Two good news are expecting for The Darkness fans at the crossroads of the new year. Meet the new band member, and the details about the upcoming record from the band’s frontman Justin Hawkins!

First of all, The Darkness recruited Emily Dolan Davies as their new drummer. According to Hawkins’ interview to UK’s Classic Rock magazine,

“She’s a hard hitter. She’s got the chops and the attitude that you need to be The Darkness’s drummer. She also makes us feel like dirty old men.”

Not a bad publicity from one of England’s most influential rockers of the new century.

Davies’ resume includes playing on Bryan Ferry’s album ‘Olympia’, touring with hip-hop artist Tricky and doing a U.K. festival run with Cher Lloyd. She replaces The Darkness’ founding member Ed Graham, who exited the band in late 2014, according to loudwire.com.

Hawkins explains about Graham,

“Ed has had some well-publicized health problems in the past. And for one reason or another, he wasn’t capable of doing his job anymore. We’re still friends with Ed. But now that we have Emily in the band, the worry is gone.”

As for the new LP, the follow-up to 2012’s “Hot Cakes”, The Darkness new record “Cliffhanger,” due to be released March 2015, was recorded at Leeders Farm Studio in Norfolk, owned by guitarist Dan Hawkins, who also produced the album, as mentioned by blabbermouth.net.

Justin Hawkins tells Classic Rock fans can expect to hear The Darkness’s take on “medieval rock,” which he calls “medi-urban.” Saying their vibe is “definitely stripped back — with the exception of some mandolins,” Hawkins is 100% sure that “doing medieval rock, you should have a mandolin on it.”

The Darkness are already announced as one of the main acts of Germany’s top hard rock festivals Grüne Hölle Rock Festival and Rockavaria Festival. And with a new drummer and a medieval record – there’s no better time to get back on stage than 2015.