L.A.-based quartet Oh Darling's buoyant new-wave pop has the power to turn the most forbidding club crowd into a sea of grinning fan-geeks. But their reach extends well beyond area venues – several Oh Darling tunes have graced top-rated TV series and commercials. Their forthcoming album, "Brave the Sound", is certain to win over a bevy of new admirers.
Recorded in the band's home studio in L.A.'s Echo Park neighborhood, produced by guitarist Daven Hall and
mixed by Nate Anderson (Apple Trees & Tangerines), the new album – Oh Darling's third – includes such tunes as the tender "Love" (which was featured on the hit series Ugly Betty), the insistent romantic march "I Know (You Feel It)," the infatuation singalong "Prettiest Thing" and the exuberant "Gonna Be Yours." The foursome recently shot a video for the latter song.
Even listeners unfamiliar with Oh Darling's name may well recognize songs like the spiky, infectious "I Like You, Baby," the edgy, compact rocker "Never Go Too Far," and the winsome "Colorful Day," which have been featured on such TV series as the CW's One Tree Hill, Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva and USA's Royal Pains, as well as commercials for Volkswagen, network promos for Grey's Anatomy, and the film Road Trip 2. Most of these appeared on the band's eponymous 2009 sophomore album, which followed their critically adored 2008 debut, Nice Nice; both were produced by Gregg Williams (Blitzen Traper, Dandy Warhols).
Daven, singer-keyboardist Jasmine Ash, bassist J.Marie Hall and drummer Jake Endicott began playing together in
2006 in Portland, Oregon; L.A. became their base of operations in 2009.
Ash's gossamer vocals are undergirded by surprisingly muscular arrangements and wild tempo shifts, as the band
alternates melodic sweetness with propulsive rock. Daven's incisive guitar lines and the tight rhythmic interplay
of J.Marie and Jake evoke influences as diverse as Talking Heads, Blondie, Metric, Kate Bush, Phoenix, Built to
Spill and Eels. The net effect, judging by the words of admiring reviewers, is equal parts enchantment and energy.
"It's impossible not to get a contact buzz from the band's buoyant, charming pop," declared the Portland Tribune.
"Fronted by one of the cutest gals in town, Oh Darling possess an intriguing yet subtle mix of sexual tension,
plus plenty of indie pop goodness in their delivery," proclaimed the music blog NadaMucho. "Jasmine Ash
knows how to write catchy pop songs as delicious as Cheerios in chocolate milk." Flavorpill, meanwhile, praised
their "intoxicating blend of indie rock" and "unapologetic, perfectly crafted pop punch." The Vanguard admired
their "wealth of adorable melodies" and "healthy propensity for matching outfits". Jasmine and J.Marie do indeed
tend to coordinate their vibrant retro wardrobes onstage, eschewing sexpot clichés in favor of classic, colorful,
vintage frocks.
Oh Darling have toured up and down the West Coast numerous times and appeared at venues like the Doug Fir,
Viper Room, Spaceland and the Hotel Café; they've shared stages with local favorites like The 88 and Fitz & The
Tantrums. Everywhere they've gone, they've left audiences spellbound and smiling.
