A collaboration between singer/songwriters Jack Shoudy and
Emily MacDonald since 2011, Darlingtyn has made a career out of poetici magery and romantic longings; it’s no surprise that they turned to the legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg for inspiration. While Ginsberg was no stranger to setting his own poetry to music, Darlingtyn takes his words to new heights with a fully developed, fully orchestrated Americana anthem far beyond the days of minimalist beatnik strumming.

“The tune started as a writing exercise for myself, to set words that weren’t mine to music that was,” said Shoudy in regards to the genesis of the “In The Back Of The Real.” The song resulting from that exercise blossomed into a mainstay of the band’s live sets, evolving in scope as the band grew from an acoustic duo to the full band it is today. “I never thought it would be released when I first wrote it, so I wasn’t worried about using words that weren’t mine,” he explained. “Ginsberg’s family needed to hear the song before they would allow his words to be used in an official release. They were one of the first people to hear the song outside of the studio.” With the blessing of the Ginsberg estate, “In The Back Of The Real” brings Allen’s words to life, making them sound as vital and vibrant as the day they were written.

As vocalists, Shoudy and MacDonald are in top form. Their harmonies are tight and intimate, clearly the result of years spent singing together at renowned venues like World Café Live, The Fillmore, and the Ardmore Music Hall. An uncanny mixture of country twang and beatnik musings, “In The Back Of The Real” represents a major artistic leap forward for this ambitious duo.

“In The Back Of The Real” is the first single from the upcoming debut full-length ‘The Creatures Who Wander’. Recorded in South Philadelphia at Turtle Studios with engineer Doug Raus and Executive Producer Jay Levin, this is Darlingtyn’s first studio release since their eponymous debut EP in 2017. Turtle Studios is housed in the same building and shares the same live room as the late, legendary Alpha International Recording Studio. Its halls are alive with the spirit and soul of legends like Patti Labelle, Bruce Springsteen, and Bootsy Collins—all of whom recorded in the same room that brought this album to life.
‘The Creatures Who Wander’ marks a new step in Darlingtyn’s studio work, embracing the rocking Americana sound they’ve developed live since adding electric guitars, drums, and keyboards to the band.

Shoudy and MacDonald unite some of Philadelphia’s best musicians to bring ‘The Creatures Who Wander’ to life: Daniel Kaplowitz (Triptych, Odyssey Lab) on lead guitar; Eli Winderman (Dopapod, Octave Cat) on piano, rhodes, organ and synth; Erik Kramer (Uprooted, Rosemeat) on bass; Mike LaBombard (The Royal Noise, Odyssey Lab) on alto & tenor saxophone; and Bruce Krywinski Jr. (Billy Walton Band, Waiting On Mongo) on trumpet. Most of these players are no stranger to bringing the Darlingtyn live band experience to the stage, and their comfort and familiarity shine through on this record.