A decade after leaving The Darcys, Dave Hurlow aka Decafwolf returns to music
A decade ago, Hurlow left Juno-nominated rock band The Darcys to focus on writing a weird fantasy novel about Toronto. The novel, Deep Sea Feline (released September 2023 to rave reviews from Exclaim!, Toronto Star, and The Globe & Mail), ended up incorporating a prominent musical element, and Hurlow found that his love for music was still very much intact. As he finished the novel, Hurlow decided he wanted to see what he would sound like as a solo artist, and so Decafwolf was born along with the new EP!
The EP will be fêted with a release show at See-Scape in Toronto, and performed with a band of talented friends and friends of friends — taking a shaggy and psychedelic spin on the recorded tracks. Hurlow shares a look at the creation and inspiration behind the EP:
“I wrote the songs over a couple of years on an old piano in my living room. Some of the lyrics are playful and silly, but they also describe a crack-up I had after I left The Darcys and the subsequent recovery. In the depths of the crack-up, the phrase ’the ventriloquist’s amiss, he won’t concede to co-exist’ popped into my head. I’m still not totally sure what it means, but I imagine a drunken, manic ventriloquist whose dummy is trying to corral them back to sanity. That’s what that period felt like,a manic disconnect between different parts of myself that refused to cooperate.”
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi! My name is Dave. I am a human with a red beard. I’m a new dad, an author and I’m currently getting my teaching degree at York University here in Toronto. Even though there’s some grey in my red beard, I still care about the same things as my young self – namely books and music. I also like meditating, dog walks in the woods, and family road trips.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Ventriloquist is an EP (out February 23, 2024) that I wrote slowly, over several years. I didn’t have any plans to release it until the writing was almost done, which worked in my favour. I got really absorbed in the process without wondering what people would think of it. It’s funky and fun and introspective and has a cool mix of electronic dance vibes and chilled-out indie vibes.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
The EP release show is at See-Scape, in Toronto, on February 23rd. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy-themed bar with an amazing little club venue upstairs. I have some secret guest musicians lined up who are gonna make the show extra special.
If given the chance, which Canadian artist would you love to work with in the future?
Munya, from Montreal. Her music is so funky and fun and rich. I would really recommend checking out her stuff if you haven’t.
What’s your goal for 2024?
Keep my son alive!