Hi. We’re Dark Arts. We’re a group of four young gentlemen that play in a band. Kind of the same deal as Power Rangers, but instead of donning matching spandex crime-fighting costumes and harnessing unique super-powers to overcome evil space aliens, we each play a different musical instrument. Most of the time we play all at once. Some of the time it sounds pretty good.
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
Ollie: Ah geez. I remember my dad always playing guitar from a really early age. I’d always pick it up and wouldn’t have a clue what to do with it until one day he taught me the old clichés, ‘Smoke On The Water’ and ‘Seven Nation Army’. Two weeks later I performed them for arts week in primary school.”
Leon: My dad was probably the one who inspired me to pick up a guitar, but from there I pretty much learnt to play by myself. Growing up in Singapore, there wasn’t much in the way of music education and even playing the guitar was sort of considered taboo. When I was little, I used to be an altar boy; I remember learning ‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis for some church event and thinking “Hell yeah, I’m a bass man.”
Gabe: Smashing out ‘Ode To Joy’ on the recorder with Miss Littlehales in grade 2. I think this was when I first became interested in music. But, I’ve grown up around my dad playing tunes on the guitar, which probably had a bit to do with it too.
Sam: My first band Parasite Addiction played ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ in One Minute Of Fame in grade 3. Our principle introduced it as “I Walk A Lonely Road”. It was awesome.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What and where was the first gig you went to?
Ollie: I remember this so vividly. Channel V and Nova were doing the rounds in a whole bunch of towns and they came to ye old Lake Wendouree. Got up close to watch The Spazzys. It was fucking awesome! I thought it was the bee’s knees.
Leon: The first gig I went to was in Singapore at a venue called ‘Third Place’.
Gabe: I reckon it would have been seeing my dad’s old choir when I was a little tacker.
Sam: Mine would’ve been the Big Day Out in ‘07. Muse, Tool, The Vines and The Killers. It was totally killer.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
Ollie: My dad sort of has this obsession with country music, but that never really floated my boat. We’ve always had the ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack on high rotation though.
Leon: When I moved to Melbourne, I stole my dad’s Led Zeppelin vinyl collection…
Gabe: A ‘best of’ by The Stranglers. Just can’t get enough of ‘Golden Brown’.
Sam: My dad actually had a King Crimson record in the shed, which is fucking weird and amazing. Also Stevie Ray Vaughn.
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
Ollie: Tame Impala, Millions, The Strokes, Wavves and The Beach Boys’ new album!!
Leon: A lot of Led Zeppelin and my friend’s band from Singapore called Plainsunset. Pioneers of the Singapore punk scene!
Gabe: I’ve been listening to heaps of Hey Rosetta lately, though I always find myself going back to the Kept Low EP by Mercy Arms. It’s just so ridiculously good.
Sam: Jeff Buckley’s Grace and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.
How do you find new music?
Ollie: Mostly through the WORLD WIDE WEB or through hombres.
Leon: Yeah, mainly just through my friends or my housemates.
Gabe: When I was younger, I used to search for hours, and I’d find a few gems here and there, but, recently I’m getting into a lot of bands that my brothers have been listening to.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
Ollie: I usually do a couple of backflips while sculling a brewski.
Gabe: I usually just do the classic Chief Wiggum; Mo mi ma mi, mo mi mo mi.
Sam: I listen to the White Album backwards.
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have?
Ollie: I live on a property with 16 acres so I’d absolutely fucking love to put on a festival there. Some of the locals, like Hunting Grounds and Gold Fields, as well as the big guys like The Strokes, Foo Fighters, The Killers and of course an amazing Queen tribute band.
Sam: And there’d be a pinball machine made of rainbows and dreams.
When you’re Rolling Stones Big, what are you going to request on your rider: don’t be shy. We want specifics!
Ollie: PWAGHHHH!! Y’know, you’ve gotta have some fried chicken, curry, beers (not the imported shiiiiiiit), wacky tobaccy, PS3, a tonne of pretty girls doing hoola hoop tricks and a delicious banquet of tropical fruits.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
Ollie: Darren from the voice. That guys da man!
Gabe: It’d be cool to work with someone like Paul Kelly, just to see how his mind works when it comes to writing a song.
Sam: Hunting grounds. They’re all awesome guys (except for John) and it would just be full of lols.
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Ollie: Porno of course. What else? Either that or background music to human sacrifices!
Sam: Porno and fightin’.
Gabe: I think the general consensus is porno. So I’ll have to go with dinosaurs.
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
We’re about to release our first official single ‘Heart Strings’. Hopefully we’ll release a clip for that too.
We’re opening for Sugar Army on the 30th of June at The Tote, which will be rad! On July 11th we’re in Ballarat playing with The Rubens at Karova Lounge and the night after we’ll be playing/partying at Laundry Bar in Melbourne.
You can keep in the loop with all of our shenanigans via Facebook
