How did we get here?: Darwin Keüp

I chatted with Darwin about growing up in a cornfield, the wonders of Pittsburgh, breaking lights with a skateboard, putting a bass through a wall, the C-U music scene and more. As luck would have it I also recorded this chat, and it happend to be in interview format. Fancy that.JT: First question. Can you just kind of list off all the musical things you're involved in?DK: I play bass in Hank. I play bass in Barrowe. I had a solo project called Channel, which was just kind of an ambient noise-type thing. And, yeah. Playing-wise, that's really all I do. Channel I don't even mess around with anymore, so it's really just Hank. and Barrowe right now.JT: How long have you been living here?DK: I'm originally from up north, from a small town called Ashkum. I think I came here when I was 21, so about five years ago.JT: How did you get into the music scene here?DK: Um, well it's kinda weird, man. One of my good friends Matt Arnold (he goes by the name Pogo now) I've just known him forever, and I moved to Champaign like I said five years ago just because why not? I was living in Kankakee at the time, and I had nothing else going on so I could pick up and move. So I came down here, and Pogo was in a band called The Diamond Stretch, which had a small spazz-core thing going on. I was living at 88 West, and then I got kicked out of 88 West because I got drunk one night and smashed all the extra lights with my skateboard. They kicked me out, and I moved in with a group of people. I moved in with some douche bags, but I moved in with a friend of mine, Nick Brannick. Nick Brannick was in The Diamond Stretch along with Pogo. Well it was such a horrible house that Nick Brannick moved out, and then I followed suit very soon because it was just a trash-ball, there were parties going on every day. I mean I'm down to kick it, but Jesus fucking Christ man. The place was nice, it was just bad people. So, he moved into a house called Error House, which used to book shows. It wasn't one of the first house shows in Champaign, but it was one of the most predominant ones, and that's how I learned about DIY touring bands.DK: I've been playing bass since I was fourteen. I was really big into Green Day.JT: Who wasn't at fourteen?DK: Yeah, seriously. Actually, I was so into them that they had a fan club called “The Idiot Club,” and they picked me to be Idiot of the Month for May 2001. I was fourteen when I did that.DK: But I saved up a bunch of recycling cans, and I took it to a recyclable, got the money, and me and my step-dad took a trip to New Orleans, and I bought my first bass in New Orleans at a pawn shop for like 120 bucks. And, you know, I beat the shit out of it. I put that thing through a wall once. I beat the hell out it, but I learned how to play bass.JT: Why did you decide to buy the first bass?DK: I don't know, I just wanted to be a bass player, and I just saw this bass. It just felt right to play, and it was also in my price range. I thought “Man, I could do this.” I used to take this thing apart and, like, clean it. I used to treat it like it was my rifle in Vietnam. I named it. I think I just named it Brownie. The pickups actually didn't have springs in them like most pickups do. They just had paper just jammed under them to hold them up, and they were actually news clippings from Kankakee in it. I was like 'no fucking way,' this bass from Kankakee somehow made it to New Orleans, I bought it and came back, so it's kinda meant to be I guess.JT: That's crazy. What's your best story or favorite part of having to do with the music scene?DK: Honestly, playing music just feels great, man. There's nothing better than playing a great show. It's just a good feeling about it, that people enjoy what I'm able to do, and people remember me. It just feels good to be in front of people doing what I like and having people cheer me on. It's just kind of a big ego boost I guess. I get to travel, too. That's another great thing. I've seen a good chunk of this country, and I didn't have to spend a dime. I was raised on a farm in Ashkum. My closest neighbor was like a quarter mile away. I didn't get to see anything. Maybe when I looked out my window I could probably see a good four miles, but lord knows when I was on the ground the corn was up, I couldn't see past that.DK: I knew I'm too lazy to join the army. Too stupid to be a scholar. It's the only thing I felt like doing. I didn't want to be one of those farmer boys who just took over the fields.JT: Going on that, what's the coolest place you've toured to?DK: We played in Pittsburgh, and driving through the tunnel, and you just burst into Pittsburgh, it's one of the most breathtaking things I've done in my life. It's a dark tunnel for what seems like twenty fucking miles, and you just see the little pinhole get bigger, and you just burst into Pittsburgh. It's fucking breathtaking.JT: That's really cool. The last question I have is what do you think is in store for the future?DK: I don't know. Honestly, I just want to play. I'm thinking of just devoting my life to being a touring musician. Kind of being a gun for hire if you will. Maybe learning how to do studio stuff and being a studio bass player. I just want to be able to play with people because sitting at home playing Halo is fun and all, but you just don't get the same feeling out of going out and playing. It's something completely different.JT: Do you plan on sticking around Champaign for a little bit longer?DK: Yeah, this is my homebase, man. Right now I've got a good thing going on for me. I've got a great band. I've got a good job that lets me take off a month if I need to. As long as I'm able to go out and play I think I'll stay here for a while.JT: Great! That's about all I've got for you. Thanks a lot for the interview.