Subtlety has never been The Darkness’ currency, and Motorheart is proof they’ve got no interest in cashing in now. Packed with grandiose riffs, ludicrously fun storytelling, and even a helicopter sound effect for good measure, the album lands somewhere between rock opera and fever dream.
Hawkins admits Motorheart was born out of necessity. When the pandemic halted Easter Is Cancelled’s tour, he was alone in Switzerland with nothing to do but write. “At first, I wrote all these really sad songs,” he says. “But by the time we got together, I was over it. I just wanted to make something fun.”
That fun comes in the form of over-the-top rock theatrics, a theme that runs through Motorheart—both the album and its title track. “It’s about a guy who, after a string of failed relationships, gets a sex robot. But even that doesn’t work out,” Hawkins laughs. “At no point does he consider that he’s the problem.”
The album also features Jussy’s Girl, an obvious nod to Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl, though Hawkins says the connection stops at the title. “It just made me laugh,” he says. “But it’s not about stealing someone’s girlfriend—it’s about a guy who only cares about how he feels.” And, of course, there’s a helicopter in the song. “Why? Because it needed a helicopter,” he deadpans.
For all its absurdity, Motorheart is also a showcase of Hawkins’ guitar work, something he and his brother Dan put great care into. “The solos aren’t just mindless noodling,” he says. “They have to mean something. I was aiming for ‘George Harrison in Van Halen’ at one point.”
With Motorheart, The Darkness continues its streak of rock and roll excess, proving once again that self-deprecation and killer riffs are a winning combination. “Some people say you can’t be successful if you make fun of yourself,” Hawkins muses. “Maybe that’s true—but it won’t stop me from doing it.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
