The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins accepts that his falsetto voice can’t last forever.
The glam metal band enjoyed huge success with their first two albums, 2003’s ‘Permission To Land’ and 2005’s ‘One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back’, before splitting up and officially reuniting in 2011.
Their signature sound, as heard on hit single ‘Growing on Me’ and festive classic ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)’, relies on dual lead guitars and Justin’s incomparable high notes, but as he approaches his 50s the singer accepts that his vocal prowess is more than likely going to diminish, but he isn’t losing sleep over it.
Talking to Classic Rock, he said: “I don’t worry about that at all. Twenty years on and I am still doing the songs in the original key. But I also don’t feel like I sing the same way now. I think I sing better. Honestly, I don’t care if I lose my voice. It’s just life, isn’t it? What I do is physical as well, playing a heavy guitar, running around, doing headstands. That can only last so long. I am 48 now.”
Since reuniting, The Darkness – also comprised of Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Rufus Tiger Taylor – have recorded five new albums with their last release, seventh studio LP ‘Motorheart’, coming out in 2021.
And Justin has spilled that the group are currently working on album number eight, and he has been looking back to the band’s debut ‘Permission to Land’ for inspiration, 20 years after it came out.
He said: “We are writing a new Darkness album, so now is a good time to listen to it. I like it, but I don’t feel like the same person that recorded it. But I tend to go through an identity crisis every seven to ten years. So that’s like two whole existences in my life.”