Gabriella Salas

Deap Vally may be saying farewell, but first they have a legacy to solidify.

After announcing a re-release of their debut album Sistrionix the garage rock duo decided to call it quits.

In a 2023 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, lead singer and guitarist Lindsay Troy alongside drummer and vocalist Julie Edwards explained how obligations such as constant touring and self-advertising are no longer ideal for the new mothers.

But the band isn’t leaving their fans without one last goodbye. The band kicked off their farewell tour in November of 2023. The tour highlights the 10 year anniversary of Sistrionix, but it also acts as the band’s final mission to reclaim their legacy.

On Valentine’s Day, the band made one of their final stops at D.C.’s legendary Black Cat.

After making their way on stage dawning boxing robes reading “Deap Vally” and huddling in for their last match, they rumbled into their first track “End of the World” which features a stadium rock riff from Troy and a foot-stomping drumbeat from Edwards.

Deap Vally have always managed to sound bigger than a duo on their recordings and their live shows are no exception.

Whether they’re rolling through gritty guitar riffs and thunderous drumming in songs like “Gonna Make My Own Money” or slowing things down with a soulful, bluesy ballad such as “Six Feet Under” the duo proves how two rockers can fill a room with seamless ease.

After performing all of Sistrionix from start to finish, Troy and Edwards re-entered the stage to play songs from the rest of their catalogue including “Smile More,” “Grunge Bond,” and “Royal Jelly.”

By the end of the show, it made the audience wonder why Deap Vally are hanging it up in the first place.

Edwards mentioned between sets how the band hardly received monetary funds from their debut album, released by Island Records back in 2013.

This final tour allows the duo to reclaim the sound that launched them into festivals like Coachella and let them join in on tours for bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wolfmother.

Throughout their career, they were often referred to as the “female Black Keys,” but this completely overshadows the mission of Deap Vally.

In singles like “Lies” and “Baby I Call Hell,” Troy and Edwards breakdown unhealthy relationships which they overcame. At the same time, they deliver feminist messages in songs like “Gonna Make My Own Money” which is a reference to Troy’s father who once told her to “marry a rich man.” In the song, Troy proclaims that she’s in charge of her own financial freedom.

In the 2016 Femijism single “Smile More,” the band tackles the social expectations of women who are meant to act as a “reflection” of a man’s fantasy. Instead, they make their inherent “flaws” something to embrace.

From the start, Deap Vally have always set themselves apart and kept their overall integrity intact. In Sistrionix they demonstrated a great ability to embrace the bare bones approach to rock and roll. In Femijism they explored and achieved different musical genres including grunge, funk, and California surf rock.

To deduce them to an all female Black Keys or White Stripes completely discredits them for sticking to their own sound and message.

It’s a shame Deap Vally never got the proper credit they deserve, but let this tour serve as a celebration of a band that never let anyone change or reshape who they are.