Devlyn and Demonika were sitting at Highland Grounds in the Summer of 2002 eating Vegetarian Chimichangas and watching Kelly Mantle perform when Demonika and Devlyn looked at eachother, and said.."Why can't we be a band?!"
The next thing we knew...we were working in Devlyn's livingroom until 3am writing our first song and excited as hell to be creating something new and different.
In comes Dv8...Demonika's long suffering friend of 10 years with her talent on the bass and programming. Together...the three of us grew from 3 girls playing our first show at a hip hop night at Old Town Pub in Pasadena with bass, violin, and bongos...to 3 girls using programmed beats and synth, violin, and theremin being asked to play great places like The Knitting Factory, The Gig, Spaceland, and BB King's Jazz Club.
With the help of great friends Rain and Thor of The Art Ghetto, Demonika also booked a local night at the Legendary Mr T's for over a year back in 2004 on the first Sat of each month called Club Swank where we would bring you the best of local music from all genres mixed in with Belly Dance Troupes, Performance Art, etc. After a year and a half, Demonika had to give up the night due to too many obligations musically with her other 2 bands at the time Northern Embers and OUTLANDER...Demonika passed the torch to DJ B@ST@RD Darkly, and he took over the night and grew it into an amazing Old School Goth Club called NIGHTSHIFT where Demonika reads Tarot, wonderful merchants are there selling clothes and jewelery, and the cream of the crop of local and not so local goth/industrial bands showcase their music. NIGHTSHIFT is currently happening every first Saturday of the month...please see the NIGHTSHIFT Profile on our Top Friends List for more information.
On Halloween of 2004 our first EP "Venus Blush" was released which was produced by John "Wee Wee" Napier (The RocketDYN Disaster) formerly of Ethyl Meatplow and Nitzer Ebb. Many shows followed as well as great feedback on Myspace.com, Vampire Freaks.com, as well as a lot of great reviews and a mention in the New York Village Voice by Chuck Eddy!
In late 2006 the amazing DJ Bastard Darkly of The DJ team "The Blasphemy Bros." and LA's wonderfully talented local goth band Wailing Wall came on board to add his purely talented live drumming to the mix which brought forth a huge growth spurt to The Darkling Sound...and the computer and synth were set aside, and the now 3 Darklings and Demonika embarked upon a musical adventure into the new sound of Demonika and the Darklings which has become more tribal, raw, and soulful. At some point we are looking to add a keyboard player into the mix...but for now...we are happy to grow and learn with each other exactly what our music is supposed to do next...for It owns us...we do not own It.
Our first full length album "Shelter" which we recorded with the help again of John "Wee Wee" Napier will be coming out in 2007, and we will be bringing it to the public and bringing the new and improved version of Demonika and the Darklings to a town near you very soon!!
Twice a week Demonika and the Darklings practice in a reheasal space they share at ABC Studios with their brother band the wonderful Igor Spectre...and this has really helped to grow our sound as we were used to practicing in Devlyn's livingroom hunted by the angry yelling neighbor who never held back with letting us know we were being too loud. Our favorite quote is, "Girls...this is MORE THAN I CAN HANDLE!!!"
I would like to personally thank you, Neighbor Susan...for forcing me to call Braxus Bane of Igor Spectre to ask him if he knew where we could find a studio to rent...because now that we are sharing with Igor, and we have a Sacred Space we can practice in where the sky is the limit on volume...we have each grown amazingly in the special part of what we contribute to this band...Demonika on vocals, Devlyn on Violin/Theremin, Dv8 on bass, and last but completely not least...DJ B@ST@RD on drums.
It's been a great ride so far, and we look forward to the wonders that the Musical Universe provides us next...
Darkly Yours,
Demonika
Our EP "Venus Blush" can be downloaded from iTunes HERE
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You can also buy Shelter at Pooh Bah's Records in Pasadena located at:
1101 E Walnut St Pasadena, CA 91106 (626) 449-3359
As well as our good friend's legendary store Ipso Facto located at:
517 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, Ca. 92832 714-525-7865