. The band plans to go back into the studio with Mark Rains in August to record the next full-length LP.