By Keith Walsh
Based on the short story “Shark Week” by Dani Burlison, Darwin’s new song and video “Unkind Lover” finds the artist taking the position of a predatory lover. The story by Burlison is filled with nightmarish fears about mangled bodies and missing women. The protagonist reveals her aversion for swimming due to a near drowning at the age of seven, while the narrative takes place on a seaside liaison years later with a lover that forces her to watch violent Shark Week movies before coaxing her to enter the surf that she so fears.
Darwin says he found the idea of taking on the point of view of the predator compelling. “This was an opportunity to write from a character’s perspective and one that I rather despise,” he says. “I liked the mystery of the guy being just Unkind Lover. There was something very clever about how she married the shark imagery with him.”
“Unkind Lover” is dark and mysterious, Gothic yet new, and the video features deep sea footage provided by producer Julian Shah-Tayler, Dustin Heald, and David J, who all played on the track. It’s minimalist, spooky and intentionally unnerving, The cover art for the single was created by Mark Gleason. Shah-Tayler, Gleason, Heald and Darwin make up the musical collective TechNo, which will be releasing their debut songs soon. David J is of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets.
Burlison is Darwin’s friend for more than 20 years, and they are both residents of Santa Rosa, California. It’s clear he respects her talent, and from her he has found an interesting voice and perspective that sparked his imagination. I asked him if it felt icky to portray the perpetrator in the song. He writes: “It didn’t. Honestly, I’ve been hungry for new ideas, directions and inspiration. I loved having the freedom.”
“Shark Week” is from the short story collection, “Some Places Worth Leaving,” by Dani Burlison (2020, Tulson Books.) I can recommend it highly, and the song and video it inspired.
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