The Darling Suns

The Darling Suns proudly present their first debut album Midnight Feelings, released on 3rd of August. This band was formed back in 2017 and for some time focused only on playing local concerts in the Chicago area. The culmination of this period was the release of self-titled EP in 2018. The next singles Loving You and Raspberry Homecoming were to present band’s capabilities, celebrating the upcoming LP.

Midnight Feelings, as the name implies, was conceptually focused on all thoughts that occur in our heads right before we fall into the arms of Morpheus. The album’s main lyrical theme is “love, loss, heartbreak, and the optimism of romance”, as mentioned by the band members themselves.

And so, Call From The Outside with (“It’s getting harder to get my feelings through/When it feels like our candle’s burned out”), shows the problem of broken communication in a relationship, when issues begin to accumulate. Growing is a reminiscence about wasted opportunities in life, where the singer seems to catch himself daydreaming what-ifs a bit too much (“For a minute I closed my eyes and saw all of the things that could have been), while simultaneously beginning to understand that time waits for no one. It seems to be quite morbidly presented by the lines (“The doorbell rang, and I woke from a trance to a delivery man/He was holding a big brown box, I could’ve sworn it was my death bed.”) Similar and senseless concept of chasing of youth was also shown in the song like Corner Stone (“Thought the devil had died. Because I’m numb inside. But I’m chasing youth. And I’m wasting time”)

It seems that on their debut album The Darling Suns are lyrically oscillating around the feelings of melancholy and losing something essential from the past, like dreams, love which turned out to be more complicated than we assumed, or courage to make bold decisions until the door is still open. It appears to be best illustrated by the outro song and words: (“Small fish in a big pond/Not much food left/Big car in a small garage/And whatever the news said/And it’s easy to believe/In the stars at night/Like a cold winters breeze/Or a hard days night”)

As for the musical layer, Midnight Feelings is an indie folk-rock project, emphasizing heavily strings parts in most of the songs. The title track is a folk intro, and takes on slightly more predatory overtones as it unfolds, which given the overall gloomy lyrics on the album seems appropriate. To contrast this, we are then greeted by the delicate acoustic beginnings of the single Loving You, released in June, which gradually transforms into a classic indie folk jolly & radio-friendly tune, which may resemble acts such as The Luminers. The aforementioned Call From the Outside presents the introduction of subtle retro synthesizer parts that suited this type of ballad very well and were a pleasant diversion.

Growing is focused only on the acoustic concept; however, taking into account probably the best lyrics on the album, it seems like it was the best choice. After all, not every song needs multiple add-ons to show-off; sometimes the simplest concepts are the best. In Raspberry Homecoming we’ll find an entertaining conversation between verses where the whimsical bass dominates, and the radio-friendly string parts from choruses. Corner Strings is the return of synthesizers as the main axis. The song is also an excellent reference to the ’80s, delightful, almost rock’n’roll manifesto, appearing via guitar solos and licks in refrains. Outro Move Along instrumentally refers to the eponymous intro. The band treated this song as summarizing coda, delivering anything from dreamy bells gently vibrating in the background, up until the noisy climax, and back again to the solo acoustic guitar, ending the very first album by The Darling Suns.

The part that was vexing on this debut LP was the quality of production. We are more than sure that if The Darling Suns decided to re-master the album, songs like Loving You or Corner Strings would be a lot more satisfying to listen. These are songs that without a doubt, could successfully land on the radio or editorial playlists, as they do not lack quality in terms of the craft itself. Unfortunately, the recording process of making an album is just as crucial as what we will record. So listening to the Midnight Feelings album, you could get the impression that you are at a live gig of a good local band, not as if you were listening to a well-refined project of the band that wants to fight for fans with the best in the genre. More polished recording process would be able to fill in the blanks.

Not diminishing the efforts and heart put into the making of this album though – Midnight Feelings is a very decent indie folk LP, that might be slightly rough around the production edges, or sometimes a bit monotonous regarding the lyrics. In the end though, it would be a lie to deny that the debut album by The Darling Suns isn’t good. Midnight Feelings presents first and foremost maturity in writing songs, showing quality folk-rock craftsmanship in the process. - The Indie Folx

The Darling Suns just released their album "Midnight Feelings" Aug. 3. It's a melancholy ode to experiencing love and heartbreak and existence through exciting, folky riffs and a backdrop of indie-rock with violin strung throughout. There's not much else like it in the local scene.

