Dark Tea - Dark Tea II

Dark Tea, the solo project of LA-based Gary Canino, will release their new self-titled, full-length studio album on April 30, 2021, on Fire Talk Records. The 12-track collection expands the group’s sound from their previous LP (also called Dark Tea), further exploring Canino’s cinematic visions and twangy folk narratives.

Born and raised in Huntington, NY, Gary’s quiet Long Island youth gave him access to all of the pleasures and distractions of New York City. After college at the University of Virginia, Canino made his way to Brooklyn in 2011. He played bass with post-punk revivalists Rips, recording and touring their debut album with Austin Brown (Parquet Courts), forming Dark Tea in 2016. Fire Talk, a label known for left-field rockers like Pure X and Dehd, issued the first Dark Tea LP in 2019, mixed by Jarvis Taveniere of Woods and featuring memorable guitar work from Meg Duffy of Hand Habits.

The new Dark Tea album, recorded by Matt Barrick (The Walkmen) and NYC punk veteran Sasha Stroud, is a document of deeply personal, interior reflections, contrasted with the wide open spaces of an idyllic American soundscape. Beyond the music, Gary channels his Cassavetes obsession by making videos for Dark Tea, Current Joys, and The Berries. It’s a continuation of the Dark Tea vision: creativity, commitment, nurturing a sense of wonder through the haze of nostalgia, while looking toward the future.