It’s not unusual to feel like you’re drowning, considering everything going on for the last few years. Global pandemics, international wars, rising inflation, stagnant wages, and a constant stream of bad news is enough to drive a person down into the depth. But, to add on top of it, the expectation to somehow rise above it all, and land a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 while blowing up your bank account and follower count? It’s all too much, and The Darcys, the Canadian alt-rock outfit, is here to commiserate.
“Expectations at an all-time high / work you over in a cocktail line / contact list, they got all the time / when you have something they like,” The Darcys – Jason Couse and Wes Marskell – sing in their new song, “Washed Away.” The moody bop, with an earworm of a hook, perfectly captures the burnout of the current day. When the bridge hits (“I just want you to know / that I’ve been there before / and I’ll pull you out”), there’s a moment of hope that we can escape the undertow of modern life. Isn’t that a lovely thought?
“Washed Away” is about trying to keep your head above water. The expectation for new music and endless content means sink or swim for artists like us. If you’re not always generating, releasing, and growing, it’s easy to feel like you’ll quickly be forgotten. The pattern is nothing new: when we try to meet every expectation of our band, our mental health suffers, we burn out, and it’s difficult to find our way back to the surface. We wanted to confront and acknowledge this toxic cycle as a first step to bettering our complicated relationship with creativity. Turning these feelings into a song was extremely rewarding, and you can hear that when the bridge offers the listener a little bit of hope in the form of a lifeline.”
This new song follows “Running For The Hills,” The Darcys’ highest-charting radio single. Within the past decade, the JUNO award-nominated group has released five albums. The band plans to release a new EP this fall, ensuring that fans won’t have to wait that long before they get another helping hand of The Darcys’ music. Just keep swimming until then.
“Washed Away” is out now.