Interview: Des Ark
by Dave Tow
“Drummerless for 15 months and counting!” is how the MySpace profile of Durham, North Carolina’s Des Ark reads. Formerly a duo, the departure of drummer Tim Herzog (Milemarker/Jade Tree Records) has forced singer Aimee Argote to persevere alone. Their debut album, “Loose Lips Sink Ships, “ which was recorded by Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis, is fuzzy and angst-ridden. The songwriting is sincere and the angular blues-rock is amazing. Since then, Des Ark has become a more personal vehicle for Argote. On the “Battle of the Beards” split, she exhibits capability as a songwriter. Her precocious lyrics are much more abrasive and the nature of what she is doing, the singer-songwriter bit, is punctuated by the everyday drama in the songs. Unadorned lyrics frequently role-swap, interplaying between the jealous, bitter lover and the heartbroken romantic in a peculiarly androgynous way. The petite quality of the album lies in the emotional weight of it on such a small scale, the minute dramatic interplay between what are essentially the two different sides of Aimee Argote.
What caused you to start making music?
Aimee Argote: My family moved to a little village in France when I was a kid; we stayed in a house with a grand piano, and until I learned the language I spent most of my time playing around on it. When we came back to the states, we got a crusty old piano and eventually a guitar, and it seems now to be the only thing that’s held my interest over the years.
What artists influence you?
My perception of “influences” really shifted when I realized how many shitheads there are making music in the world; you put on enough shows for asshole bands and pretty soon you’re learning to look closer within your community for sources of inspiration and influence. In the past few years, other people’s processes of making art has become much more inspiring than their final product, and so I find myself influenced more by my environment, the people I love and the great and horrible things that they are doing to themselves and others. All that aside, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson.
What was it like to record with J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr.) for your debut?
Fun! Tim [Herzog, former Des Ark drummer] was J’s sound guy before he joined Des Ark, so when it came time for us to record a full-length, J offered us the use his studio in return for helping him set some things up within it. We had the best gear I’ve ever seen in my life, all at our disposal, and spent the first two days sorting through it and picking out what we wanted to use.
How has the dynamic of making music changed since Tim left?
I’ve continued touring and recording solo in the two years since Tim left. It’s a lot like being single; some days you’re relieved to finally be doing whatever the fuck you want and saving a lot of money in the process (goodbye ‘89 Econoline). Other days it’s overwhelming to look at the rest of the world all coupled off with their band mates, having all their riveting band drama and big band decisions and general band awesomeness, and then there you are left completely to your own devices, going home alone every night with nobody to share this huge part of your life with. I’m relieved to be playing with people again, because there’s something inherently comforting about the built-in support structure band mates can offer, especially after two years of doing everything myself. It took me that long to find people I connect with, though, that I trust and want to get smothered by in a van. I think it’s important still to remind myself that I’d be playing solo if I hadn’t met my band mates yet, that quitting was never an option.
What is the story behind the Des Ark name?
It’s a town in my home state of Arkansas. I spelled it wrong on a flyer by accident, but then it stuck.
There seems to be a theme of dualism in your work: lover/friend, love/sex, and dominant/submissive. Would you speak to that?
If setting respectful boundaries with lovers and friends and strangers were easy, then I’d be fresh out of song ideas. But these things are rarely mastered; especially when you throw in my or other’s struggles with addiction, mental health and restlessness. There are microcosms in each of our lives, and, subtle or not, I think they reflect the bigger world that’s rustling around us. Blowing things out of proportion in art can keep me from doing it in real life, and, by default, putting life in terms like that seems to create something that more folks can relate to.
In addition to the dualism, there seems to be a lot of perspective and role switching, a kind of sexual ambiguousness? Is that deliberate on your part?
I think there’s often an ambiguous nature to sexual relationships, since we live in a culture whose principle use of sex is to dominate and oppress others. In terms of my own sexuality, though, I’m not intentionally vague about the fact that I’m queer.
What is the most important part of making music to you?
Every day answers differently to that question, but today it is important to me that I be honest and open in playing music, that I use it as a tool for creating dialogue and positive change in my community, and that I support other people who are doing the same.
What was it like to play with Engine Down on their final tour?
When a band writes a record that becomes the soundtrack to some part of your life, it’s hard not to feel like you’re going to have to let that life go when the band breaks up. I knew also that it was the last tour Tim and I would do together, so it was very difficult at times and unbelievably rewarding at others. I was honored that Engine Down took us with them, they’ve always been one of my favorite bands and watching them every night helped to re-establish some sort of faith in music and touring and being in a band.
How did you get set up to do the split with Ben Davis?
Ben and I have been friends and played music together for a long time now. A different band was supposed to share this split with him but backed out, so it made sense for me to step in. I think it worked out better in the end, given that we’d previously collaborated on songs.
How do the songs play live since it’s just you? Have you been drafting backing bands and whatnot?
Most shows are just me, tuning a variety of crappy acoustic instruments and talking a lot of shit. I’d tried playing with different folks in the past, but nothing really stuck until a few month ago. I spend a lot of time in DC, which is where I met Ashley Arwin (Mass Movement of the Moth) and Welch Canavan (Attrition), who are playing in Des Ark now. Ashley plays guitar in Mass Movement and I always thought she was a total badass, but everybody kept telling me “Just wait till you see her play the drums!” And I did, and she was relentlessly killing it the whole set, and I felt then that she was exactly the kind of drummer who might work for Des Ark. It’s really moving to watch both her and Welch play music; we’re all excited to be playing together.
What do you want to do with the next album?
I still have a lot of solo songs I want to record, so a large chuck of time will likely be spent figuring out how to combine those kinds of songs with the new loud ones. Jonathan Fuller (Engine Down/Denali) was born with a magic ear, is super to record with and has been around for all of Des Ark’s changes. Having him be part of the process will make things much easier I think, as he offers a sort of educated objectiveness.
What’s next for Des Ark?
We’re heading out for a 5-week tour in July, then hopefully Europe and a full-length on Lovitt this Fall. I would like to get Ashley some new shoes with band fund, as a little welcoming gift to Des Ark.
2007 Battle of the Beards Split [with Ben Davis and the Jetts] (Lovitt)
2005 Loose Lips Sink Ships (Bifocal Media)
2004 Des Ark / Bellafea Split (Exotic Fever)
