On December 9, 2015, the band announced, via its Facebook page, that it was going on hiatus. "We're here to deliver some unfortunate news... Those Darlins will be taking an indefinite hiatus effective after our final tour in January. We've had a really great run together, but the time has come for us to move in different directions. We really appreciate all the love and support from our friends, fans, and family over the years." On March 17, 2016, Those Darlins played their last show ever at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn.
Jessi Zazu, Nikki Kvarnes, and Kelley Anderson formed Those Darlins after meeting at the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp in Murfreesboro, TN. They began by covering Carter Family songs and employed traditional southern instrumentation, including washboard and clogging, as well as less traditional instruments like the baritone ukulele. The three adopted the stage name Darlin, a practice that continued until Anderson's departure in 2012.
They released their first single, "Wild One" in 2008 and received coverage from Pitchfork Media among others. Soon after, Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys asked the band to open on his US Solo Tour, further raising the band's profile.
The band entered the studio with Jeff Curtin of Small Black (who had worked previously on Vampire Weekend's self-titled album) to record their debut. The album mixes the Appalachian and Alt-Country sounds they were known for with rockabilly and rock and roll sensibilities. The first single from the album, "Red Light Love" would be used in a national commercial for the Kia Sorento.
In support of their self-titled album, the band toured alongside a number of more rock acts, such as Dr. Dog, The Features, The King Khan & BBQ Show, and JEFF the Brotherhood.
After touring together behind their debut album, the band asked long-time drummer Linwood Regensburg to join the band as an official member and songwriting partner. The four-piece went into the studio in 2011 to record their follow-up album, again with Jeff Curtin producing, but this time engineered by Ed Rawls, known for his work with Garage Rock-leaning Atlanta bands such as Black Lips and early Deerhunter.
With these influences, the band's sophomore record Screws Get Loose adopted a more aggressive Garage Rock sound which Robert Christgau of NPR and Village Voice called "hooky, saucy, punky songwriting in a mood somewhere between Be Your Own Pet and The Donnas, only savvier." In support of the album, the band released music videos for singles "Screws Get Loose" and "Be Your Bro". The band toured alongside Best Coast, Drive-By Truckers and Old 97's in the US and went on their first European Tour in early 2012.
In February 2012, Those Darlins announced that founding member Kelley Anderson would be leaving the band to "pursue other musical projects and professional ventures." She would eventually be replaced by bassist Adrian Barrera, who had toured with the band previously while a member of Gentlemen Jesse & His Men.
In early 2013, Those Darlins returned to the studio to work on their third album, this time recording in their hometown of Nashville with producer Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, John Cale, JEFF the Brotherhood). Before officially announcing the album, the band hung up a banner of the cover art, which features the nude legs and torsos of the four members of the band, in front of Nashville record store Grimey's New & Preloved Music. Local Fox News affiliate WZTV ran a story on the banner, which caused controversy among those concerned with the display of the image on a well-trafficked street. The band took credit for the image but claimed that the controversy it sparked was unintentional.
Soon after, Paste Magazine announced that band's third album Blur The Line would be release on October 1, and shared videos for the first two singles, "Oh God" and "Optimist". SPIN called Blur The Line "tough and seductive" while Blurt said that "songwriting/arranging this masterful elevates Blur The Line to modern-classic status."
Jessi Zazu died on September 12, 2017, following a battle with cervical cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2016. She was 28.
