Right from the start, having a sense of humor has been very important to Grand Rapids rock band Inaudible Darling.
So when their original release show for their self-titled full-length debut album got cancelled by the biggest blizzard of the year back in January, they just took it in stride.
First formed during the pandemic, when lead singer Shanda Hopkins, guitarist/backing vocalist Martin Bush, and drummer Steven “Scuba” Gerrard teamed up with bassist/backing vocalist Andre Damoiseaux, Inaudible Darling brought together each member’s past and varying experiences from previous bands and other projects.
“Initially we started out more punk, but as we have progressed we have evolved to be much heavier, more metal, and more in your face,” Shanda Hopkins told Revue.
As a band, they draw influence from a lot of 90s metal, and cite grunge bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden, as well as Queens of the Stone Age and Green Jello, who’s 1992 hit “Three Little Pigs” they have covered, complete with the approval of that band’s founder and lead singer Bill Manspeaker.
Individually, Hopkins said she’s influenced by KISS and L7, while Bush mentioned 80s rock acts like Ratt and Faster Pussycat. Gerrard and Damoiseaux added that they are big fans of Clutch, Korn, and Rage Against The Machine.
“Our most memorable show was probably at The Intersection inside Elevation when we opened for Buckcherry,” Hopkins said. “We’ve also had some really great shows at Mulligan’s and Turnstiles too.”
Very close with fellow local bands Slumlord Radio, Bleed The Water, Skin Jacket, Moto, Throat Piss, Mooch Globe, and Flesh of the Beast, Inaudible Darling will have their friends Tru-Burn, Hillbilly Nightmare and Vedma join them for their now rescheduled album release show at The Stache inside The Intersection on March 9.
“We are excited for the great sound set up, the stage, the fantastic staff at The Intersection, and to be able to rock out with our friends and family,” Hopkins said about the album release show. “It is a little different with streaming now, so having a CD doesn’t quite have the same meaning or feel to it, but it still feels great to have it out there in the world.”
Currently streaming online on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms, Inaudible Darling had worked on the eight-song album for about a year with CJ Gardineer at Red Wolf Studios in Grand Rapids.
“We have some interesting practices,” Hopkins said, when asked about the creation of the album’s distinct cover. “Like we mentioned earlier, humor is a must in this band. Through different discussions and ideas we were throwing around we came up with the puking Kool-Aid Man idea, and our friend Shane from Bleed the Water who is a phenomenal artist, drew it up for us and brought our idea to life.”
For those who have yet to see Inaudible Darling live, Hopkins described their live show as “Sweaty, Loud, and Aggressive.”
“The origin of our name is interesting, but the best description is someone saw ‘Inedible’ on a trash can, and we decided to go with Inaudible because Inedible Darling just seemed like a bad idea,” Hopkins said.
The band has a lot of ideas in the works for future shows and plans to keep fans updated via Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites, with Hopkins adding, “we’re totally going to play Upheaval, if they’ll let us.”
As for the local music scene, Hopkins said they have some ideas for what they’d like to see change as well.
“Something that would be great for the current state of local music would be more venues that showcase and cater to local bands,” she said. “More opportunities for locals to open for national touring acts without it being a popularity contest.”
Inaudible Darling
Album Release Show | Wsg. Tru-Burn, Hillbilly Nightmare, Vedma
The Stache (inside The Intersection), 133 Cesar E Chavez Ave. SW, Grand Rapids=
March 9, 6:30 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show, $10 advance, $13 day of show, all ages
Sectionlive.com, facebook.com/InaudibleDarling
Photo Courtesy of Red Wolf.
