Israel Darling
Dinosaur Bones and Mechanical Hands
(Engine Room Recordings - August 4th)
August Tour Dates Announced
Feeling trapped and isolated is a way of life in Western North Carolina. Its small towns foster unique coming-of-age experiences for adolescents growing up there, and Jacob Darden is no exception. Darden was born in the small, Appalachian town of Drexel and spent the first 20 years of his life in the former milltown that has become the main influence of the songs he writes for his band, Israel Darling.
Darden began playing music at a young age, and it became his escape. His father often played blues and Appalachian folk records in the house and Darden felt an immediate connection. Darden’s father had a part-time job as a guitar-maker, and would bring the young boy to meet his musician friends. These local bluesmen would eventually make major impact on Darden’s songwriting. “Hanging out with the older musicians in Drexel really influenced me,” says Darden. “It was so great to just hang out in the same room with people that I’ll probably never even be able to play as well as.”
Like the majority of his community, Darden grew up a devout Baptist. He made a point to go to church even when his family stopped, driving himself there every Sunday. Until two years ago, that is. A downward spiral of events left Darden in the hospital at the age of 19. “I started hanging out with the wrong crowds and making bad choices,” Darden says. When he emerged from the hospital, Darden’s beliefs had changed and he proclaimed himself an atheist. With a new set of ideals, he immersed himself in his music. “I don’t think there’s anything after this so I’ve been trying to do better for myself, living for now and making the most of today.”
Darden’s religious past also played a part in the naming of the band. At the ripe age of 15, Darden was playing at an open-mic in the nearby town of Morganton, NC. “A cougar came up to hit on me and asked my name,” Darden recalls. “When I told her, she misheard last name as Darling.” This older woman wasn’t the first to make that mistake and Darden pondered calling himself Jacob Darling. Once he became an atheist, he began to think about the Biblical tale of Jacob, who was re-named Israel by an angel after a great deal of struggling. Darden identified with this tale of inner turmoil and decided to call the band Israel Darling.
Darden’s beliefs are strongly expressed in his songwriting. Despite Biblical references in his songs, Darden approaches religion with irony and bitterness. In the song “Samson the Mason” Darden muses, “led myself to believe, that God’s nothing more than a three letter word, something that can't be touch nor heard.”
Beyond the apparent atheist tones, Darden also examines the intricacies of human existence. “I write a lot about angles of everyday life, whether it be personal issues or the shit that scares you at night when you're trying to sleep,” Darden says.
Darden recorded a number of tracks along with friend Isaac Crouch, for what would become Israel Darling’s debut record, Dinosaur Bones and Mechanical Hands. Crouch stopped playing music in favor of an academic life and Jacob banded together with a group of local musicians including Mat Masterson (slide guitar), who went to high school with Jacob, and Alex Dagenhart (synth) who grew up one county over from Drexel. Masterson and Dagenhart were living in Greensboro, NC along with Arlie Huffman (drums) and Jeff Bechtel (bass). Darden followed their lead and left Drexel for the more artist-friendly Greensboro in February 2009.
The new lineup of Israel Darling signed to NYC’s Engine Room Recordings and “Dinosaur Bones and Mechanical Hands” is set for a summer 2009 release. A summer tour will ensure that Israel Darling will soon be escaping the ever encroaching hills of Western North Carolina.
For more from Israel Darling visit www.myspace.com/israeldarling and www.engineroomrecordings.com
Track Listing For Dinosaur Bones and Mechanical Hands:
1. Samson The Mason
2. I'm Dropping By
3. Oh My God
4. Sherwood St.
5. A Brilliant Plan
6. Woman, God, and pity for a man
7. Billy Walker
8. All Is Well
9. Locked In A Safe
10. Dinosaur Bones and Mechanical Hands
August Tour Dates:
August 6th - The Camel - Richmond, VA
August 7th - Twisted Branch - Charlottesville, VA
August 8th - Cyclops - Baltimore, MD
August 11th - Pianos - New York, NY
August 12th - Spike Hill - Brooklyn, NY
August 13th - All Asia - Cambridge, MA
August 14th - Bar46 - Hackettstown, NJ
August 15th - The Fire - Philadelphia, PA
For press inquiries contact:
Lauren @ Engine Room Recordings
Lauren@engineroomrecordings, 708-642-2785
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