For the love of aughts rock, D.C.’s Broke Royals released a new single, “No Time For Love,” on March 16. With its dancy beat backed by gritty guitars and a touch of synth, the single is perfectly timed for the return of indie sleaze. A bit more glam than their typical alt rock, it’s the type of song that demands you dance to it in a dark club, preferably while wearing fishnets and a tank top made from an old T-shirt.

“Sonically, we drew inspiration from some of our favorite ’00s rock heroes,” singer and guitarist Philip Basnight tells City Paper via email. “When I initially wrote this song, it was on an acoustic guitar and I thought ‘we can’t use this, it sounds way too Disney.’” 

But the band, which have been around since 2014, did what they do best: They worked on it. They swapped acoustic for electric, added in what Basnight calls a “hypnotic” drum beat, and suddenly the song worked. In fact, drummer Colin Cross played a big role in “No Time For Love” since he was the sole person to mix and master the track.

“He’s been the brains behind all of our recordings,” says Basnight. “[But] this is his first solo venture in a while. We love collaborating, but it was also really exciting to keep this one entirely in-house.” 

“No Time For Love,” which chronicles Basnight’s first days of dating his now-wife and bandmate, keyboardist Rebecca Silverstein, is the first bit of new music from Broke Royals since they released their third album, Local Support, last summer. But that doesn’t mean they took time off from writing. “We’ve gotten in the habit of coming together for writing retreat weekends, usually at a cabin in the woods,” says Basnight, adding, “forgive the cliche.” 

Though the band have more music and “some other exciting things” in the works, they’re staying tight-lipped about what comes next. However, thanks to a new website with a blog component—inspired by Beauty Pill’s Chad Clark—fans can find behind-the-scenes looks at Broke Royals’ recording process and communicate more directly with the band.

In the more immediate future, Broke Royals are giving local audiences a chance to dance to “No Time to Love” in person on Saturday, March 18, when they play Quarry House Tavern with Philadelphia band the Tisburys, who put out one of Broke Royals’ favorite albums in 2022, and Australia’s Nat Vazer. 

“We’re very excited,” says Basnight. “Both groups are on tour right now, but I believe D.C. is their first spot together. …It’s going to be a great night.”

The Tisburys, Broke Royals, and Nat Vazer play at 9:30 p.m. at Quarry House Tavern on March 18. quarryhousetavern.com/music. $17.19. 

“No Time For Love” is available on all streaming platforms.