Western-tinged rockers Dani Bell & the Tarantist is yet another band championed by local star Alfred Howard, who performs with the group and signed them to the label he co-owns, Redwoods Music. Singer Dani Bell (Boychick) is frequently backed by the same players from Birdy Bardot (another Howard production).
"My father was the worship leader at a church when I was growing up, so there was always instruments to play in our home," says Bell. "I’m self-taught for the most part, aside from my father or friends giving me a few pointers. I moved to San Diego in 2005 but didn’t start performing live here until 2013."
Their dreamy psychedelic/soul sound was showcased on a debut full-length called Dark West, released in 2015. The band's videos for the album feature them wearing commedia dell’arte-style masks.
A new EP was released in early 2018, Golden Gloom, recorded on a BOSS Micro BR80 recorder and promoted with a video for the track "Gentleman." That year, they also played the Bottle Rock Festival in Napa, California
Their sophomore album Wide Eyed was released in January 2019, preceded by a single for "Mystery." It sports cover artwork by John Gourley of Portugal. The Man.