Darker My Love

The L.A.-based psych-rock quartet Darker My Love was formed by high school buddies Tim Presley (guitars, vocals) and Andy Granelli (drums) in 2001. Initially, it was a side project — Presley and Granelli were playing in other punk-influenced bands (both played in the Nerve Agents together, Granelli also spent time with the Distillers) when they joined forces with bassist/vocalist Rob Barbato and guitarist Jared Everett, both transplants from Boston. Within the space of a series of excellent live gigs, though, all four players committed to nurturing what was to become a signature bright-but-brooding sound, and Darker My Love, as a tight unit with major potential, was born. After a string of opening dates for the Kills, the Warlocks, and Icarus Line, the band recorded a three-song EP released in early 2006; early praise called attention to Presley's melancholic vocals reminiscent of Robert Smith. A self-titled debut disc full of fuzz and trippy distortion followed later the same year on Dangerbird Records. In 2008 the band released their second album, 2, taking their sound to darker and fuzzier places. While touring for 2, Andy Granelli left the band to focus on his family and was replaced by Brian Jonestown Massacre drummer Dan Allaire. Their third album, Alive as You Are, was released in 2010.