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Don Clark is one busy dude, between working with Asterik Studios, a burgeoning art-design firm in Seattle, and slinging a guitar for Demon Hunter, one of the fastest-rising bands in the underground, and whose new album Summer of Darkness is getting widespread acclaim from The Underground Kids Everywhere. Oh, and he was also in the much-missed Training For Utopia, may they forever rest in noise-core peace; there's a TFU best-of entitled Technical Difficulties out nowadays that you really should pick up. Since Don's a prince of a guy, we conned him into taking a few minutes to answer some questions, since that's what we do here. What a fella, no?
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sd: With the new Training for Utopia best-of out now, do you feel like a reunion is at all possible? That's everyone's burning question.
Don: Awwww, no...sorry. Demon Hunter is our focus now. Sorry, kids.
sd: What's the link between TFU and Demon Hunter - aside from you and your brother - if there is one? Was there a feeling in forming Demon Hunter that what you were after with TFU was prematurely cut off?
Don: Well, Training For Utopia was a perfect outlet for us at the time. We were into a lot of different heavy stuff. We started out in the hardcore scene, then just became fans of the more chaotic stuff. But we had always listened to Machine Head, Sepultura, Prong, etc. It was always a "goal" or "dream" to do something like that. Good production, heavy guitars, melody...everything that TFU wasn't, I guess. Looking back on those days in TFU, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
sd: Why was the decision made to conceal the identity of the band members when the Demon Hunter buzz first started building up steam a couple years ago? Was it just an inside joke, or was there a point you were trying to make?
Don: No, we just wanted people to focus on the music and just to keep it a mystery.
sd: A few notable bands from the Pacific northwest, hardcore bands, have split up and gone on to form some steadily-rising 'post-hardcore' bands (Minus the Bear, etc). Why was it that you and your brother Ryan decided to go in a more mainstream direction with Demon Hunter, and did you take any flak from scenesters(not that it matters)?
Don: Because, deep down, we're metal kids. We hold metal very close to our hearts. We love all types of music, but we feel like writing this music is what we do best. I think it will always be like that. We may experiment in the future doing other projects, but we'll always go back to metal.
sd: How is the songwriting process worked out in Demon Hunter? Has it changed since the band's inception? What kinds of topics are addressed on the new album?
Don: We were able to spend more time on the writing on this record. Everything is heavier and more melodic, if that makes sense. If you liked the last Demon Hunter record, I think you're really going to love this one. Plus there are thirteen tracks. Plenty to hear. Topics are pretty raw, in your face. We take pride in our lyrics; Ryan does a heck of a job pouring out his soul on our records.
sd: With the success of the debut album do you guys in the band still find it necessary to work day jobs? Asterik is going full-tilt; how much time do you spend in the office versus out on the road?Don: Asterik is our career, how we make a living, and it's also our first passion. We love design. We [Demon Hunter] have been offered major-label deals from almost every big label, and we continuously turn them down because we love our jobs so much. We tour on our own terms, usually once a year, no longer than a month. We are all married and a lot of us have kids. Our family is really important to us.
sd: Last time I talked to you, in conclusion you made a tantalizing mention of a forthcoming project that, of course, turned out to be Demon Hunter. What were you thinking might happen with this new band you had coming out? Did you imagine the kind of mainstream MTV-rotation success that you've had?
Don: No, I actually had no idea how the band would do, especially since we don't tour often. We are blessed to have gotten to this point. The Hunters, our street team, are to thank for that. They are the lifeblood.
sd: Tell me about what's going on with Asterik; who are you working with? On what sorts of projects? Has the staff or location of the company changed?
Don: Still in Seattle; there are four of us full-time. We're working on tons of stuff, and you'll be able to see the cool projects on our site real soon.
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[Demon Hunter] [Asterik]