DARKWAYS

“I like the night, Darkness is my only friend. I like the night, And the night likes me.”

From the nocturnal heart of Barcelona, Darkways was born — a band shaped by nightfall and neon, crafting a sound where the rhythm of darkwave intertwines with the tension of rock and metal. Formed by Marc and Lluís, longtime friends whose creative bond traces back to their teenage years, they have spent years playing, experimenting, and evolving together through various bands before finding new life in this project.

Their music thrives on contrasts: movement and melancholy, emotion and electricity, light trembling on the edge of shadow. Within it, post-punk’s introspection dissolves into cinematic waves of vintage synthesizers, forming a landscape that feels both haunted and vividly alive. Influences rooted in rock, punk, hardcore, and metal now converge with a growing fascination for 1980s electronic textures, goth rock, and darkwave — a fusion that defines their unmistakable sound.

Haunted by the 1980s, Darkways breathes new life into the ghosts it summons — transforming nostalgia into movement and memory into sound; timeless yet immediate, intimate yet immense.

At Peek-A-Boo, we had the pleasure of speaking with Marc and Lluís about their shared history, their creative chemistry, and the undercurrents that continue to shape their unmistakable sound.

Hello there, good evening to you guys. Looking up at the sky, there’s an evil moon gazing down tonight — the kind that stirs darkness into the heart. Do you ever feel that the night itself reaches out to you — that strange familiarity, like a friend who’s always there?

[Lluís]: The night always reaches out—though not exactly as a friend. It’s more like a shadow that knows you a little too well, lingering just at the edge of your vision. And that moon… it doesn’t just watch, it judges, silently amused by the small darknesses we all carry inside. Somehow it feels familiar, as if it’s always been there, just waiting for us to finally notice...

[Marc]: Sorry for that, I guess it’s obvious we’re spending way too many hours working on the lyrics for the new songs. We end up talking like this without even realizing it (laughs).

For those who don’t know Darkways yet — how did your journey begin? How did the two of you find your way back to creating music together?

[Marc]: We’ve known each other since our teenage years, and we’ve always been very close friends. Music has always been something we shared deeply. Years ago, we had the chance to play together in a band called Suicidal Nation—you can still find it on Spotify. Even back then we understood each other perfectly, and we used to build the band’s songs together from scratch.

[Lluís]: When that project ended, we kept creating music anyway—writing new ideas and teaching ourselves how to produce everything on our own. We constantly sent each other small demos, learning and improving along the way. While Marc began developing Darkways, I started a progressive punk project that unfortunately never took off.

[Marc]: When I finished the first singles, I talked with Lluís and we began shaping the whole conceptual universe around the album. Eventually our friend David joined to complete the live lineup, though he’s no longer part of the band for personal reasons. Honestly, Lluís and I complement each other extremely well creatively. Working together makes everything easier, and I think that’s very clear in the new singles—and it will be even more evident on the upcoming album.

Your sound draws from many different worlds — rooted in rock, punk and metal, but drawn to the allure of 80s electronic music, goth rock and darkwave. Which artists or bands within each of these genres have inspired you the most, and how have they influenced what Darkways has become?

[Marc]: We’re influenced by an enormous range of bands across different genres, including very extreme ones. As a teenager, the bands I followed most closely were Iron Maiden and other classic rock acts. Later I got into Swedish death metal—In Flames, At The Gates, Soilwork, Arch Enemy…

[Lluís]: Then we got into hardcore: Madball, Sick of It All, Walls of Jericho, Terror, Born From Pain… Many of the bands I still listen to today come from punk rock—Hot Water Music, Propagandhi, Venerea, Crim…

[Marc]: And of course, we’re also inspired by many current darkwave and post-punk artists: She Past Away, Twin Tribes, Boy Harsher, Night in Athens, Ductape, The Spoiled…

[Lluís]: Honestly, we could go on forever. There are also many synthwave artists we’re passionate about.

Darkways: The Movie. Still fiction for now — but who knows, maybe one day reality. I’m counting on your imagination: what would the tagline be? Something that captures the essence, the mood, the soul of your sound.

