Dari Bay has dropped new single “On Your Side,” the track, is the final taste of their new album, Surprise Wish, which drops on 27 via Double Double Whammy (This is Lorelei, Hatchie).  Zack  James reflects: “‘On Your Side’ is like a ‘welcome to the real world’ moment spun positively. It is meant to be freeing rather than a harsh wake up call, and it has a sort of ‘touch grass’ message to it. It is so easy to get attached to things on the internet that have no real place in your life, or to feel paralyzed by endless content. I have to go outside and walk around for a while when this happens to me. I’m trying to prioritize the real world every day.”

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 fall, James and the band will support Squirrel Flower on tour.

Growing up in a musical family, James tried his hand at everything — learning drums as a child, DJ’ing, rap beats, production, elementary school punkrock. He eventually became a multi-faceted and 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 creating Dari Bay’s Surprise Wish.

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. As before, James made much of the album alone without real studio time.

Dari Bay 2026 Tour Dates

Tue. Jul 21 – Portsmouth, NH @ The Press Room ^
Wed. Jul 22 – Portland, ME @ SPACE ^
Fri. Jul 24 – Somerville, MA – NICE, A Fest
Tue. Sept. 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere *
Wed. Sept. 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
Thu. Oct. 1 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage *
Fri. Oct. 2 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall *
Sat. Oct. 3 – Durham, NC @ Stanczyks *
Tue. Oct. 6 – Asheville, NC @ Revival *
Wed. Oct. 7 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
Thu. Oct. 8 – Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records – Blue Room *
Sat. Oct. 10 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Turntable

* = supporting Squirrel Flower
*^ = supporting Spirit of the Beehive

Pre-order Surprise Wish by Dari Bay HERE