The Dare (musician)

Harrison Patrick Smith (born 1995 or 1996), known professionally as The Dare, is an American rock musician associated with indie sleaze. He is best known for his single "Girls", released in August 2022.[2] After performing indie music with the band Turtlenecked in the Pacific Northwest, Smith moved to New York City and began writing songs as the Dare. Following the releases of the singles "Girls" and "Good Time", Smith signed with Republic Records and on May 19, 2023, released The Sex EP to mixed reviews. As a downtown socialite, The Dare is associated with indie sleaze and Dimes Square.

The Dare
Birth nameHarrison Patrick Smith[1]
Born1995 or 1996 (age 27–28)[1]
GenresIndie sleaze, rock, electronic pop, techno
Years active2015–present

Early life

Harrison Patrick Smith grew up in the suburbs of Seattle.[3] As a kid, he played violin and guitar and read about fashion.[3]

Career

Turtlenecked

As a student at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Smith formed a musical group called Turtlenecked in 2014, which developed a cult following in the Pacific Northwest.[3] The music review website Pitchfork rated his album Vulture (2017) six out of ten, praising his "voice-of-a-generation quotables", but describing Smith as "insufferable".[4] On April 27, 2018, the group released an EP, High Scores of the Heart, which was praised by NPR.[5][6] Smith graduated in 2018 and moved to New York City, where he continued performing with Turtlenecked. The group's last album was released in early 2020.

After COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased, Smith resumed performing gigs with Turtlenecked. Until December 2022, Smith worked as a substitute teacher at a private school in the West Village neighborhood of New York City.[3] He moonlighted as a DJ, hosting a semi-weekly party called Freakquencies at the Lower East Side dive bar Home Sweet Home,[7][3] and hosted afterparties for fashion brands Celine and Gucci.[7] He began using the stage name the Dare.

The Dare

During the pandemic, Smith created self-described "goofy" songs to send to his friends. One night, inspired by The Rolling Stones' album Some Girls, Smith created the song "Girls", which would become his first single as the Dare.[3] He played it at gigs with his first band, Turtlenecked, and noticed that the crowd received it well even though it was more frenetic and thematically light than the sensitive indie music he typically made.[3] Smith officially released the song in August 2022. Smith told GQ that "Girls" was fun and simple, unlike much of the music of the past five years.[3] The New York Times named "Girls" in its list of the best songs of 2022, calling it "epically silly and epically debauched".[7][3]

Smith released a second single, "Good Time". In April 2023, after a bidding war with several major labels, Smith was signed with Republic Records.[3]

The Sex EP, Smith's first EP as the Dare, was released May 19, 2023, to mixed reviews.[8] He is touring in intimate venues in New York, Los Angeles, and the UK.[9] In June 2023, it was announced that The Dare would join the U.S. west coast leg of artist Yves Tumor's international tour.[10]

Reception

Fans of the Dare include Charli XCX.[3] He has been compared to LCD Soundsystem[3][9] and Paul Weller.[3]

In a critical review in Pitchfork, the writer Sophie Kemp compared the Dare to LMFAO and claimed his schtick "looks better on a T-shirt than in a song, where its snarkiness is a little exhausting".[9]

Personal life

Smith lives in an East Williamsburg apartment with two roommates.[3] GQ describes him as "a little shy", unlike his stage persona. He calls himself a "huge music nerd" and said he struggled with anxiety and hypochondria when he moved to New York City.[3]

Discography

Studio albums as Turtlenecked

  • Pure Plush Bone Cage (2016)
  • Vulture (2017)
  • High Scores of the Heart (2018)
  • Kapow (2020)

Studio EPs as The Dare

  • The Sex EP (2023)

References
  1. Fetters Maloy, Ashley (2023-06-08). "The Dare is the poster child for a new but familiar downtown Manhattan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
  2. Hawgood, Alex (2022-10-25). "What the 'Cool Kids' Are Super Into". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  3. Hine, Samuel (2023-05-16). "Everybody Wants a Piece of The Dare". GQ. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  4. Cohen, Ian (2017-06-30). "Turtlenecked: Vulture". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  5. "Class Notes: Harrison Patrick Smith". Lewis & Clark College. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  6. Walker, Jerad (April 25, 2018). "Songs We Love: Turtlenecked, 'Knocked Down By Another Ghost'". NPR.
  7. Hawgood, Alex (2023-05-17). "The Dare Is About To Be Everywhere". W Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  8. Johnston, Maura (2023-05-24). "The Dare Brings Back Early-2000s NYC Rock for 12 Joyless Minutes on 'The Sex EP'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  9. Kemp, Sophie (2023-05-22). "The Dare: The Sex EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  10. "Yves Tumor announces shows with Crack Loud and The Dare". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
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