Even if you don’t know who The Dare is, you’ve probably seen him online, donning his signature slim-cut suit at Charli XCX’s bratty Boiler Room set in Ibiza. With his mod-ish cropped hair and sharp sartorial statements in sweaty clubs, the singer, producer, and NYC likely lad looks like a model straight from Yves Saint Laurent’s Fall/Winter 2013 runway, whipping up a cult-like following thanks to his party antics and indie-sleaze image. The Dare has arrived at a time when internet mood boards are filled with Hedi Slimane, and the indie sleaze renaissance is well underway, which begs the question, who is The Dare?
Harrison Patrick Smith only produced his first track “Girls” in 2022 but has already gained a loyal army of fans, producing Charli XCX’s “Guess” on Brat and claiming Obama as a fan. Since moving to New York, the 27-year-old has made a name for himself, throwing parties for cool kids at NYC’s Home Sweet Home bar, which led to recognition outside of the Big Apple’s indie scene. For example, in December 2022, he was tapped by CELINE creative director Hedi Slimane to play at the Maison’s afterparty following its “The Age of Indieness” Fall/Winter 2023 show.
Before he was The Dare, Harrison Smith went by the stage name Turtlenecked, making indie music and developing a cult following in the Pacific Northwest, all while putting forward a case for being the coolest supply teacher ever – a job he held down before he was signed. During Covid, Smith started experimenting with new music, sending “goofy” songs to his friends under a new alias: The Dare. His first single as The Dare, “Girls”, officially dropped in August 2022 and has since become a hit with the likes of Charli XCX and Obama.
“Girls” turned out to be gold for Smith, who noticed a positive vibe shift at Turtlenecked gigs when he first started playing it. The track itself is a move away from the soulful indie songs he first started playing and instead pushes a light-hearted party vibe that works wonders on the dance floor. This kind of experimentation and is a key ingredient to Smith’s success, where LCD Soundsystem-inspired tracks can sit alongside Detroit techno and goofy guitar songs. The Dare has something for anyone from the skinny jeans-donning rockstars to downtown New York IT girls.
Since “Girls,” The Dare has released a second single, “Good Time,” has been signed by Republic Records, and released his first EP as The Dare, The Sex EP. With his debut album, WHAT’S WRONG WITH NEW YORK? dropping this September and a US tour to follow, it looks like Harrison Smith is well into his The Dare persona, and his growing cult following is loving it.
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