Article by Melody Brooks
Dani Darling is a 2021 fellow for Amplify Washtenaw, an organization committed to empowering Black artists within Washtenaw County. Dani heard about the Amplify project during the COVID-19 pandemic and applied during our state-mandated quarantine. Playing guitar at home during a time of uncertainty allowed Darling to remain connected to music.
“Having Amplify find me during that time made everything come together. It’s awesome,” stated Darling. Under the direction of Dr. Rod Wallace and Maia Evans, Dani Darling curated her 6 track EP “The Future.” Darling’s track titles are as follows: The Sublime, The Down, La Femme, The Interlude (Made It Back), The Future, and The Age. In 2021, Darling created her EP with fellow band members on New Year’s Eve. Darling is heavily influenced by musical icons from the 70s, including James Brown and Diana Ross. Darling described her EP as ambient and psychedelic.
From singing in choir and church and playing violin, Darling became immersed in music at a very young age. When describing her upbringing, the songwriter mentioned that her family encouraged her to create music and inspired her artistically. Having grown up as an identical triplet, Dani credits her sisters as her main collaborators who inspired her large spectrum of musical styles.
Dani’s song “The Age” begins with raw vocals soothing to the listener’s ears. Her vocals follow melodic lines on flute, futuristic synth sounds, upbeat bass lines, and drum cadences that drive the beat.
While “The Age” is an undeniably fun experience, Dani utilized her songwriting process to highlight serious issues. Her song “The Sublime” evokes strong emotions from listeners, as it mentions the tragic killing of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic. During our interview on the 7th series, Darling described her song “The Interlude (Made it Back)” as a “retro” vibe, which references issues about civil rights and the systemic oppression of Black people.
Throughout her EP, Darling utilizes the sounds of different instrumentalists to curate sonically captivating music. Darling created “The Future” to be an escape from reality. Through this audibly cohesive project, listeners can envision a plane of existence that is more enriching than our own. I implore our audience to take the time to enter the world that Darling created and to step into a reality that transcends our own.
