Darkness and light
Justin Hawkins is a funny man.
In the press materials accompanying the new Darkness album Last of Our Kind, the singer describes riff-tastic medieval opener Barbarians as featuring “not one but two dramatic monologues, a guitar solo that has been declared ‘irresponsible’, a riff that weakens lady-knees and a chorus that makes grown men s... directly into their pants”.
Hawkins, who turned 40 in March, wrote the band’s biography himself because he was sick of “doing the journalists’ job for them”.
“I think it’s one of the most impartial, true biogs that we’ve ever had,” he jokes down the phone from Switzerland. “In the past we’ve paid journalists to do it for us and they often mishear what you’re saying. I’m really proud of that piece of prose, I think it’s some of my finest work.”
He’s also proud of the new album, suggesting it’s their best since 2003 debut Permission to Land, which featured the glam-metal hits I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Growing on Me and Get Your Hands Off My Woman.
“I feel like it’s the first adequate follow-up to the first record we’ve achieved,” Hawkins says. “Just in terms of the songs on it, it’s my favourite Darkness album.”
He goes on to espouse on the significance of it being their fourth album, stating he wanted it to be called The Darkness IV but was outvoted. “I always think four is a significant album — Foreigner 4, Led Zep IV — the list is endless. I really wanted it to be called IV but I was overruled.”
Barbarians, along with fourth track Roaring Waters, make up what Hawkins calls the album’s “invasion songs”. While the former chronicles the ninth century Viking invasion of East Anglia, Roaring Waters refers to a 17th century pirate incursion into West Cork, in Ireland, called the Sack of Baltimore.
Now nine years sober, Hawkins relishes the opportunity to educate as well as entertain, particularly regarding any connection to growing up in East Anglia and Ireland, where the band recorded the album.
“My responsibility is to beguile, enliven and inform,” he says.
“Game of Thrones, for example, is basically analogies of real stuff that’s happened or is happening, aside from the dragons and stuff, and I think it’s really entertaining. I’ve always loved history and history plus guitar solos equals a giant win.
“Growing up in East Anglia, all those places are super-influenced by Viking culture. It’s really fun to write about, and it’s real as well.”
Last of Our Kind is out now.
