Debut release from David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets), Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes) and multi-instrumentalist Darwin Meiners. Iconic bands in the history of alternative music certainly include Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Violent Femmes. San Francisco born artist Darwin Meiners was a fan of all three. A chance meeting 13 years ago with David J grew into a friendship, and Darwin not only became a bandmate, but David J’s manager. After reaching out to Victor DeLorenzo through e-mail, Darwin met the Violent Femmes drummer after the Femmes’ Coachella set in 2013. Soon after the 3 collaborated on Darwin’s 2014 release Souvenir. As the pandemic took hold, Darwin was looking for a new project to occupy the lock-down time and approached Victor, who was down to proceed and suggested that David join as well. The musical trust established between the 3 was immediate and Night Crickets were born. Within weeks a global process was initiated between them, the recordings eventually forming the album, A Free Society, now out on Omnivore Recordings. (The band’s name came from one of many Zoom meetings between the 3 members. After addressing a few pressing musical issues, the conversation rambled somewhat and turned to the subject of David Lynch, with David J telling an anecdote which was told to him by Lynch’s sound designer, John Neff. Lynch had asked Neff to obtain a field recording of crickets chirping at night for inclusion in Mulholland Drive. When Neff played him the tape, the director immediately recognized the sound that the insects make when it is light which is apparently a little different to their nocturnal chirp. “No! No! No! These are day crickets, John! I want my night crickets!” Victor, Darwin, and David then shared a look of mutual realization and instantly agreed that the project now had a name!)
I had the chance to find time in the field with our pal, Victor DeLorenzo to have a moment of reunite of Frail Pagans, our occasional open-minded share time. We got into the hatching of Night Crickets – and the results that proudly get to be shared into the ears of many. If this group sounds appealing to you – they are….and if they don’t…time to catch up. We also get into the creation of a new Nineteen Thirteen single, album on the way and who the alien being is that added that little something new I am hearing. As I type, we are hopeful to get Nineteen Thirteen back in Madison and maybe wherever you are, they are a welcoming certain THAT, you didn’t know you were needing.
