Raw Blood Singing, the latest release from Insect Ark, features a new lineup and explorations into new musical directions. Initially, the solo project of Dana Schechter (Bee and Flower, Angels of Light, Swans), Insect Ark is now a duo comprised of Schechter and percussionist Tim Wyskida (Khanate). The music is bleak, but with a sweeping, majestic power driven by the interplay of bass, lap steel, and percussion. Subtle synth sounds broaden the sonic palette, and Raw Blood Singing has Schechter returning to vocals.
In an email interview, Schechter discussed the new album.
What inspired you to do vocals this time around? Was it something you set out to do from the start, or did it come about based on how the material was developing?
I certainly didn’t set out to sing again. In actuality, I was pretty happy being a non-singer, but as someone who plays a lot of instruments, I hadn’t left it behind altogether. Insect Ark started with me solo, and was very intentionally an instrumental band. I wanted it to be anonymous, with no measurable sense of the person who made it. But I had still some sense of it inside me, and this time, as the material was developing and changing a lot, it was a good time to try singing again.
Do you feel your work with Swans impacts Insect Ark? Either in terms of direct influence or perhaps in response to it?
In the literal sense, Swans impacts Insect Ark – when Swans are working, everything else is on hold. I was on tour with Swans for a year (mid 2023-mid 2024) and Insect Ark worked around that, which made completing Raw Blood Singing tricky. Musically, I don’t feel there is much of a direct influence; both bands share some common themes’ musical vocabulary – working with dynamics, repetition, drones, for example. I’ve heard a few people say there is some crossover. I’m probably not far enough away to say what it is.
As some songs were initially written and then reworked when Tim joined, could you elaborate on how they evolved from the initial versions to what we hear on the album?
The songs started as my demos, very detailed with layers of synths, lap steel, bass, and electronic drums. That’s pretty much the way it’s always started. The songs were instrumental, with no intention to change. Tim had interesting insights into defining and honing in on the top-shelf ideas. We worked on the songs every day for a year in our Berlin studio, very focused; we made a lot of demos. Some songs had multiple approaches. Eventually, we felt satisfied that the material had been pushed as far as it could go.
How did you come to start working together? What is your collaborative process like?
This album, as a follow-up to 2020’s The Vanishing , was planned to have Andy Patterson on drums again, but Andy felt that a long-distance project (during Covid) wasn’t really working for him. I had already decided to stay in Berlin after getting stuck here. I wanted to start working on a new album….Tim + I were friends for some years back in NYC, and he decided to relocate to Berlin, so it was a natural pairing. When we started playing together, to both of our surprise, we discovered a very natural rapport. It became clear that a writing collaboration would yield unforeseen but welcome new results. That was super exciting. We’re both obsessed with capturing those delicate juxtapositions between minimalist power, strong melody, texture and dissonance, and so on. I’m not so interested in authoring things alone anymore, so the new blood was most welcome. Tim and I both wanted to make music that forged its own unique path, and everything aligned. It felt organic.
This is the third line-up for Insect Ark. Have you ever considered expanding it beyond a duo?
We’ve just added a third member for live shows: Lynn Wright, who was the guitarist in my previous band Bee and Flower. He is playing lap steel and electric guitar, so I can focus on vocals and bass, and Tim on drums. As a duo I was switching instruments and making live loops, which was extremely challenging. There wasn’t room to add vocals on top of that. We have considered expanding on a more permanent basis, yes. Keeping the band small is logistically very helpful, but I am sure we will continue to grow and adapt depending on what circumstances allow.
What made you relocate to Berlin? Do you feel that being there has had an impact on you creatively?
It wasn’t exactly planned to move to Berlin: we left NYC for the EU tour to support The Vanishing on March 01, 2020. Covid wiped the whole thing out less than 2 weeks later. I decided that it was a good time to NOT go back to New York City, with the pandemic raging. And I’d lived in Berlin before, so I knew the Berlin expat drill. I knew that my quality of life here would be better, and that I could afford to live here as a working artist. The absence of a crushing day job, or rent that costs 2k a month, makes a huge impact on an artist’s ability to focus on the art itself — so yes, Berlin has definitely been a factor in supporting my creative work.
What are your plans for the near future? Will you be touring? Are there upcoming videos? (you’ve had some really creative videos in the past!)
We are touring in the EU, USA, and UK in 2024 / 2025. We have plans for a video, which I’ll be involved in directing on some level, just like the other videos. The visuals are a big part of the band — and I really believe that the use of carefully done visual work, whether it’s music videos or album art, offer listeners a full-sensory experience which elevates the whole thing to another level.
Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
Thank you for your time, we hope that you all will enjoy this offering. A lot of blood and tears went into every step of making this album. If it stirs you, and makes you feel something, then we’ve done something right.
For more info, visit insectark.com.
Also, be sure to check out our previous interview with Insect Ark and interview with Swans.
