Dari Bay announces their new album, Surprise Wish, will drop on June 26th via Double Double Whammy, ahead of the release the Burlington, VT-based project of Zack James has shared new single, “We’re Gonna Be Okay.” Following single “The Joke” released last summer, today’s single “We’re Gonna Be Okay” is fueled by layers of guitar, beautiful yet overdriven. The song reflects on a fire that nearly took James’ home and sounds as much like a conflagration itself as the sunrise following a close call. The accompanying video was directed by Noah Lenker (Big Thief). Dari Bay will support Whitney on their east coast tour, starting April 7 in Kingston, NY.

James comments: “‘We’re Gonna Be Okay’ is about being grateful for what you have because it can all be taken away from you. Around the time that I was writing this song my girlfriend and I were facing some obstacles in our lives, like housing displacement, some health issues, and a lot of general uncertainty. Just some “welcome to the real world” stuff hitting us from different angles all at once. It was a strange and intense time, knowing we had reached a new low point but as a result feeling really lucky to have the stuff that we did have, like our community, and each other and a hope and excitement for the future.

Growing up in a musical family, James tried his hand at everything — learning drums as a child, DJ’ing, rap beats, production, elementary school punk rock. He eventually became a in-demand player: providing drums on recordings and tours for old friends Lily Seabird and Greg Freeman, serving as one of the primary songwriters in Robber Robber, joining Unknown Mortal Orchestra as a full-time member, all while steadily writing Dari Bay’s next album.

Surprise Wish came together slowly over time as James balanced multiple projects while finishing college, but everything about these songs was immediate. Seeking to abandon the genre detours of past Dari Bay releases, James honed in on a scuzzy, visceral rock sound. “I cared less about aesthetics and more about primal feelings,” he explains. As before, James made much of Surprise Wish alone without real studio time, giving the album a raw, homespun quality anchoring lyrics that are intimate yet casual and self-effacing.

James’ only promise for the future of Dari Bay is that he will always be making albums, and that they will always capture him simply figuring out how to write and record music. Fittingly for a project that is always coming into being, Surprise Wish is a portrait of a person coming into being. These are songs in transit, but inviting the listener to cut through the fog and be more present in their moment.

Dari Bay has previously toured and played alongside MJ Lenderman, Horse Jumper of Love, Water From Your Eyes, Cola, TAGABOW, Dutch Interior, Being Dead, and LUCY (Cooper B. Handy). This month, James and the band — Nina Cates (bass), Joey Krouse (guitar), and Will Krulak (guitar).

Dari Bay
Surprise Wish
Tracklist

1. Finder
2. Video
3. Chevy
4. The Joke
5. How Can You Tell
6. We’re Gonna Be Okay
7. On Your Side
8. Bet On The Feeling
9. Background

Dari Bay 2026 Tour Dates

Tue. April 7 – Kingston, NY @ Assembly
Wed. April 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu. April 9 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Fri. April 10 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Sat. April 11 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Sun. April 12 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
Tue. April 14 – Ardmore, PA @ The Ardmore Music Hall
Wed. April 15 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
Thu. April 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Café & Music Hall
Fri. April 17 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
Sat. April 18 – Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Beanfield

Pre-order Surprise Wish by Dari Bay HERE