The Darcys build a "House" for young believers

Meet Toronto nu-gazers The Darcys, a band that has roughed the Canadian terrain from Halifax to Vancouver with their pedals and synths in tow.
The band - comprised of Jason Couse, Wes Marskell, Dave Hurlow and Mike le Rich - are no strangers to the roadlife and have just returned home from a trying tour in the midst of recording their new album with Murray Lightburn of The Dears.
With the 2006 You, Me and the Light EP and their debut full-length, 2007's Endless Water, behind them, The Darcys have recently faced a change in line-up with the loss of their former lead singer, Kirby Best.
"We've done a total summersault. We have Jason as the lead singer of the band now," said drummer Marskell before assuring that, "The Darcys are still very much The Darcys, even with a new frontman".
If the newest track, "House Built Around Your Voice" - available for download on their Web site - is any indication, listeners can expect the same atmospheric rock with layers upon fuzzy layers of effects and moody vocals, only a bit more refined and haunting.
The tentative release date for their upcoming album, Young Believers, is set for August of this year and promises to be bigger and better, with a noteworthy producer, a streamlined roster and guest spots from members of Broken Social Scene, Stars and Islands.
"[Murray Lightburn] was really great," said Marskell of the album's producer. "He had a lot of really good ideas and helped a lot, especially with some of his later ideas with the mixing. We just have some final touches on the mastering to go. We need to make sure everything's in place before we get out there. The sound is different than Endless Water - way more mature and noisier."
Young Believers should do a lot to help The Darcys carve out a niche in the hard-to-pin-down world of shoegaze - the most fitting genre title, despite the fact that their live performances involve anything but staring at their feet.
Aside from spiffy suits and endearing moustaches, The Darcys are also quite well-known in the Canadian music scene for their cover of Final Fantasy's "The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead".
But will the band utilize this technique to further gather new listeners?
"We've been playing around with some [songs], but we were worried that releasing covers isn't always in our best interest," said Marskell. "Some people really hated on us for that cover. It got downloaded way more than I ever would have expected it to be downloaded and we got a lot of positive response, but some people were like 'you ruined the song'. I got hate e-mails. Maybe after the record's out we'll dump something out for fun."
Oddly enough, despite living in Toronto and having officially settled there after living between Ontario and Halifax, The Darcys have yet to play a Canadian Music Fest (CMF) show.
"We've actually never played [CMF], but only because we've usually been on tour," said Marskell. "I went when I was younger, but the last couple of years we've been on tour, so I haven't been able to come see it."
As far as recommendations for the festival in general, Marskell believes that "the [festival week] pass is a really good deal so you can go to as many shows as you possibly can".
"It's always better than just buying a ticket here and there," he said. "There are so many good shows. You can go see one band and then run across the street and see another great band and then run across the street and see another great band. I don't know why more people don't do that."
As for why people should go to The Darcys show at CMF, Marskell explains that it will be a groundbreaking night for a band certainly on the rise, where they will be showcasing a new line-up and a new album.
"We're a good band and it's Jason's first live show as a frontman," he said. "First live show - it's a big one."
The Darcys play the El Mocambo Thurs., March 11, as part of Canadian Music Fest.