The electro-rock band Lark recently released their first new album in years, titled Gong is Struck. Inge Beckmann, vocalist, answers some questions about the album, the band and other projects.
Hi Inge, how're things going?
Thank you for asking. I am dandy.
It's been a long (and difficult!) time since we've heard new recorded material from Lark. What have you guys been up to?
We have all been busy with other work. I have been doing as much as I can to stay busy and keep the pot boiling this side. Collabs, commercial work, theatre. Paul is working as a producer in the UK. Fuzzy runs Sound and Motion Studios in Cape Town and Joburg, and Sean Ou Tim also does commercial production work, session work and is working on his solo career.
What led to the band's decision to take a hiatus at the end of the twenties?
We all wanted to explore different avenues and Paul Rez, our producer, moved to London.
I saw you guys perform at Rocking the Daisies 2011. It seemed pretty clear that your popularity among festival-goers hadn't dwindled. Are you planning to work in more gigs and festivals, even a tour, to go along with the release of the new album?
We’ve just had a mini-album launch tour and now Lark Electro (two-man) will be performing and promoting the new album in South Africa.
Photo: Gabrielle Guy
In what respects do you feel Gong is Struck differs from Lark's previous efforts?
It is more tribal and more decisive in terms of structure and sound.
There's a really cool cover of Margaret Singana's “We are growing” on the album. What's the story behind this?
I have always loved that theme song and thought it might fit in well on the album.
You're also part of a new band called Beast. What excites you about this project and how is it different from Lark?
It is very raw and much simpler than Lark. We have no guitars in Beast, only two basses and a drummer. It is ‘70s rock meets ‘90s grunge. I love the project. Working with Louis Nel and Rian Zietsman from Taxi Violence is incredible, and Sasha Righini is a very talented drummer indeed.
Apart from that, you recently played the lead role in the theatre piece Lament in G, which travelled to the KKNK. What was the theatre acting experience like and do you plan to extend your acting career in this respect?
One of the scariest things I have ever done. I learnt so much through my theatre experience. It is the real deal. No stop-start-do-it-again-take-two. Life-changing experience.
