The story of The Darcys could almost be a story of rags to riches. The Toronto-based band, which just released their second full-length album last month on the Arts and Crafts record label, found out the hard way how so much can change in a year. After a number of hardships in 2010, including the unexpected loss of their lead singer and the theft of their equipment, the band came out on top with a new record that has received nothing but praise since its release just under a month ago.

"Stopping was just never an option for us," said Wes Marskell, who stepped in as lead vocals after their original singer unexpectedly quit. He said he and the rest of the band – Dave Hurlow (bass), Michael LeRiche (guitar, organ) and Jason Couse (guitar) – found that bouncing back wasn't easy, but it was something they knew they needed to do.

"I think through all our difficult moments, our work ethnic really kept us going," Couse admitted. "We got to do what we wanted to do and we weren't willing to let that stuff slow us down or get in the way." The effort put in by the boys on the self-titled album, which was two years in the making due to the hardships they had to face, was enough for them to keep going and finish. Especially since the album had been funded out of their own pockets, forcing them to work at jobs they didn't necessarily care for. Marskell, for instance, took a job as a bartender at Medievel Times as the Green Knight, and although he may have disliked the job, the other boys in the band enjoyed the free shows they were able to attend.

Their change in luck came quickly in the past year. Getting back into the swing of things, the boys went back to playing shows, which gained the interest of Toronto brewery Steamwhistle with their Unsigned Series. This helped them develop a few new friendships, including that of their new manager, who happened to be involved with the Arts and Crafts label. This, in turn, gained them a contract. "The whole thing was pretty organic," Marskell said.

They described the experience with the label as a good one, stating they were given enough freedom to do things their way and adding that it forced them to get to work and finish the album. It also gave them the opportunity to work with producer Murry Lightburn, formerly of Canadian indie heavy-hitters The Dears, and get a chance to have him play around with their sound.

With the label, they had the option to make the album free for download on their website as a way of thanking their fans for all the support over the years. When asked about the download they said they "wouldn't have it any other way," but Marskell did go on the admit they had used it to their advantage, offering the free download in exchange for food at a London taco stand before their show at the APK Live in mid- November.

To check out the album and get your free download, go to thedarcys.ca. Look for the band in the future as they plan to head back to the studio before long.