Toronto-born, LA-based duo, The Darcys, approach their art with a simple, unwavering mantra: “The song comes first. Always.” This same focus translates to the bike, where a climb is a challenge to be met head-on, and a sunset ride is a reward to be earned. After years of being a self-contained “island” in the studio, they discovered that the sprawling hills and welcoming community of Los Angeles’ cycling scene provided the vital connection they were missing. In their story, cycling and music are inextricably linked—two essential parts of a life built on creating, progressing, and sharing the road.

Alternative rock duo. Cyclists. Guess that’s four words.

Growing up in Toronto, riding the city on our single speed bikes was a way of life. It was how we got to the bar, to work, and to shows. We would ride in thunderstorms, freezing rain, and snow. It was freedom, and it was how we learned to navigate the city. If we’re being honest, our shift into more serious road cycling was inspired by watching the Tour growing up and magnet.

The song comes first. Always. For us, it’s important to create something we care about, love, and genuinely want to share. We’re not interested in chasing trends. Results come as they come, and we’ve always believed that if we make good music, it will find its audience.

As a band, we’re an island. We write, record, and produce everything ourselves, which makes for a highly efficient, but sometimes lonely, record-making experience. Since moving to LA from Canada, cycling has provided the community we were missing. Riding Panda’s Ponies (a weekly ride set up in honour of LA cycling legend, John “Panda” Hermoso, who was involved in a tragic cycling accident in 2022) on Wednesday mornings in Griffith Park was our introduction to the East Side cycling community, and everyone was incredibly welcoming. 

It definitely took a second to adjust to the elevation gains coming from Toronto, but there are so many great rides being led on the East Side, including Lazy Ponies, Taco, and Cereal. Elysian Park, Mt. Hollywood, Montecito Heights, and Chevy Chase are classic weekly routes for us, but really we’re into anything that feels like it pulls you a little into nature and a little out of the city.

It’s easy to get in your head when writing music, and there are many days when the process grinds to a halt. We’re always on the lookout for things that can clear a block or energize a writing day, and we quickly learned that getting out for a rip is one of the best ways to clear and reset your mind. There’s been more than one occasion where we’ve pulled over on a climb to voicenote a lyric or melody.

In September 2024, we self-released our album Rendering Feelings, without label or management support. Getting it into the world was a huge undertaking, and even if that was all we accomplished, it would still be a massive point of pride for us. But the response has been incredible, and the support has meant so much. Touring Rendering Feelings across North America and hearing people sing the words back to us every night has been humbling and inspiring. It feels like a reinvention, and being able to elevate our band this far into our career has been incredible. We’re so lucky to have the fans we do, and Rendering Feelings remains a really important moment in our history.

Collectively, we’ve probably ridden up the main climb in Griffith Park over 300 times, so any chance we get to ride outside of LA is exciting. Riding in Joshua Tree last year was incredibly inspiring, it feels like you’re in a movie and on the surface of a strange planet. One thing we learned pretty quickly is that climbing 2,000M+ inspires eating donuts more than it inspires writing a generational hit. So, aside from our Wednesday appearances at “Ponies”, the early morning weekday rides have been replaced by late afternoon and sunset rides, letting us capture creativity during the day and use the ride as a reward. Truth be told, we once rushed through finishing a song just to catch the last bit of dwindling sunlight on a ride, and it ended up becoming a top 10 hit on the radio. You’d be surprised how effective it is to know you only get to ride if you finish your song first.

and our play life. At this point, I don’t think there are many people in the LA bike community who don’t know our band, and it’s been amazing to see them come out to shows. Beyond that, building a stronger aerobic base has helped us stay energized during those marathon festival sets in the summer heat. It’s funny to think the bike has helped the stage show, but when you don’t have to think about fatigue you’re empowered to push harder and give a stronger performance.

QUOC is the intersection of style and performance. Let’s be real, as much as we need a shoe to be up to the demands of our performance needs, we want to look swaggy on the bike. QUOC brings everything we need when it comes to digging in for a PR or digging deep when cracking up a climb. The shoes are incredibly comfortable and they look great. We’re especially loving the recent MAAP collab shoes. Both the gravel and the road are amazing.

The LA cycling community is incredible. Everyone you meet is kind, inspiring, and welcoming. We led our first Darcys ride last year, and over 70 riders showed up to support our album release. We were overwhelmed by the turnout and really felt like we had found our place in the community here. What’s most exciting about riding in LA is that everyone has a cool job: sound engineers, photographers, lighting designers, directors, and more. It’s inspiring to meet so many creatives on the bike and to learn about their wins and the things they’re passionate about. That’s the most inspiring part.

This is a great question and something we think about a lot. The message we share matters. As artists and riders, we stand for inclusivity. Our shows, like the rides we host, are social, welcoming, and open to everybody. If you’ve seen our Instagram, you know we love sharing the tips and lessons we’ve picked up over years of touring and making music. We’ve worked hard, and we’re incredibly lucky and privileged to have seen the success we have and we have no interest in gatekeeping it. There are already enough barriers in this world and we’d like to spend our time and our platform tearing them down.


Follow The Darcys