The Darling Fire
It wouldn’t be crazy to propose that any new band formed in South Florida’s tight-knit music scene, especially a punk/hardcore band, is a supergroup. In that close circle of players there is already so much history and pedigree, another lineup is unavoidably “super” in the band-of-titans, “Avengers, assemble!” sense.
The only question is how it turns out. Some supergroups go the way of Lords of the New Church. Some go Temple of the Dog.
But there’s reason to be encouraged by the arrival of the Darling Fire. With members from beloved outfits Further Seems Forever, Poison the Well, the Rocking Horse Winner, Rival Science and No Fraud, among others, this outfit embodies a well-known era of Florida music. Their stage debut is certainly one of the most anticipated local shows of the fall.
“We have been friends for years dating back to the mid-’90s,” drummer Steven Kleisath tells PureHoney. “And they sent me a couple of demos and I loved them and definitely wanted to be a part of this group.” Kleisath means the married duo of vocalist Jolie Lindholm and guitarist Jeronimo Gomez, who recruited him and bassist Gregg Moore for the rhythm section, as well as guitarist Matthew Short, creating a sum of parts heavy enough to get a soon-to-be-announced label signing them.
With a sound Kleisath describes as “dark, melodic, with an interesting mix of power and calm-within-the-storm vocals from Jolie,” he also hints at the band’s appeal to fans of their former musical selves. In January, the Darling Fire heads to Baltimore to record with producer J. Robbins of Jawbox and Government Issue fame.
All supergroups confront weighty and even oppressive expectations. It’s a matter of how they’re managed. “We are taking this band seriously as more than just a project that puts out music every once in a while,” says Kleisath. “We plan to be playing out as regularly as we can, touring when feasible and writing new material.” Here’s hoping the Darling Fire keep this new flame burning.
The Darling Fire plays with Nervous Monks, Spirit & the Cosmic Heart and InMotion at 8 pm on December 7 at Voltaire in West Palm Beach, $5. thedarlingfire.com ~ Abel Folgar
