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Rock Music artist from United Kingdom. New songs free to stream or download. Add to your playlist now.

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James Dark

Hello, I'm James Dark. I'm a solo artist around Cambridge/London UK. I write and record everything myself - James doesn't play well with the other children.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
In mid 2002, James Dark began writing songs, which inevitibly led to the formation of a band. Abnormal began, with Dark on bass and vocals, Dave Howe on guitar and Ben Carter on drums. This band soon evolved into Running From Reason, moving Darke onto guitar while Dan Booker took over on bass, and Robert Taylor on vocals. Running From Reason had minor local success, and after completing an EP ("Work in Progress") and an album, ("Over The Stars Pt. I"), disbanded in 2005. After spending nearly a year writing solo material, Dark formed a new band to play the material - Samsara. Ben Carter once again resumed drumming duties, with Edd Blake and Layla Broadbent on bass and vocals respectively. This project soon disbanded due to Edd and Layla starting university. After Samsara, Dark began learning the process of studio production. Later that year, local Cambridge band My Toy Heart hired Dark (via Ben Carter, the drummer of My Toy Heart) to record an EP ("Bright Lights and Fist Fights") for them. Upon its completion, Dark was invited to join the band as a new permanant guitarist, replacing Sam Biland, who went on to form Letter 27 and Operation FM. My Toy Heart, with Tom Norris on vocals and guitar, Ieuan Smith on bass, and Ben Carter drumming, broke up in early 2007, leaving Dark on his own once more. Dark spent this time writing more diverse and experimental solo material than he had before. In the Summer of 2007, Dark joined Haverhill-based hard rock band Chalkstone as a bassist. After recording one EP, the band split up due to personal differences. It was during the time in Chalkstone however, that Dark met Benji Goulding, who was playing guitar for the band. Goulding and Dark began collaborating on some songs, and soon formed The Stray. However, Dark soon left this band as well, choosing instead to spend the time working on producing solo material. The Stray went on to form Stir of Echoes, a band Dark is close to and has produced recordings for.
Your musical influences
I love Tiger Army, AFI, Rammstein, Johnny Cash, Misfits, Leonard Cohen, Placebo, Charles Manson, David Bowie, The Stranglers, The Damned, Danzig, Eddie Cochran, Motorhead, Hank Williams Sr., Franz Lizst, VNV Nation, Graves, The Meteors, NIN, Deathcab for Cutie, Combichrist, Alkaline Trio, Blaqk Audio, MSI, Spineshank, Joan Baez, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Elliot Smith..etc etc
What equipment do you use?
I play an ESP EC-50 through a Marshall MG or an Ibanez TBH 150X head with a 4x12 cab. For recording I also use a Fender Princeton amp. For acoustic stuff I use a Wesley Electro-Acoustic. For keys I use a vintage '89 Yamaha PSS-580, sometimes through a pheca midi. I also use a Roland HP-2e for recording. It's a bit big to take to shows. The bass is a Fender P-Bass. Software wise, I use Magix Audio/Midi studio, OMB, and Celemony Melodyne. Also Ernie Ball strings (the pink ones), a Peavey i100 cardoid mic, and dunlop picks. Planet Waves make good straps and leads.
Anything else?
You ever noticed how in the UK we have the Royal Mail, but call it post, and the Americans have the Postal Service but call it mail? what's up with that? Also, I saw raspberry sambuca the other day. All pretty and pink. If only I could afford it...