ROLODEX DARKO - Beyond Conventional Sounds... (Canada - Experimental Sludge Noise - Interview with Alex & Bob).

Hello! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all began for you - your encounter with this musical universe, what appealed to you, what fascinated you and what made you want to get into music?
Bob: I grew up in the church, singing hymnals beside my grandparents, wanting to make them proud. It was one of the only ways I could release my pent-up energy from trying to sit still listening to a man drone on about why I was going to end up in hell because I wore pants and cut my hair. When I was in school, singing was another emotional release. It followed me and became the best outlet for my.... anger. I swear I’m actually a nice person, but only because I have that outlet. It's like a rage-room but I’m putting it into the microphone. 
Alex: I’ve loved music since I was a kid. I moved from punk (thanks, Tony Hawk’s Underground) into—get this—post-rock (thanks, 28 Days Later) (It's a great start after all—the soundtrack is amazing - Ed.) Then metal, courtesy of Buckethead records like The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell. And Buckethead opened me up to the idea that one artist could do whatever they wanted, genre-wise. Electric Tears, Somewhere Over the Slaughterhouse, Bucketheadland, In Search of The…—all completely different, all completely great. So, through his discography, I was exposed to many kinds of music, and my tastes grew accordingly. It’s cliché, I know, but these days I listen to all sorts; in one session, I’ll go from Hall & Oates to Michel Legrand to Merzbow to Zappa and Zorn.

Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
Bob: The guys all knew each other from a previous band and I, the sweet ex-churchgoer, auditioned from a Kijiji ad.
Alex: Yeah. Josh, Glenn, and I found Bob during our search for a new vocalist following the dissolution of our old band. Pretty well immediately, we agreed: “Yep, she’s the one.”

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost?
Bob: Rolodex Darko is more about the experience than the music. We hope you'’ll enjoy the music, but we want to push the envelope musically and make art that leaves an impression. Come to the show, leave crying, pass our CDs along like they're a cursed object that will bring you bad luck if you don't.
Alex: People seem to either love us or hate us. There’s rarely—if ever—a middle-of-the-road reaction, which I’m happy about. The last thing I’d ever want us to be is boring. (I tell ya, you're actually far from that ! Ed)

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ? 
Bob: Not going to lie, I have a lot of musical inspirations and influences. But my biggest one is Elvis. Say what you want about his personal life, the guy knew how to sing. He knew how to put on a show. And whether you want to admit it, he changed the music industry. (You can't be nicknamed “THE KING” for no reason, can you ?- Ed.)
Lyrics can be either important or not important; we like to play with juxtaposition. In one line, we’ll sing about snakes having sex or wishing upon a star, and in the next, we’ll have an outburst of anger and self-harm. At bottom, the lyrics are pulled from real experiences, or real thoughts, real emotions I have. Again, it's my outlet.

Imagine someone who doesn't know your band at all and wants to get interested in.. Which release would you recommend to start with, and why?
Bob: SLUT QUEEN
Alex: Agreed. Until we record our new material… then my answer may change.

About your latest release ? 
Alex: We’re recording a batch of new songs soon. Some are live staples, some are completely new; some are the heaviest stuff we’ve ever written, some are dance tunes. 

Future plans ? 
Alex: As I said, we’re putting out a new batch of studio-recorded songs—our first since 2020—soon. And we have a couple more shows to announce in the fall and winter.

Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Bob: Touring in the UK and Japan. There are some underground/noise acts in Japan I have been keeping a keen eye on.

Your BEST & WORST concert - as a band - and why ? 
Alex: Our best concert is our next one.
Worst would probably be the handful of times we’ve been kicked off or kicked out (including getting booted from live TV). Doesn’t happen too often, thankfully, because at this point most bands, promoters, and venues know what they’re getting into when they ask us to play. At least it makes us sound cool in interviews when we can say: “Yeah, we’re so hardcore they wouldn’t let us play!” (Yes, in the end, what might have been bad publicity is actually a good thing! Ed).

Next live-appearance(s) ?
Alex: Next is our Hamilton show on July 10 (Ooey Gooey’s). We’re also on the Long Weekend Band Crawl festival on August 2 in Waterloo. And we’re playing with Tarbox and Dogo Suicide on August 6 (Hamilton, Doors Metal Bar).

Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name?
Alex: The Dan Scime Quintet, Gatling, Rat Parade, Glidewash, Acid Reflux Cock Incinerator, Mr. Big Tooth-e-tooth & Ms. Small Clamporama, Giant Architect Aardvark Assignment, American Gardening Ass-ociation, Blamorama x-9250, Rat Parade, Mncnjsn4000!! (The Pooper Scooper), Rat Parade, Really Big Flannel, Egghead Likes His Book-e-Book, I Just Watched “Clear and Present Danger”, Diarrhea Diary, Real Band/Real Emotions, #raw #emotions, Rat Parade, YeeDopeBeats (inc.), Jingle All the Way (soundtrack cover band), Diarrhea Diar-e (tribute band to the original Diarrhea Diary). 

What’s the question you’ve always dreamed of answering but have never been asked? Just a heads-up: I’m also waiting for the answer that goes with it...
Alex: “Do you want a billion dollars?” My answer: “Yes.” 

Last word is yours.. 
Alex: Thank … and I’m going to break the rules and add a second word: you. (Awwwh ! Many thanks, I appreciate ! Ed.)