As a Chicago-based band, The Darling Suns—consisting of John Stenger on lead guitar and synth, violinist Lindsey Ward, lead vocalist and guitarist Robert Krause, bassist Marshall Hayes and Charlie Dresser on drums—didn't use that as an opportunity to sound like everyone and everything else that's happening locally. With a more relaxed, folk-rock sound, "Midnight Feelings" grasps confidently its role as independent from so many other local "DIY" indie bands, though the new album has been influenced by the local scene. "I grabbed a lot of inspiration from some of the heavy-hitting indie-rock bands coming out of Chicago," Krause says for our interview. The band left for tour a couple days ago, so the interview was done via email, which led to my imagining the band members gathered together typing out answers on their phones during the drive to their first show in Cincinnati. A picture of modern journalism.

Upon first listen of the album, I was pleasantly surprised; I hadn't expected it to be what it was. The band claimed in an interview in May with the Daily Herald they wanted to put something out that would be unexpected, and they certainly did just that. With the contrast between various tracks, such as "Loving You" and "Corner Store"—both officially fan favorites, according to the band's Instagram stories—there is no lack of excitement. "I really wanted to create a sound that was more interesting to me," Krause says. "I felt too contained on our first EP and wanted to experiment with something we were more interested in [as a band]."

"Midnight Feelings" is very unexpected for the modern rock and indie music I'm used to hearing in this city. It truly does express and define, through both instrumentals and lyrics, the lonesomeness I've felt for my entire lifetime as a four (newly discovered, but always true, I've learned). Living with pain at the forefront can often only be satisfied through finding works of art like this one—art that transports you into a mental and emotional state of eternal sad yet embraces and comforts you. I can only hope for that. It can be my greatest confidant in life.

The album is just as intimate and real as it is unexpected. "The most personal aspect to this [record] for me is that the instruments really help tell the story more than the lyrics," Krause explains. "It allows me to really connect with the song in a live setting. Every time we release music, it's like a little part of us is put out there, but I try to leave the song to interpretation. I definitely brought out some of my darker thoughts or moments with this, though."

Something as powerful as the line "loving you is the hardest thing I'll ever know" from the track "Loving You" boasts confidently with the romantic strumming of guitar and distant memories of feeling neck-deep in emotions every time you've gone through a breakup, been heartbroken, taken steps back from a relationship. The song is upbeat mostly. But it's nothing less than longing or false hope. The violin playing softly yet powerfully adds to the significance of how it must feel to be in love. It's crazy to think this entire record was birthed in just a year, which, according to Stenger, is about how long it took to write. He says the recording process took an additional mere two months; some of the song came together a month before studio time. (That's how long it takes to create something beautiful, apparently.)

The record plays on. With no break from the folky-rock vibes in the next song, "Days Go By" offers a more sporadic rhythm and something more light and uplifting after such a somber relationship with the last track. The songs flow beautifully. "It's really nice to listen to our instruments come together as a listener rather than performer," Ward says in the interview about listening to the record after its release. "We get to really appreciate our sound as a group in that way and truly feel how the album moves from one song to another."

More of a soothing piece with a distant strumming of the guitar, the track "Growing" is foggy inside of my head. Faded with time, like a lost memory of someone once loved. The simple chords play gently as an echo fills my ears. It sounds like the track was played in a tunnel or an empty room with a single guitar, microphone and more than enough nostalgia to go around. "It was kind of a whimsical dream; the kind you don't mind remembering. For a minute, I closed my eyes. I saw all of the things that could have been," the song rings. "But I was still right here, and I was still learning to live again." In the interview, Krause explains that the significance of the instrumentals over the manifestation of the lyrics was intentional for "Midnight Feelings." "A big part of the record was saying less and feeling more, which we tried to accomplish through the more moody arrangements," he says.

When "Corner Store" begins to play once again, I ask myself how I could be so eagerly ready to take in its vibey, '70s guitar riffs and synth notes. This is an aggressively inspired track. There's an overall heightened sense of awareness and readiness to take on the world and write everyone to death. "Let's get the hell out of town," the vocalist exclaims in the track. It's hard to grow tired of a song like this. "We're happy with [the album], but of course there are things we would like to change," Krause adds during the interview. "Luckily, we were able to take a new approach at everything with our live performance, and having new members in the band always accounts for some new ideas." I can imagine playing—and experiencing—this track live must be something magical for sure.

The album has been well-received since its release earlier this month, Stenger explains, joking there have been "almost no death threats." "Midnight Feelings" has reached quite an audience in just over a week, it seems, and it's clear why. "People come up to us at shows and tell us they like it—but it's too soon to tell," Krause says.

