Hailing from different parts of California and Indiana, members of local band Darkness Dear Boy came together through a Craigslist ad about three years ago to combine a variety of musical elements and share their unique sound and style.
The three-man band includes guitarist Ted Organ, 34, and an ASU graduate, bassist Will Kingsbury, 30, and drummer Aaron Ranschaert, 34. All three guys sing and write their own music. The band’s music style is a combination of alternative, punk rock, honky tonk, and reggae.
Outside of the band, the guys have regular day jobs but claim that music is their sole focus and just work these 8-to-5 jobs to pay the bills.
Right now, the guys regularly play around 9 p.m. Wednesday nights at Bogeys Grill in Tempe. The band members also spend many of their weekends traveling around different cities in Arizona, expanding their fan base and performing in all sorts of venues.
The band’s debut album, “Brand New Carrot on a String,” was released last March on Doggass Records.
The band recently sat down with The State Press at Bogey’s Grill to explain a little bit about themselves, their passions and what separates them from other bands. o
The State Press: The name Darkness Dear Boy is not what most would expect a somewhat alternative band to be called. How did you guys come up with that name?
Ted Organ: (Laughs) One of the hardest parts about being in an original band is agreeing on the name. I think it was my fifth grade teacher who had a cat named Darkness, who she called “Darkness, dear boy,” and that always stuck with me. It’s really just the name of a cat.
SP: You guys claim your style includes a little bit of everything from alternative punk to reggae and honky tonk. How do you guys incorporate so many different genres of music?
TO: We don’t try to sound like anything. A lot of times when you hear bands play their songs always sound the same. We try to make every one of our songs sound totally different.
SP: Who are your greatest influences?
TO: We all are huge Sublime fans. Lyrically, I’d say our biggest influence would be Kurt Cobain. We really like lyrics that tell more than just a story, something that creates picture with words.
SP: Right now, where is the best place fans can check out your music?
TO: iTunes and our website are probably the best places. Hoodlums Music and Movies on Guadalupe [Road] and McClintock [Drive] carries our album, and we should be hitting Zia Records soon.
SP: The band has been known for its famous ladder performances, can you tell me about them?
TO: This is the type of show we usually perform on First Fridays [in Phoenix]. We built a ladder stage where the three of us sit on different-height ladders and perform our set from about 15 feet in the air. It really attracts a crowd [and] differentiates us from other bands.
SP: I’ve read that you guys are very into the Phoenix local scene, why? Do you think that after you become famous you will return back to these local hot spots to play?
TO: We love the local scene. There’s no limitation in Phoenix. Of course we’ll return home. Since we’ve been playing the local scene for so long, we’ve established some great relationships with bars and other bands out here.
SP: What does the future hold for Darkness Dear Boy?
TO: [We’ll] hopefully come out with our second album and keep making our circle of shows. We’d like to expand out of state, but right now this is exactly where we want to be.
Reach the reporter at alicia.diaz@asu.edu
