The Darkness

Formed in Lowestoft, England, around brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins, with Frankie Poullain on bass and Ed Graham on drums, The Darkness emerged in the early 2000s with a hard rock style steeped in glam, classic rock and pop, driven by guitar harmonies, very melodic choruses and Justin Hawkins’ falsetto. After a first EP in 2002, the band rose to prominence with Permission to Land (2003), which included “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”, “Love Is Only a Feeling” and “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”. They followed with One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back in 2005, in a more produced, theatrical register, before splitting up in 2006. During the hiatus members pursued projects such as Hot Leg and Stone Gods. The Darkness reformed in 2011 with the original lineup and resumed releases with Hot Cakes (2012). After Ed Graham’s departure, Rufus Taylor joined permanently in 2015, the year of Last of Our Kind. The band then issued Pinewood Smile (2017), Easter Is Cancelled (2019), Motorheart (2021) and Dreams on Toast (2025), while maintaining a steady presence on British and European rock stages.