The L.A.-based psych-rock quartet Darker My Love was formed by high school buddies Tim Presley (guitars, vocals) and Andy Granelli (drums) in 2001. Initially, it was a side project -- Presley and Granelli were playing in other punk-influenced bands (both played in the Nerve Agents together, Granelli also spent time with the Distillers) when they joined forces with bassist/vocalist Rob Barbato and guitarist Jared Everett, both transplants from Boston. Within the space of a series of excellent live gigs, though, all four players committed to nurturing what was to become a signature bright-but-brooding sound, and Darker My Love, as a tight unit with major potential, was born. After a string of opening dates for the Kills, the Warlocks, and Icarus Line, the band recorded a three-song EP released in early 2006; early praise called attention to Presley's melancholic vocals reminiscent of Robert Smith. A self-titled debut disc full of fuzz and trippy distortion followed later the same year on Dangerbird Records.