The Darkness are a band who have always done things their own way, and in the process built a dedicated legion of worldwide fans that embraces each chaotic moment of the bands existence.
In the midst of a global pandemic last year, the band released their album Easter Is Cancelled, an album more thought provoking than the title would suggest.
They have followed that up recently with a more typical album from the British rock machine, titled Motorheart, an album brimming with instant classics such as the title track – which deals with a sex robot -, Nobody Can See Me Cry and Jussy’s Girl.
Each track is even more tongue in cheek than the one before, but each is delivered with that unmistakable rock swagger that is The Darkness.
Bass player Frankie Poullain joined HEAVY just before going on stage to talk about the release.
"We were looking to do something that was less thoughtful,” he measured. “Easter Is Cancelled was quite thoughtful by The Darkness standards. It was a concept album, so we this one we wanted it to be thought less and also just forget about the pandemic and rock out. Hopefully we did."
Motorheart is The Darkness seventh studio album, but Poullain insists that despite a high number of albums the band refuses to slip into a set writing practice.
"Its completely different each time,” he said. “We certainly don’t want to get formulaic. The most important thing is to be true to yourself at that time. I guess, in a way, we act against what we did previously. We've always embraced contrariness, as in we like to do our own thing, and sometimes do what we're not supposed to do. That's the job of a rock and roll band anyway. We definitely didn't want to do what we did with Easter Is Cancelled and we didn't."
In the full interview, Frankie talks more about the songs on the album, the humour in their lyrics, getting the balance right, staying true to yourself as a band, their early days and where they fit in, the upcoming tour and more.