Biography

With a sound that falls somewhere between Shonen Knife, the Shangri-Las, and the Carter Family, Murfreesboro, Tennessee-based country-punk outfit Those Darlins have shared the stage with everyone from the Black Keys and Deer Tick to Jon Spencer and Wanda Jackson. Formed in 2006, the band features Nikki Kvarnes, Jessi Zazu, Kelly Anderson, and drummer Linwood Regensburg. In 2009, after honing their distinct sound in the Nashville club scene, they released their eponymous debut, hit the road, and never looked back, selling out some of the biggest cities in the market. They brought their raucous live show to the festival scene as well, hitting up SXSW and Bonnaroo before releasing their sophomore effort, Screws Get Loose, in March 2011. After touring some behind the album, Kelly Anderson decided to leave the group in February of 2012 and formed a new band, Grand Strand. She was replaced by Adrian Barrera of Barreracudas and Gentleman Jesse & His Men. The new lineup began recording an EP with legendary producer Scott Litt that turned into album sessions. One song, "Mystic Mind," was released as a single, but the album never materialized. The band returned to the studio with producer Roger Moutenot to try again. This time the recording sessions proved more fruitful, and the more restrained and thoughtful Blur the Line was released in October of 2013. They continued touring, then played their last show in 2015. Zazu and Regensburg planned to start a new project, but were derailed when Zazu was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She lost her fight with the disease in September of 2017. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi