Photo of Nicole Laurenne by Jessica Calvo

2026 is shaping up to be quite a busy year for Nicole Laurenne. By some metrics, it might be her busiest one yet. Laurenne’s primary band, the campy, gothy garage-punk four-piece The Darts, are due to put out their latest record, Halloween Love Songs, on March 3rd. It marks the band’s seventh studio full-length in less than ten years (to go along with a few EPs as well…and yes, plans for number eight are already well underway). Meanwhile, Laurenne’s jazzy, loungey neo-soul side project Black Viiolet just put out a brand new full-length, Dark Blue, earlier this month. Most of the months of March and April and May and June and definitely July and into August and a little of September and then basically October through December will be dedicated to the life of a road dog, as both bands will make an exhausting slate of appearances across the US and across Europe (especially France!) and Australia and Japan for the balance of the coming year.

And yet by other metrics, this is the ‘easy street’ portion of Laurenne’s life. This is what retirement looks like after close to three decades in the legal field, the lion’s share of which was spent as a municipal court judge in Gilbert, Arizona, during the time that that community was in the throes of becoming the fastest-growing municipality in the United States. Close to two decades of her time in the robe was also spent as a touring musician. Not full-time one, mind you, but about as full-time as you could get given the success of her early project, The Love Me Nots. Oh, and she was also a mom to twin daughters. The fact that Laurenne was a judge – a fact that she initially wanted to keep secret when starting smaller bands in Phoenix before quickly getting her cover blown at an early Love Me Nots gig twenty years ago that just so happened to be attended by a staffer from the Phoenix News Times – has been talked about in many places over the years. And while the “what” of the story is certainly fascinating, the “how” and the “why” are endlessly compelling.

We caught up with Laurenne from her newfound home in the Pacific Northwest – Tacoma, to be precise – in order to talk primarily about Halloween Love Songs. Centered on the theme that ‘every day can be Halloween,’ the album features a retooled version of the Darts lineup (Becca Davidson on guitar, Lindsay Scarey on bass and the return of Rikki Styxx behind the drumkit) and may just represent the band’s most fun and campy and best-sounding record to date. As a matter of course, the conversation steered into the deep musical curiosity that’s been a constant thread in her life. With varied and wide ranging experinces venturing from her younger years as a classically trained pianist to becoming a member of the University of Michigan and an opera accompanist and part of a jazz trio to her first pop bands and her time in The Love Me Nots and now taking the reins out in front of both The Darts and Black Viiolet, Laurenne’s musical journey, while at times chaotic, has been in many ways a true stabilizing outlet.

And so we of course discuss the kitschy fun sound and process that resulted in Halloween Love Songs and the build-up to what’s going to be an exciting and exhuasting year of touring. And we spend a lot of time putting this current period into it’s right contextual place, discussing the long and winding and fascinating journey from growing up in Chicago as the child of two incredibly gifted but not musically inclined – or musically interested, for that matter – parents, her start as a classically-trained musician her journey to Michigan for undergrad and Arizona for law school and somehow sorta backing into a career as a judge in a trailer court and then starting and maintaining a series of increasingly successful bands while still serving as a full-time judge AND a mom to twin daughters. It’s a super fun chat and we think you’ll dig it. You can order Black Viiolet’s Dark Blue now and still pre-order Halloween Love Songs, and here’s where you can catch both bands on tour in the coming months (like Medford, MA, in April!)

***The conversation below has been condensed for content and clarity. Yes, really.***

Dying Scene (Jay Stone): Nice to meet you! This is really cool. Where are you now? You’re in Seattle right?

Nicole Laurenne (The Darts): I’m actually technically in Tacoma.

What beautiful country. As a 90s alternative kid, I had been wanting to go to Seattle for 35 years or whatever it was, until we finally went last year to visit some friends. I could have stayed (forever).

Oh my God, that’s exactly what I thought! When I was able to finally move where I wanted, my first choice was France and that fell apart because of some tax reasons. I was living in the desert in Phoenix for so long and I just hated the desert so much. I hated the weather. I grew up in Chicago, so desert stuff was not me. When it was finally time to move, I was like, you know, I’ve always loved the Seattle scene. Every time I tour here, I have a great time. It’s beautiful. There’s rain. There’s beaches. There’s cliffs. It’s beautiful.

The people seem great. Like not just in the scene, but certainly the people in the scene.

It’s super not competitive or backstabby like a lot of cities I’ve been in. It’s like very community focused. Really unique place, if you ask me.

And so how long were you in Arizona for? Was that like law school and then like your whole professional career?

Yeah, you get stuck. Because, you kn...

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