Biography
New York gave rise to Darlahood upon the group’s assembly there in 1995. Major labels quickly took notice, drawn by the ensemble’s sturdy playing and songwriting steeped in classic rock traditions that stood out within the city’s rock community. Reprise Records, a Warner Bros. imprint, signed the band, after which the members retreated upstate in seclusion and generated seventy tracks for their first album. Twelve of those songs survived the selection process, shaped into Big Fine Thing under the guidance of producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, whose past credits include David Bowie, Bush, and Morrissey. Luke Janklow, the guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter, supplied the precise yet deeply felt performances that anchored the power trio, completed by drummer Joe Magistro and bassist David Sellar. The album’s vintage sonic character, paired with lyrics reflecting drug experiences, prompted a revivalist tag that failed to capture the modern ingredients keeping Darlahood rooted in the nineties even while echoing the Beatles, T. Rex, and Bad Company. Slightly looser guitar lines and vocal harmonies might have shifted perceptions of the band, whose tightly controlled execution on the record allowed instrumental command to eclipse the material—an approach that felt conspicuously dated in the post-grunge, post-punk climate of alternative rock. Still, “Grow Your Own,” the debut single, earned meaningful spins from modern rock programmers and registered solid chart movement. Its successor, “Big Fine Thing,” fared less well on radio, although the Nigel Dick–directed video—Dick having previously worked with Oasis and the Offspring—secured some MTV exposure. The group sustained momentum with nonstop touring, most prominently a lengthy support slot for Collective Soul, before beginning work on a follow-up that was never finished. After the Big Fine Thing tour wrapped in 1997, Darlahood largely disappeared from view.