The Truth About The Dare

How is a former substitute teacher bringing indie sleaze back?

The Dare released his debut album "What's Wrong With New York?" on Sept. 6. Credit: Emma Gaecklein '26

The Dare is bringing back the indie sleaze revival we’ve been waiting for. 

The Dare released his debut album, “What’s Wrong With New York?” on Sept. 6. The ten-track, 27-minute record ranges from party anthems, like “Open Up” and “All Night,” to more sentimental tracks, such as “You Can Never Go Home.”

As he explained in an interview with The Guardian, “I want it to be funny. I want it to be a drunk punch in the face. At times, I want it to sound dumber than it actually is.”

Before he was The Dare, Los Angeles, C.A. native Harrison Patrick Smith attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, O.R., where he formed the group Turtlenecked. He released a debut album in 2016, as well as an EP in 2018.

Smith moved to New York City in 2017, working as a substitute teacher in the West Village and DJing on the side. His first single as The Dare, “Girls,” was released in August 2022, followed by “Good Time” in March 2023. 

At the time, The Dare was still relatively unknown. Charli XCX mentioned his song “Girls” in a 2022 interview, saying it “really goes off at parties.”

Flash forward roughly two years later, and The Dare has almost 2.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, recently producing Charli XCX’s “Guess” and even receiving a lyrical mention: “Wear ‘em, post ‘em, might remix it/Send ‘em to The Dare, yeah, I think he’s with it.”

The artist also had a cameo in the song’s music video, which premiered on Aug 1.

In “What’s Wrong With New York?” Smith embraces his electroclash sound, with heavy bass, pounding beats and bold lyrics. “Let’s make a baby/In the Mercedes/You lost the rubber/Let’s make another” in “You’re Invited” captures The Dare’s audacious persona, a stark contrast to Harris himself. 

Harris has been described as a “sweet, considerate music nerd from the suburbs of Seattle” and struggled with anxiety when he first moved to New York. 

In “You Can Never Go Home,” the final song of the record, the lyrics “No, you’re not alone, no you’re not alone/Just watch the life flash, passing by” gives a nod to the new life Smith is still learning. As one of the few ballads on the album, it shows the duality of the artist and how in the end, we are all watching life pass us by.