From college bands to Charli XCX collabs: Tracking the story of The Dare so far
The Dare is the name on everybody’s lips right now. Known more cordially as Harrison Patrick Smith, the Big Apple-dwelling singer and producer has assumed the role of indie rock it-boy over the last year or so, taking the baton from his fellow DJing, New York-loving predecessor, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy. But how did he attract and nurture such a cult following?
Smith’s vision for his music career wasn’t always in alignment with the sleazy, suit-wearing character he now embodies. Before there was The Dare, there was Turtlenecked, the band Smith formed during his college years. They harboured a very different sound to the electroclashing synths of his current work, sitting more comfortably in a softer, indie rock realm.
Their music is still up on streaming sites, with bouncy, 2010s indie-adjacent tracks like ‘Kisscam’ and ‘Underwear’ providing a glimpse at a softer side to Smith’s songwriting. But there are also hints at what’s to come — in the brash vocals, sleazy lyrics and bouncy bass that feature on the modern post-punk-esque ‘Flirtation’, for example.
Turtlenecked amassed a modest following of their own, but they didn’t take off in the same way that Smith would with The Dare. Eventually, he found that he enjoyed playing other people’s songs as much as he enjoyed playing his own and dove into the world of DJing. In the image of his indie sleaze godfather, he performed around the suburbs of New York, creating his own night called Freakquencies.
If you’re a long way from the city that never sleeps, Smith provides a taste of an all-nighter with him on the decks on his Spotify. The official Freakquencies playlist features Jockstrap remixes, electroclash icons like Peaches, and dance pioneers like Underworld. It doesn’t just provide a glimpse at a night out with The Dare but a glimpse at the musical interests that bleed into his own music-making.
Somewhere in between, under cover of Covid-19 restrictions, Smith created a little song called ‘Girls’. It was a complete left-turn from his previous work with Turtlenecked, unapologetic in its sordid lyricism and synths. He wrote it almost as a joke, but unbeknownst to him, it would soon win him a Charli XCX collaboration and become a Tiktok hit.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. ‘Girls’, despite its sleaziness and almost off-putting nature, found favour with audiences, so Smith began to lean further and further into The Dare. In the spring of 2023, he unveiled his debut EP under the pseudonym The Sex. It built upon the sound and style of his debut single, with the equally hedonistic and self-absorbed ‘Good Time’, the slightly more insecure ‘Sex’, and instrumental club closer ‘Bloodwork’.
They called back to the days of electroclash and indie dance music, to the sound of those artists he frequented at Freakquencies. He, understandably, began to draw comparisons to Murphy, following in his footsteps sonically, but the unashamed lyricism of electroclash artists like Peaches and Sleigh Bells found its way into his sound, too, alongside more classic dance artists.
It was an amalgamation of everything he had done so far, and it found favour with audiences dying for some 2000s nostalgia. Word began to spread about The Dare, about his distinctive design and fashion style, about his hedonistic live sets and lyrics almost devoid of humility. A cult following began to form through whispers and recommendations, and Smith amassed fans extending far beyond Manhattan.
Another one of those fans was a little-known pop star called Charli XCX. With her ear to the ground when it comes to upcoming producers and electronic artists, she admired The Dare’s contribution to the growing sonic hedonism. When it came to producing her club-worthy sixth album, Brat, she pushed her distant admiration for Smith into close collaboration.
Charli roped in Smith to work with her on ‘Guess’, a song that wouldn’t make it onto the original tracklisting for Brat but would blow most of the included tracks out of the water. ‘Guess’ combined Smith’s bass-driven production with Charli’s sexy, spoken lyricism in what would become the song of the summer for Brat lovers. It wasn’t released as a single — until she released a remix with Billie Eilish — but it captured audiences nonetheless.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this collaboration sent Smith’s success as The Dare to new heights. Suddenly, Charli fans were digging through his back catalogue, seeking out songs that would provide them with the same feeling as ‘Guess’. ‘Girls’ has been experiencing a second wind as a result — it’s difficult to scroll through more than five Instagram Reels or Tiktoks without stumbling upon its trashy sound and lyrics.
Now, primed for success as a result of Charli’s endorsement and a string of successful singles, he releases his debut album, What’s Wrong With New York? It feels like the culmination not only of Smith’s journey to become The Dare, but of this entire era of 2000s indie dance nostalgia. It’s endlessly listenable and entertaining, sure to fill out dancefloors in the sweatiest and sleaziest of basement venues, drawing in club-goers who will scream along to every word of ‘Girls’.
Just two years into The Dare, Smith has experienced a truly meteoric trajectory, and it’s testament to just how much modern audiences crave a return to fun.
