The Darcys Premiere New Single "JUST HERE WITH MY FRIENDS," Featuring Leah Fay of July Tal
THE DARCYS PREMIERE NEW SINGLE “JUST HERE WITH MY FRIENDS” COLLABORATION WITH LEAH FAY OF JULY TALK ON A SIZZLING SUMMER HIT WITH SUBSTANCE
Toronto duo The Darcys collaborated with Leah Fay of July Talk to co-write “Just Here With My Friends”, an infectious single about two people who meet on a night out, feel a connection, but opt to prioritize a night with their friends, deciding to wait until the next day to see if it still feels right. The song is a perfect summer hit that simultaneously and intentionally challenges traditional pop music tropes. Today Billboard has premiered “Just Here With My Friends” prior to its release tomorrow - share via YouTube.
Pairing The Darcys’ signature vibrant synths and driving beat with the added collaborative firepower of Fay’s strong vocal performance, “Just Here With My Friends” becomes an exciting and playful back-and-forth that explores the initial attraction and interaction between two people. Dig a little deeper into the lyrics and listeners will discover that this song also has an important message.
“Mindless pop songwriting often perpetuates a multitude of boring and damaging gender norms that have nothing to do with real life,” said Leah Fay. “We wanted to see if we could write a song about two empowered humans meeting in a club that wasn’t predatory on either side.”
“We created something fun that people could dance to and knew we had the opportunity to challenge the traditional ‘boy meets and tries to convince girl’ narrative,” added The Darcys’ Wes Marskell on the inspiration behind the collaboration. “We’re constantly trying to learn and trying to be better and Leah was a big part of that.” Singer Jason Couse continued, “Just Here With My Friends avoids the common tropes that contribute to a toxic culture.”
Having been friends for years, the song was inspired during one of the many discussions between The Darcys and Fay about the importance of equality, inclusivity and consent in culture and the music industry. The duo turned to Fay when looking for advice on how to focus their lyrical content and better tackle social issues within their writing. The result is a song that encourages dancing all night and human decency in equal measure.
The Darcys are an alternative pop duo from Toronto, Canada. Always the life of the party, their music is lush with vibrant synths, 808s and funk bass that makes their sound feel as at home in today’s modern pop landscape as it would in a crate of classic vinyl. Never shy of taking a risk, the critically acclaimed duo have created an expansive body of work that includes three full-length albums, a 20-minute instrumental piece, an atmospheric interpretation of Steely Dan’s AJA, and a number of collaborations. The band’s last studio record, 2016’s Centerfold, is a California postcard, rich with themes of escape. 2018 sees another evolution for The Darcys as they turn their gaze inward, writing songs with a maturity and social awareness not heard on previous releases. This isn’t to say the party is over, if anything it’s just begun.
The Darcys will perform on Canada Day, July 1 at newly announced The Niagara Stage, presented by Niagara Parks and the Polaris Music Prize.
