Justin Hawkins laughs when asked about Benson Boone recently borrowing his look.
"My stylist knows his stylist, and they literally referenced me in an early meeting," Justin says. "So it's a fact, but who wore it better? I'd like to think the OG – but it's not like I invented the catsuit."
That mix of wit, self-awareness, and rock & roll swagger sums up Hawkins perfectly. As The Darkness prepare to bring their Dreams On Toast tour to Australian stages big and small in February and March 2026, the band's exuberant frontman is reflecting on everything from songwriting patience to playing Tasmania for the first time.
The Darkness were last in Australia in 2024 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough debut album 'Permission To Land'. Revisiting that record, Hawkins admits, was like dusting off an old diary.
"The way we play those songs now is very different to how we recorded them," he says, "but it justified touring with it and gave us an extra couple of years to really focus on [2025 record] 'Dreams On Toast'."
That focus wasn't about rushing new songs to justify another tour. For Hawkins, albums remain sacred. "We're still from that old-school mindset where the record itself is the important thing – the physical two-sided piece of vinyl," he says.
Two of the new record's standouts have stories that stretch back decades. "'The Longest Kiss' started in 1995," Hawkins reveals. "I wrote the melody and chord sequence back at college when I was trying to write a musical called 'The Collapse Of The Lowestoft Fishing Industry' – that's my home town.
"The song was originally called 'Butterfingers'. I changed the lyric as a tribute to my partner. We had this long kiss in an orchard, so it became a modern lyric superimposed on an old composition. That's 30 years in the making."
Another track, 'I Hate Myself', started life as a pitch to 5 Seconds Of Summer. "They weren't interested, and I didn't understand why, then I realised it didn't have a chorus," Hawkins explains. "During lockdown I dusted it off, figured out what was missing, and wrote the chorus. Now it's a Darkness song. Ten years in the making, that one."
For Justin, nothing creative is ever wasted. "If you're writing timeless stuff, it's not about the groove or the synth patch, it's about how it makes you feel. There's no shelf life on that."
Despite such stories of persistence, Hawkins resists the idea that he's especially prolific. "I can write two or three songs a day, but they'll all be sh.t," he says bluntly. "The things that are worthwhile, you really have to labour over. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy."
Even their massive hit 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' wasn't the effortless lightning bolt it's sometimes made out to be. "Yeah, it poured out in five minutes, but then we scrutinised every part of it," Hawkins admits. "It survived quality control, but we put the work in."
Hawkins contrasts himself with hitmakers like Diane Warren or Max Martin, who churn out hundreds of songs a year. "I'd rather be discerning about what we put out. I care about this stuff. That's why people don't call us a joke band anymore. It's obvious we're authentic. That's our commodity."
With eight albums to their name, The Darkness' upcoming shows will balance fan favourites with fresh cuts. "The only way to know if a song belongs in the set is to play it," Hawkins says.
"We tested the 'Dreams On Toast' material in tiny in-store gigs where we only played new stuff. That helped us figure out what felt good to play, which is more important than what gets the biggest reaction. If we're passionate about it, that's what carries through."
That passion, he adds, is what makes rock & roll special. "Watching people who care about what they're playing – that's infectious."
Every Darkness show, Hawkins insists, is its own beast. "No two nights are the same, even in the same room with the same people," he says. "Everything I say onstage is improvised, I'm just reacting to what's happening in the room. It's about operating at a heightened level, completely in the moment."
This tour won't just hit the big cities. The Darkness are venturing into smaller towns and venues, something Justin relishes. "It's a combination tour. In some places we're familiar, so we can do bigger rooms, but we're also doing a bit of outreach, and maybe we'll be the only international thing happening in town that night," he says.
"Last time, we went to Tasmania for the first time ever and it was incredible. Whenever there's more to be done in Australia, we're like, 'yeah, let's do it'."
So what should first-time fans expect when the Dreams On Toast tour rolls into their town? Hawkins grins. "Hold onto your asses, and put your phone away!" he admonishes. "Don't just stand back and witness the spectacle, be part of it. It's something to be part of."
The Darkness 2026 Tour Dates
Fri 20 Feb - The Tivoli (Brisbane)Sat 21 Feb - Miami Marketta (Gold Coast)
Sun 22 Feb - Bar On The Hill (Newcastle)
Wed 25 Feb - Waves (Wollongong)
Fri 27 Feb - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 28 Feb - Hindley Street Music Hall (Adelaide)
Sun 1 Mar - Odeon (Hobart)* sold out
Wed 4 Mar - Metropolis Fremantle
Fri 6 Mar - Pier Bandroom (Frankston)
Sat 7 Mar - Forum Melbourne* sold out
Sun 8 Mar - Forum Melbourne
