Darn Kelly’s Rand Kelly is living proof that weeding can be a useful side gig. Best known as a founding member of Chicago-based slacker-pop trio the Slaps and guitarist for Maggie FM and Canadian actor/musician Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), the Kentucky native also works part time as a gardener/landscaper. The job leaves plenty of room for the sort of unfiltered reflection that fueled Waffle Houseboat (EyeCue Press), Darn Kelly’s winsomely scatterbrained debut LP.
Among other things, Kelly writes about the first time he got high, running around naked with friends and camping in the wild. Specificity lends a certain easy humor to some of the stories, and friendship is a recurring concern. Kelly wrote and performed all the music himself, with occasional guest vocals from his life partner, Maggie FM.
For all its offhand charm, Waffle Houseboat addresses some fairly substantial concerns. Kelly elaborates below.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Bird In The Bush”
“Here I’m coming to terms with some truths about the path I’m on—and things weren’t as pretty as I’d thought they’d be. Every once in a while, I come up with an angsty tune that doesn’t follow me when my perspective eventually shifts. I wrote this one last winter—and although some of the lines no longer resonate with me, I still love the tune. ‘What is the point of a point if it ain’t ever sharpened’ will definitely ring true forever.”
2) “Naked With The Guys”
“This one’s about careless vulnerability with your loved ones, whether that means being gushy with your romantic partner or streaking with your best friends. This is the last song I wrote for the album. The morning before going to the studio, I met (engineer) Evan (Dangerfield) at Waffle House in Atlanta and told him I had no idea what I was going to record that day. I listened to a few voice memos on the way to the studio and decided to expand on a mumbled melody I’d recorded—inspired by ‘Come For Me’ by Twin Peaks.”
3) “First Game First High”
“This is the story of the first time I got high on weed and became convinced I was possessed in my best friend’s ancient house. It’s also about missing that friend deeply. I thought a lot about that experience over the past year and finally wrote it all down, then sang and played guitar to it. This is probably the first time I’ve told a true story in so much detail, and it felt really good.”
4) “Stepping On Flowers”
“I’m a part-time landscaper and gardener. As I work, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the paradox of my own intervention in these landscapes, where I remove weeds that always end up growing in the same spot. So much gardening and forest restoration is futile—but I guess that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it.”
5) “Lucky You Lucky Me”
“I’ve always wanted to write a love song but never knew how. I wrote the lyrics for this stream-of-consciousness style in the studio, based on a piano riff I came up with between takes of another song on a different recording day. It’s about camping with the lovely, talented Maggie.”
6) “You Do I Don’t I Do”
“This one’s about everyone—including me—and their/our contradictions. The hook is based on a remark a friend made to a group of friends who were smoking cigarettes: ‘Y’all’s loves cigarettes.’ I thought it was funny and true.”
7) “Bunch Of Crap”
“I wrote this while landing in NYC during a blizzard. As the song goes, a fellow passenger accidentally grabbed my leg, and a family member had just passed away. I was on my way to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (with Finn Wolfhard). It was all surreal because I wanted to feel excited but felt like absolute crap.”
8) “Humble Mumble 2”
“This is my dark and twisted confession about not being 100-percent original. I wrote it at a friend’s house in Minneapolis during a 2024 tour. His house had a cute music room that I inhabited for the evening. Sometimes after performing, all I want to do is play more guitar. I was jamming while my friends were laughing around the dining table. I joined them once I’d written the lyrics on a piece of copy paper. I felt right at home.”
