Since releasing its first album on Spotify, New Orleans band Darcy Malone & the Tangle looks forward to increasing its fan base.
Composed of five members — lead vocalist Darcy Malone, guitar player Christopher Boye, bass player Craig Toomey, saxophonist and University alumnus Jagon Eldridge and drummer Billy Schell — Darcy Malone & the Tangle will make its local debut at Spanish Moon on Saturday, Sept. 24.
For more than three years, the band’s members have been making soulful music together, which they describe as “a tangle of genres” ranging from rock to soul to pop. This mashup of genres is how the band got its name.
“We are all influenced by different things, and all these different genres are coming together,” Malone said. “These particular band members made the name have a meaning.”
However, the band’s name hasn’t always held such significance.
In 2003, Malone and Boye, now married for almost a decade, tried to get a group together. When Darcy walked outside one day, she said she saw a bag that said “tangle,” and liked the name.
Though every group member adds a unique flair, they all agree that New Orleans culture greatly influences their music.
“New Orleans is embedded in who we are,” Boye said.
Eldridge said some of his strongest inspiration comes from New Orleans artists. He said there is “something soulful” about being a musician in New Orleans.
Crediting her father Dave Malone as one of her main inspirations, Darcy said he encouraged her to listen to music that many members of her generation might not appreciate.
The group agreed that while in other cities musicians compete with one another, musicians in New Orleans embrace and support one another.
Since the band released its first four-song album “Still Life” on Spotify, Darcy Malone & the Tangle plans to release more songs soon.
Though releasing the album on Spotify was a challenging decision for the group, the members agreed the benefits of the exposure outweighed the low revenue.
“When the vast majority of people are using Spotify, you just can’t fight it,” Eldridge said.
After the album’s release, the band members realized they had gained a lot of recognition in New Orleans and wanted to further their fan base in Baton Rouge.
“Digital makes us release a product for free that we put our heart and soul into,” Boye said. “However, the trade-off is that the advertisement you get pays off in different ways with gigs.”

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Caroline Magee

Bass player and vocals for Darcy Malone & the Tangle, Craig Toomey, talks about the bands new album Still Life on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in New Orleans. The band will be playing in Baton Rouge at the Spanish Moon on Sept. 24, 2016.