[Lluís]: It’s hard to imagine—truth is, we’re very ordinary people, so it would probably end up being a pretty boring movie. I think the image people have of musicians in this scene is a bit distorted. We work incredibly hard to make this project happen, we wake up early, no drugs, and we try to be as professional as possible to deliver the best show to anyone who comes to see us. Our songs reflect our own perspectives on the reality around us, and our sound feeds on our concerns, longings, and memories. It would be very difficult to create an “interesting” storyline that captures all of that in a movie… maybe someday.

[Marc]: This adventure has only just begun. I guess we don’t have that many “cinematic” experiences to tell yet.

If that movie gets made — who would you cast to play yourselves? And who would have to direct it?

[Marc]: Two bearded actors—one bald and one with dreadlocks (laughs). As for the director, it would have to be someone good at capturing everyday life, because as we said, our journey is only beginning and our lives are still very normal.

From fiction to reality — your first album, Resonance, released through Young & Cold Records. How did this album come to life, and how did your path cross with the label?

[Marc]: Resonance came together in a very eclectic way. It’s a more experimental construct, because we first worked on the singles individually without having a full album concept in mind.

[Lluís]: When we decided to solidify the band, we started shaping ideas to connect everything into one album, and we shifted the artistic direction quite a lot on a conceptual level. We realized that the story we want to tell can’t be contained in just one album… so there will be more. Regarding Young & Cold Records—we contacted several labels ourselves. A few showed interest, but Young & Cold felt like the best fit, both ethically and commercially. We’re very happy with the whole team; they allow us to remain independent as artists and support us in every decision.

The mood of the album feels very melancolía — like sadness and the beauty of transience transformed into something that invites your inner self to wander through poetry in sound. How would you describe the atmosphere you wanted to create with Resonance?

[Marc]: Resonance explores emotions from very different angles. With each song, we wanted to transmit a distinct feeling, always from a very personal space and inspired by our own experiences.

[Lluís]: Our existential doubts often make us feel nostalgic—thinking about our childhood, the music we grew up with, and the culture surrounding it. All of that influences our sound and the atmosphere we try to create.

Let’s talk about live performances. You’ve already taken Darkways beyond Barcelona — to Turin, Leiria, Caserta, and soon to Toulouse for La Setmana Santa Fest 2025 on December 6. Are there any memorable moments or stories from these shows you’d like to share with us and your fans — and can we hopefully look forward to seeing you perform here in Belgium sometime soon?

[Marc]: Honestly, every show has been unforgettable. Everything is new for us, and the scene is incredible. Every promoter has treated us extremely well, and we have the best fans in the world—they support us so much at every concert. We’re building memories we’ll never forget.

[Lluís]: In 2026 we want to reach as many places as possible, and we really hope Belgium will be one of the countries we visit.

Staying on the live topic — which bands have you had the chance to share the stage with, and which ones would you love to perform alongside in the future?

[Lluís]: We’ve had the chance to share the stage with great bands—The Spoiled, Pure Obsessions and Red Nights, Ductape, Corpus Delicti, MTTM, Deceits, French Police, Plastique Noir…

[Marc]: And we’ve connected with many more through social media who we’d love to perform with—Night in Athens, Hinfort, Antipole… We’ve been lucky to meet so many amazing artists.

With your latest singles Hollow (released August 29, 2025) and Requiem (released October 30, 2025), what’s next for Darkways? Is there a new album in the making — and what can fans expect in the future?

[Marc]: We can’t reveal much, but we can assure you that a lot of surprises are coming very soon.

Now, imagine you receive a letter sealed in blood-red wax — Dracula himself inviting you to dinner at his castle for one night. Who knows, by accepting, you might even gain a few new creatures of the night as fans. The only rule: you must accept everything the host offers — including what’s on the menu. Will you take the invitation?

[Lluís]: We’d probably accept—it’s not every day that Dracula invites you to dinner. We just hope the “specials” on the menu aren’t us… Still, the chance to gain a few immortal fans?

Alright guys, Marc and Lluís — this has truly been a pleasure. On behalf of Peek-A-Boo, thank you for taking the time to talk with us, and our best wishes for a fantastically musical, Bat-tastic future. To close, any last words you’d like to share with your fans? An under-the-moon cheers!

[Marc]: Thank you all for your unconditional support. This whole experience has been incredible, and it’s all thanks to you.

[Lluís]: 2026 is going to be an amazing year—we’re sure of it. We hope to see you all again at the upcoming shows!

• Darkways | Official Website
• Darkways | Bandcamp

Hayley CLX
27/11/2025