A Quick Chat with The Local Romance

The Darkest Parts of Me is a pretty intense title. What does it represent for you as a band?

The title really sums up the mindset behind the EP. It’s about confronting the thoughts and emotions you usually bury like guilt, anger, self-doubt, and grief. Instead of running from those feelings, we leaned into them. Every song touches on a different part of that internal struggle, and the EP as a whole is about accepting that those darker parts exist and learning to live with them. There’s also a cheeky mention of the EP in our song Valentine so go find that.

The song Still the Same begins almost like a ballad before slowly building in intensity. Was that structure intentional from the start?

Yeah, very much so. We wanted the song to mirror the emotional journey it’s describing. The beginning is stripped back and exposed, almost uncomfortable, because that’s what self-realisation feels like. As the song progresses, the instrumentation grows heavier and more layered, representing the frustration and weight that comes with accepting those truths. By the end, it’s overwhelming but that’s kinda the point.

“DATURA” stands out as one of the most brutal tracks on the EP. What’s the story behind it?

DATURA shows a raw emotional side of the band we’ve yet to seriously explore. Filled with lyrical angst and deeper, desperate emotions, DATURA’s brutality stems from an anger with the world. Its story is one of heartbreak, yearning, anger, despair. It stands against conformity in a blatantly brazen display of violence and hatred for those that wish to change us from what we are at our core.

Lyrically, this feels very personal. Was it difficult to be this open?

We wholeheartedly believe in being open with our fans and our audience. Our lyrics and our music is an outlet for us to express our darkest parts without the fear of rejection but instead find ourselves in the connections we make. Allowing ourselves to be open and honest in our lyrics creates a stronger bond between us and our listeners.

How do you hope listeners feel after hearing The Darkest Parts of Me front to back?

The listeners should feel a sense of cyclical repetition. From start to finish, the EP explores themes of grief, loss and love, all while developing a story that people can connect with. As the EP progresses, each tune provides a new perspective for the audience that blends neatly into the next.

What’s next for The Local Romance now that the EP is out?

A lot more super cool rock shows. Maybe back into the studio… who knows? We’re super excited about EP release and where that’ll take us, but we’re ready for more.