Feature / One Question Interviews
Dark Oz

Words: Loren • November 1, 2018

Dark Oz
Dark Oz

Frank Meriwether (Dark Oz)

SPB: What is the weirdest description you’ve heard of your music? Could you see where the commenter was coming from? 

Frank: I really can't think of any weird descriptions, unfortunately, but the weirdest comparison I got was comparing our music to Genesis. I started listening to music (in a way so as to form opinions) in the early ‘90s, and even before I was ten years old I distinctly remember thinking Genesis was definitely uncool. I still think that, but I also think Peter Gabriel (especially his solo work) is an interesting songwriter. It's still pretty hard for me to listen to Peter Gabriel for an extended period of time because I don't really enjoy that type of music or production, but I can appreciate his abilities as a lyricist.

 

Loren • November 1, 2018

Dark Oz
Dark Oz

Related features

Bo Diddley Plaza: Behind the Scenes at Fest

Music / Fest 23 • October 6, 2025

For close to a quarter-century punk fans have flocked to Florida for The Fest. Boasting a lineup of 300+ bands and roughly a dozen venues these days, the festival has grown, shifted and evolved. For several years the main stage has been in a large downtown park called Bo Diddley … Read more

moja

One Question Interviews • September 24, 2025

moja SPB: How old were you when you learned your first instrument? Masumi: My first instrument was YAMAHA Electone when I was five years old. Haru: I’ve never actually had formal lessons -- I’m totally self-taught. I bought my first instrument back in junior high just to start a band … Read more

Broken Record

One Question Interviews • September 23, 2025

Lauren (Broken Record) SPB: What was your first tape/cd/record? Lauren: The first CD I bought with my own money was No Strings Attached by *NSYNC, but perhaps more formative was my second CD, Green Day’s Nimrod. Green Day went on to become one of my all time favorites, and I … Read more

Eric Angelo Bessel

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • September 22, 2025

Eric Angelo Bessel SPB: Walk us through your gear setup for the recording of Mirror at Night. Eric: I composed the album, Mirror at Night, using a pair of digital Mellotrons (proto-sampling keyboards), an Alesis Micron (keyboard synthesizer), and guitars. The Micron is a new addition, and is the main … Read more

Dial Drive

One Question Interviews • September 18, 2025

Jake LeDrew (Dial Drive – guitar/vocals) SPB: What is your favorite Dial Drive lyric? Why? LeDrew: I'm going to go with a lyric off our new album. "You said you hate your life. Don't waste yours just take mine." That's in the chorus of our song "Second Chances" which will … Read more

Related news

Dark Oz: there's no place like home?

Posted in Records on November 18, 2024

Related reviews

Dark Oz

Alligators
Independent (2018)

A few years removed from 2015's ¡Piratas!, a record I found singularly outstanding, Portland, Oregon band Dark Oz returned with a second EP entitled Alligators. Unsurprisingly given circumstances affecting the Dark Oz project around the time of Piratas' release, namely, the death of drummer Lorien Bourne (a.k.a. Styx) while on tour, Alligators has quite a different sound from that heard … Read more

Dark Oz

¡Piratas!
Independent (2015)

I’m not sure I could come up with a worse scenario for a band than having one of its players pass away while the group was touring, but that’s sadly what occurred in September 2014 when Lorein Bourne, a.k.a. Styx and drummer for Portland, Oregon-based and self-proclaimed “garunge” duo Dark Oz, died of complications from Turner Syndrome after a show … Read more

More from this section

moja

One Question Interviews • September 24, 2025

moja SPB: How old were you when you learned your first instrument? Masumi: My first instrument was YAMAHA Electone when I was five years old. Haru: I’ve never actually had formal lessons -- I’m totally self-taught. I bought my first instrument back in junior high just to start a band … Read more

Broken Record

One Question Interviews • September 23, 2025

Lauren (Broken Record) SPB: What was your first tape/cd/record? Lauren: The first CD I bought with my own money was No Strings Attached by *NSYNC, but perhaps more formative was my second CD, Green Day’s Nimrod. Green Day went on to become one of my all time favorites, and I … Read more

Eric Angelo Bessel

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • September 22, 2025

Eric Angelo Bessel SPB: Walk us through your gear setup for the recording of Mirror at Night. Eric: I composed the album, Mirror at Night, using a pair of digital Mellotrons (proto-sampling keyboards), an Alesis Micron (keyboard synthesizer), and guitars. The Micron is a new addition, and is the main … Read more