Stephen Dorf on How Darkness Inspired His Contribution to the New Album: ‘Justin Hawkins Got a Wild Idea’

Stephen Dorff Collaborates with The Darkness

Stephen Dorff shared insights about his experience collaborating with The Darkness on their new album.

• READ MORE: In the glory of the darkness “Justin Hawkins” the ingenious channel YouTube

New Album Release

The band, fronted by Justin Hawkins, launched their latest album, Dreams on Toast, last Friday (March 28). This marks their eighth studio release and serves as a follow-up to 2021’s Motorheart.

Over the past few months, the group has also worked on several standout singles, including “Longest Kiss,” “Rock and Roll Party Cowboy,” “Walking to Fire,” and “I Hate.” Additionally, the album features a track titled “Weekend in Rome.”

The ballad opens with an unforgettable conversational section: “Wandering, like a Tiber, a hand in his hand, we scaled the Spanish steps, the night air thick and sultry, I kiss you under the Italian moonlight … It was my dream.” This was later affirmed by actor Stephen Dorff.

In a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine, Dorff discussed his involvement in the project after his role in the third season of Real Detective, the film Blade, and the biopic BackBeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6mmka0h4kxk

“I know their music well,” he remarked. “They’re an excellent rock band, with Justin’s voice and talent combined with a wild sense of humor. I enjoy many groups from England, but The Darkness stood out.”

Describing how the collaboration came about, he explained: “I was in London for something unrelated and ended up at Dan’s studio (Hawkins, guitarist), where they were recording the album. They were working on ‘Weekend in Rome’ and asked if I wanted to contribute. Justin wrote those lines while I was there: ‘Can you say, can you say that you like it?’ They played me a few other songs, but ‘Weekend in Rome’ really resonated, so they decided to include it.”

“Justin suggested I think of it like a dream—being on a plane, a bit sleepy and melancholic,” he added. “He has such a creative mind and is an exceptional writer, continually coming up with fantastic lines for me.”

This week, The Darkness will continue their tour into 2025, with recent performances at notable venues including the Ovo Wembley Arena in London.

They will perform tonight (March 31) at O2 Apollo in Manchester, followed by shows in Newcastle (April 1) and Liverpool (April 2). Find the remaining tickets for the tour here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uavv7ehwc_c

Following their UK tour, Justin Hawkins and the band will venture through various European shows and return to the UK this summer for the 2025 Festival Festival.

In related news, the frontman has also contributed to the first new Stylistics album in nearly two decades, collaborating on the opening and title track “Fent to My Girl.” Other notable contributors include Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, and Steve Lukather of Toto.