Who is The Dare? The New Moment in Indie Sleaze and Self-Proclaimed Destroyer of Disco
You might’ve heard his new album, What’s Wrong With New York? Or seen the edits of him amongst stars like Charli XCX and George Daniel that have been going viral on Tik Tok, but who really is The Dare?
Harrison Patrick Smith, publicly known as The Dare, is a modern-aged Renaissance Man. Two years ago, he was a substitute teacher at a private school in New York, DJing gigs into the early hours of the morning. Now a singer, DJ and producer, The Dare is a well-known artist who has collaborated with Charli XCX and signed to Republic Records.
In her iconic song Guess, Charli sings, “Send them to The Dare, yeah, I think he’s with it,” giving him a nod on a track they co-produced. The song first premiered at Freakquencies, a New York party series organised by The Dare himself. It was at these Freakquencies shows, held in Brooklyn, in which The Dare trialled his music and debuted tracks, which led to his ultimately enormous take-off. These parties were renowned for aided in a resurgence of “Indie Sleaze” with music echoing the likes of the 2000s sound of NY bands.
In an ad for one of The Dare’s well-known club nights at the Knockdown Center, the sets were described as: “Freakquencies is The Dare’s notorious party, a free-for-all sweatbox that’s become an epicentre for a new NY scene.” Long before these parties and DJ sets, The Dare was just a kid growing up in Seattle, where hearing punk rock bands inspired him to form his own band, Turtlenecked, as a college student in Portland, Oregon in 2014. In 2018, the band moved to New York, playing a few shows before the pandemic put things on hold. Faced with a new challenge, The Dare pivoted to exploring techno – which is how we come to the sound we know today.
In August 2022, The Dare released his self-produced track, Girls, as his debut single. The raunchy lyrics hold nothing back from The Dare in this apologetic club hit that embraces the idea of sexuality and the thrill of romance and sex. “I like the girls that do drugs, Girls with cigarettes in the back of the club (Club), Girls that hate cops and buy guns, Girls with no buns, girls that’s mean just for fun, I like girls who make love, but I love girls who like to fuck, (That’s what’s up),” he sings.
Girls was one of the standout tracks on his debut EP, aptly titled Sex, which captured a raw, edgy vibe through both its sound and aesthetic. The four-track collection embraced a unified theme of gritty, high-energy club anthems, layered with a level of Tumblr-era nostalgia that feels both chaotic and intentional all in the same vein. The EP’s title track, Sex, nods to its unapologetic exploration of desire, hedonism, and the messy allure of late-night escapades, making it a fitting soundtrack for a modern, rebellious New York scene.
His debut album, What’s Wrong With New York?, was released 6 September 2024 and was met with mixed reviews from critics, but widely embraced by the public. Tracks from the album have exploded on TikTok, positioning The Dare at the forefront of a youth-driven revival of indie sleaze culture.
In the track I Destroyed Disco, The Dare boldly crowns himself “The Destroyer of Disco,” signaling his intent to reshape the techno landscape with his music. Whether or not he’ll achieve this is up to listeners, but there’s no denying that his sound is making waves, sparking renewed interest in the indie club scene.
But leading up to and following the album release, The Dare had been travelling playing sets with Charli XCX and George Daniel. Together, they played Boiler Room NYC and Boiler Room Ibiza, as well as other iconic clubs. This coming winter, The Dare has several live dates scheduled across the globe. While he might’ve answered What’s Wrong With New York? his listeners are left wondering what’s next for The Dare.
While we can’t be sure what comes next for the DJ, we can say with certainty it will be done in his iconic tux.