Discography
Albums
Those Darlins (2009)
Screws Get Loose (2011)
Blur The Line (2013)
EPs
Wild One (2008)
Singles
"Wild One" b/w "Drivin' Nails In My Coffin" (2008)
"Nightjogger" b/w "Funstix Party" (2010)
"Be Your Bro" b/w "Let U Down" (2011)
"Screws Get Loose (extended version)" b/w "Prank Call" (2011)
"Mystic Mind" b/w "Pet You And Hold You" (2012)
"Summer's Dead" b/w "Prison Shanks" (split 7" with Heavy Cream) (2012)
"In The Wilderness (radio edit)" b/w "Blur The Line" (2013)
Boy
Those Darlins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In every town I go
And boy is he so pretty
There’s more pretty boys I know
Further down the road
The further that you go
The more you’re gonna know
He’s cultured and he’s fine
I love when we’re together
We always have a real fast time
I wanna take it slow
But babe I gotta roll
On to the next show
Hold me now
Hold me now
Hold me now
Never let me go
Never let me go
I’ll see you at the show
There’s a boy in Panama City
I’ve combed the world the beach and sand
For a love so hot and heavy
Fades just like the summer’s end
I’ll see you around
You never let me down
You just live in the wrong town
There’s a boy in Austin City
He’s a guitar playin’ man
He knows what I’m goin’ through
So we love each other when we can
We’ll see you again but I don’t know when
Or how much time we’ll get to spend
Hold me now
Hold me now
Hold me now
Never let me go
Never let me go
Never let me go
I’ll see you at the show
Never let me down
You never let me down
Never let me down
I’ll see you around
The song "Boy" by Those Darlins seems to be based on the idea of a girl's journey across different cities, and how she can't seem to escape the allure of a beautiful boy in each one. She talks about how pretty each one is in slightly different ways, and seems to be torn between wanting to slow down and enjoy her time with them, and knowing she has to move on to the next show. The four boys she encounters in different cities represent different parts of her life, and her love for music ties them together.
In the first city, she encounters a cultured boy in New York City who she always has a fast time with. She knows she wants to take things slow, but she's always on the move. In Panama City, she meets a boy who represents the summer fling and the fleeting nature of love. This is what she's been searching for, but she knows it can't last forever. In Austin City, she finds a boy who understands the music she loves and the struggles she goes through as a musician. They love each other when they can, but she doesn't know when they'll see each other again.
The repetition of the phrase "Hold me now" emphasizes a yearning for connection and love, but at the same time, it seems like she's resigned to the fact that she'll have to keep moving on. The line "I'll see you at the show" suggests that music is the one constant in her life and that it ties all these boys and cities together.
Overall, the song seems to be about the desire for love and connection, but the fleeting nature of relationships when you're always on the move. The repetition of the pretty boy in each city suggests that she's constantly drawn in by the allure of a new and exciting romance, but she knows deep down that it can't last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
There’s a boy in every city
Anywhere I go, I can find a charming boy
In every town I go
No matter where I travel, there's always someone who catches my eye
And boy is he so pretty
These boys are always attractive and alluring
There’s more pretty boys I know
I've met a lot of handsome guys in my travels
Further down the road
As I continue on my journey
The further that you go
The more I explore and experience
The more you’re gonna know
The more I will learn about the world and myself
There’s a boy in New York City
I've met a particular boy in New York
He’s cultured and he’s fine
He's sophisticated and attractive
I love when we’re together
I cherish the time we spend together
We always have a real fast time
We always have an exciting and exhilarating time
I wanna take it slow
I want to slow things down and savor the moment
But babe I gotta roll
Unfortunately, I have to move on to the next destination
On to the next show
I have to focus on my music career and upcoming performances
Hold me now
Embrace me in this moment
Never let me go
Don't ever let me leave your arms
I’ll see you at the show
We'll reunite at my next performance
There’s a boy in Panama City
I've met a guy in Panama City
I’ve combed the world the beach and sand
I've searched the entire world for a passionate love affair
For a love so hot and heavy
I've been looking for a steamy romance
Fades just like the summer’s end
But these relationships are often short-lived and fleeting
I’ll see you around
I'll run into you again
You never let me down
You've always been reliable and supportive
You just live in the wrong town
But unfortunately, you live too far away from me
There’s a boy in Austin City
I've met a guy in Austin
He’s a guitar playin’ man
He's a talented musician
He knows what I’m goin’ through
He understands the struggles of being a musician
So we love each other when we can
We enjoy our time together whenever possible
We’ll see you again but I don’t know when
I hope we'll cross paths again, but I'm not sure when
Or how much time we’ll get to spend
And I'm not sure how much time we'll have together
Never let me down
Don't disappoint me
You never let me down
You've always been reliable and supportive
I’ll see you around
I'll run into you again
Contributed by Penelope F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ScootOwl
Great tune !
Jasmine Santana
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!
kimberly mann
loved em all but needed more Kelley on this song!!!
thawthepast
..like wine!