“Spare the Ones that Weep” was the first single released on July 22, 2016, followed a week later by “Are Your Stars Out?”[1] Stoermer wrote "Pretend Song" with the help of his friend Merkley by playing Ping-Song.

[2] Inspired by this process, Stoermer went on to write the rest of the album on his own, and sometimes with the help of longtime friend and co-producer, David Hopkins.

I didn’t shy away from anything, and it’s an honest representation of me as an artist.”[4] Dark Arts’ thirteen songs are a mosaic of sixties-induced psychedelia, bluesy desert rock and plaintive lyrical poetry, with cinematic orchestration.

[clarification needed][5] The inspiration for the album came from Stoermer growing up listening to bands like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and The Who.

[4] David Hopkins managed to bring out Stoermer's older influences in rock and helped him sort through and finish his ideas.