IT REALLY WAS A CRACKING DEBUT SINGLE? (86)

Allo Darlin’ have only featured once before on the blog, and even then, the post was semi-hidden as it was part of the Festive Season of 2021/22 series, when  look at their single Europe was posted on 24 December 2021.

The band have long been a huge favourite of my dear friend Aldo, and he was particularly excited by the news that, having broke up back in 2016, the band was getting back together to play live shows and record new music.  A live show took place in Glasgow in October 2025, and I very willingly went along with him, and numerous other locally-based indie-pop fans, to pay homage.

It was a hugely enjoyable evening in the confines of Stereo, a basement venue right in the heart of the city centre, maybe 1oo yards or so from the main entrance to the city’s biggest railway station.  It’s one that I really should have written about at the time, but time and events got in the way.

To recpap…..Allo Darlin’ began as a vehicle for the solo songwriting exploits of Elizabeth Morris.

Australian by birth, Morris moved to London in 2005, where she began making recordings under the name The Darlings. Morris would only release one disc under this name, a three-track affair called The Photo EP, which came out on the U.K.-based indie pop label WeePOP! in late 2007. Morris changed the project’s name to Allo Darlin’ the following year, releasing a Christmas-themed EP, Merry Christmas from Allo Darlin’, shortly before 2008 came to a close.

A few months later the lineup of Allo Darlin’ expanded to become a permanent line-up of guitarist Paul Rains, drummer Michael Collins, and bassist Bill Botting and it was this quartet who so wonderfully entertained us in Glasgow last October.  Their first single as a band dates from the summer of  2009, again on WeePOP! Records.

mp3: Allo Darlin’ – Henry Rollins Don’t Dance
mp3: Allo Darlin’ – Dear Stephen Hawking
mp3: Allo Darlin’ – Heartbeat Chilli

This is another reasonably valuable piece of vinyl.  There were just 300 copies pressed up, on orange vinyl, and you’re looking at £100 or thereabouts if you’re lucky enough to find one on the second-hand market…..I don’t own a copy!!!

JC