Follow Me Dark is a four-piece independent rock band from Grass Valley, California. We make music in line with the alternative rock of yore - heavy-hitting, emotional, unpredictable, yet with a pop sensibility.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST ALBUM OR SINGLE
“Acid Desert” is the first single off our new concept album “Far From Any Shore”, produced by the band and Chris Tabarez. The video for it is kind of our take on Lord of the Rings, depicting this sweeping adventure. We filmed it in seven different locations around our hometown which is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. It’s got some scope. The full album will be dropping later this year and we are so proud of it - it is a true journey album in the tradition of the great records of the 70s, 80s and 90s.
WHICH SONG WOULD YOU SAY SUMS UP YOUR SOUND THE BEST?
“Acid Desert”, the new single, is a culmination of our efforts - it’s highly dynamic, building from a moody, bluesy verse and going into an almost Weezer-esque singalong climax, but, you know, the cool, depressing Weezer. It was our song “Lullaby” from 2022 that first indicated to us that we had found our cohesive sound, that drew in all these influences and wove them into something wholly unique and original.
DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN A FEW WORDS.
Haunting. Visceral. Cathartic.
WHO HAVE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES BEEN?
I think the four of us can agree on only a handful of bands - Deftones, Tool, Alice in Chains, maybe Smashing Pumpkins. There’s an undercurrent of post-rock - we love Mogwai and This Will Destroy You. I think lurking in the background is a lot of myriad influences ranging from prog rock, psychedelia, new wave, to doom metal and punk.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO MUSIC?
Of the four of us, Sean is the only one who actually started playing an instrument in his twenties, if I recall correctly. The rest of us, it was far earlier, and all of us are hardcore music fans, nerds, even. If
you are someone who gets lost in records, who tracks down obscure b-sides from bands, we are your people.
WHAT IS THE CREATIVE PROCESS LIKE FOR YOU WHEN MAKING MUSIC?
It’s a beautiful thing because we operate as a true democracy, and everything we do happens on a unanimous basis. Elliott, Sean, and Stephen all write songs and contribute parts, and we throw them into the group hopper, twist and turn them, rearrange them, argue, and come out the other end with Follow Me Dark. Jim is that ‘x’ factor who can weigh in on whether something ultimately is working or if we are drunk on our own PR.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE COOLEST COLLABORATION PROJECT BETWEEN YOU AND ANOTHER ARTIST?
Floater - if you’re listening - get at us! There are certain artists that we just respect deeply the niche they have carved, and the way they handle themselves. Or doing something orchestral with Mogwai.
PLEASE TELL US A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF.
We all met through the common ground of a taphouse in Grass Valley, where Stephen and Elliott worked, Sean’s stepdad was a patron, and Jim’s best friend was the head chef.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?
“Don’t try to be a great man, just be a man. Let history make its own judgments.” - That’s from the movie Star Trek: First Contact.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The industry is responsive to the demands of the clientele, so ultimately we can’t blame the “industry” for anything. We should all look inward, and ask, what can we each do to better support the kind of art we enjoy and want to see more of?
WHAT'S NEXT?
Follow Me Dark is releasing a string of singles to support “Far From Any Shore” and planning live shows for the second half of this year!
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