From what I have learned about The Darling Suns through this interview and interacting with them in the ways that I have been able to, they are a genuine and delightfully real Chicago band. They have created a passionate and sincere record that will remain in the hole it has dug deep in my heart (in the best way); I'm sure I'll revisit tracks like "Growing," a dazed articulation of the most intimate parts of the human experience, years later and still feel something deeply. "Midnight Feelings" is a record capable of touching lives, tugging on heart strings and giving you those midnight feelings.

Listen to this record, if you have yet to do so. Come back and listen again later. Feel new feelings; discover new reasons to love through intimate and complicated instrumentals. The "Midnight Feelings" album release show is set for this Saturday, Aug. 17 at Downstairs Subterranean with Splits, Sick Day and Morgan Powers. You know what to do, friends.

See you at Dimo's after the gig. - Eden Bunna

Liefhebbers van Dr. Dog, Allah-Las en bluesy sounds opgelet: maak kennis met The Darling Suns en hun liedje Corner Stone. Yes, een aparte combinatie, dat weten we. Maar het werkt. Vind je ook niet?
Ze opereren vanuit Chicago, dus dat verklaart wellicht de blues-invloeden? En sinds vorige week luister je naar de EP Midnight Feelings. Aanrader! - Gobsmag

The Darling Suns have released their debut full-length album called Midnight Feelings. The band released the album two lead single, “Raspberry Homecoming” and “Loving You”, over the last couple of months and below is a live video of there DZ Records performance of “Raspberry Homecoming”.

This is the work of Robert Krause (Guitar/Lead Vocals), John Stenger (Guitar/Synth/Vocals), Lindsey Ward (Violin/Vocals), Sam Rorie (Bass) and Charlie Dresser (Drums/Percussio).

You can catch The Darling Suns at Subt (Downstairs) on August 17th with Sick Day and Morgan Powers. - The Deli Magazine

It’s a time of transition for frontman Rob Krause and the rest of The Darling Suns.

The indie-rock band — the core of which consists of John Stenger of St. Charles on guitar, violinist Lindsey Ward of Aurora and Woodridge’s Krause on guitar and the mic — is heading into the summer season sporting the fresh single “Raspberry Homecoming” and an album full of new songs, many of which you can hear when the band plays the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage Friday, May 31.

The new album, due out later this summer, takes The Darling Suns on a darker path, the band’s typically bright, folksy tunes giving way to a moodier, more pensive vibe.

“I’m really excited to get this new stuff out because it’s 100% different,” Krause said of the louder, more explosive sound. “I’m excited to show people. I’m excited to surprise some people. I don’t think people are expecting that from us.”

The Darling Suns gave fans a taste of that new direction with the April release of the performance video for “Call from the Outside,” filmed live at DZ Records with Ben Arguelles. The song, while still awash in the band’s signature homespun melodies, delivers an intensity not formerly embraced by the band.

“In a way, I’ve gotten to play more music in the style that I really enjoy, that I’ve been wanting to play in. John (Stenger) can play more in the style he wants to play,” Krause said. “It’s really worked better for everyone because we met at this place where this is what we all like. This spot’s cool, so let’s continue to do that.”

That collaborative spirit pervades his attitude about the band.

“Before we go on stage, I like to do a little huddle, take a shot if it’s present. I like to feel as much as one with my band as possible,” he said. “It’s not just me, it’s us. We’re a unit, so it works. We all depend on each other, so it’s important.”

Krause, who grew up in Yorkville and attended school with bandmate Stenger, started playing guitar off and on around the age of 12 before picking it up seriously again after moving to Florida.

“I was working in treatment centers when I started thinking I could go play open mics,” Krause said. “I thought that was my career. When you’re younger you have these ideas, but I never had fantasies I was going to be a rock star.”

The basis for The Darling Suns began to form after Krause returned to Illinois and reconnected with Stenger and some other musicians.

“I did a solo project for so long, but the second you get to play onstage with somebody else or you get to play with a band, this is so exciting. It’s a whole new world. Now you’re feeding off someone else’s energy, and there’s so much more to play with, so that changes the game.”

The Darling Suns will take the stage Friday as part of The Underbelly Hours Presents, a collaborative program organized by Adela Skowronski and Dan Dick, hosts of the Elmhurst College radio show giving a voice to underground bands from the area. The event is held in conjunction with the Artfinix Podcast Network.

Captain Coopersmith headlines the show, which will also feature a performance from Frequilibrium, as well as appearances by Chicago-area podcast hosts Jake Fisher (of the “Wake & Jake” podcast), Stephanie Fravel (of “In the Green Room”) and Andy King (founder of the Artfinix Podcast Network and host of the “#ArtCanFix” podcast). - Daily Herald