Interview: The Darbies

Photo credit to owner

Shannon Wilk – How did you discover rock music?

Jani Jaakko – “Growing up my father played in a band in Finland, where I’m from. I was always surrounded by music like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones and The Clash.”

Nico Castro – “For me, I grew up listening to music with my parents. But rock n’ roll is something really special to me. It just feels like a rush.”

Ronny Dave – “Basically, as Nico said, our dad would always play AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, and Aerosmith. For me, rock n’ roll was more raw and real. I could relate to it. And it’s never stopped since day 1.”

Shannon – Can you talk about how you all ended up in The Darbies together and your ideal sound?

Ronny Dave – “Yeah, me and Nico, we moved to L.A. about 3 years ago and we were putting flyers everywhere like the old days. We were using social media as well but everyday we would go out and put flyers on the street. That’s how we found Jani. He saw a poster we put up and he called us. A few months later, we went to Mexico and toured there and we haven’t stopped since. As for the ideal sound, it’s basically our life. We don’t really think we have to sound like this or that, we just do what feels right. I think that’s what makes the difference.”

Nico Castro – “I think that’s what makes this band great. We don’t look for any specific sound. We put our own authentic ideas and values to the band and it becomes The Darbies. It’s not anymore technical.”

Shannon – What has it been like to work with Alex Kane (Enuff Z’Nuff, Shark Island, Life, Sex, and Death, etc.)?

Ronny Dave – “Dude I love Alex.”

Nico Castro – “Alex came into the picture about 2 years ago. Originally he was our producer for the first and second EP. Then eventually he became our manager. He’s a great influence musically. It’s great.”

Ronny Dave – “It’s such a privilege to work with him.”

Nico Castro – “Yeah, he’s the best. We’re really grateful for him.”

Shannon – What has been your favorite experience you’ve had in the music industry so far?

Ronny Dave – “I think that would have to be touring with L.A. Guns.”
Nico Castro – We went out with them three different times on tour across America. It’s been a blast to travel the country with this big band. It was an experience.”

Jani Jaakko – “I love it all. Touring in Mexico, L.A. Guns was super kickass.”

Nico Castro – “The L.A. Guns tour was definitely the best. We learned a lot from them. We’re actually good friends with them.”

Ronny Dave – “Every single show is awesome for us.”

Jani Jaakko – “Yeah, I mean Mexico City was amazing too because there;s a huge fan base for rock n’ roll down there so the crowds were insane. It was a really powerful moment.”

Nico Castro – “Yeah they breathe and live and shit rock n’ roll. We’ll be coming back soon.”

Shannon – What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had in your career so far?

Nico Castro – “ I think the L.A. Guns tour as well. It was such a big opportunity. It was such a challenge to actually be able to get out there and do it. But that’s the beauty of it: the challenge and the reward. We made it through, we made it happen, we played the shows and came back alive, better than alive, that’s the gift. We were put in a position to actually prove ourselves as a band.”

Jani Jaakko – “Yeah the first L.A. Guns tour we had to leave and we actually didn’t have enough money. But things happened and we made it happen. The night before we just decided to start driving and hoped for everything to work out and it did. I guess it was a leap of faith. We all wanted to tour so badly that the universe allowed it.”

Shannon – What do you miss most about playing live shows?

Ronny Dave – “Everything.”

Jani Jaakko – “The energy, the fans, the human connection. That’s harder to garner on a digital platform. But yeah I miss the energy. It’s the biggest thrill every night to get onstage and play the music we’ve all created together that we’re really proud of.”

Nico Castro – “From the moment we get onstage to the moment we leave the stage, nobody cares who they are, who they believe in, they know there is a rock band playing and they want to feel that. Everybody comes together and it’s an amazing experience. I think the power of music can change the world.”

Jani Jaakko – “Yeah and the free drinks are nice too haha.”

Ronny Dave – “Well yeah.”

Shannon – You guys recently started on Patreon. Can you talk a bit about what made you want to do that and what kind of content you plan to post on there?

Nico Castro – “Of course, we decided to start Patreon because we realized there are a lot of fans who really want to support our band and our journey and we thought Patreon was a great way to do that. We want to bring them more benefits. By joining Patreon you get tons of videos, backstage videos, music before it’s released. We’re about to release a new single and patrons will be the first to hear it. It’s amazing.”

Ronny Dave – “Free tickets and other free stuff. We want to make them feel like they are part of us and they do.”

Nico Castro – “You can join for only $1 and it helps us immensely.”

Shannon – What are your goals for the future of The Darbies?

Jani Jaakko – “Currently we’re writing lots of new material and praying that we’ll be able to tour or play live shows soon. We’re going to take it all the way.”

Nico Castro – “The Darbies is what Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Guns N’ Roses are for me. That is the goal.”

Ronny Dave – “We want to keep this going. Everything we’re already doing we want to continue doing.”

Shannon – Anything else you’d like to include?

Ronny Dave – “We also started a Go Fund Me to renew our Visas because since the coronavirus started, our main source of income was cut off.”
Nico Castro – “On Go Fund Me you can search for ‘Keep The Darbies in the States’. “

Ronny Dave – “We come from a long way away in Ecuador and we’ve been lucky enough to stay here for a few years now and we will thank everyone who helps us continue to stay here.”

Nico Castro – “The second EP is coming and it’s kickass. The Darbies are gonna destroy!”

Jani Jaakko – “You can follow us on all major social media outlets to find out stay up to date with all the new releases coming up.”