Josh Campbell From Dark Below Has A Chat With Metallicougar

Posted on July 18, 2023 in News // 0 Comments

Photo CREDIT: Christine Nickle

Watch Video by Tyler Gramke Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP_iRiTJ6-I

Dark Below has a new single “Make Believe” roaring through the music world. I had to have a sit down with the band’s Josh Campbell and see what they are all about. He’s charismatic and friendly. He doesn’t mind spending time discussing what Dark Below has been up to.

Josh also tells a great story. So, rather than write my usual style, I’m dropping the interview transcript so everyone can enjoy it.

So tell me a little bit about everything. I know that you’re from Columbia, MO. The current lineups been together since 2016, you know, all the basic rundown. So I’m just going to let you talk and then when I have a follow-up question that’s not already addressed, I’ll hit you with it.

“ As you said, We’ve been together since 2016 with the current lineup. We originally just played around the Columbia (Missouri) area for a while. We were called Down Phase, but when we started working with producer Malcolm Springer (Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Fear Factory, Josey Scott) and Jason Schrick of JPS Productions things kind of went to the next level. We put out an EP – and Malcolm told us “The name Down Phase sucks – You’ve got to come up with a new name”. He said “You the kind of guy who writes lyrics with darker meanings…. But you just don’t look like that kind of guy”. That’s where the DARK in Dark Below idea first came from. In 2016 Quin joined the band and this current lineup started playing shows and wrote together. It took us a while to gel and develop – we worked on ourselves for a couple of years. We starting getting better and the band chemistry grew – so in 2020 we went to Nashville and started recording songs with Jason and Malcolm again. We were going to do another EP – but when we got down there and started writing more with them, everything went really well and everything came together more easily than the past – we were really happy with what we had. So we decided to do a full length record and we spent about 16 months on it. Meanwhile – we still have regular day jobs – so we would travel to Nashville on the weekends when we got time. We got hooked up with Ed Bunker – who is a PR and Marketing guy and Eric Baker who promotes to Active Rock radio. Those guys really started getting our name out there when we released our first single “Tense” in 2022. And we followed that up with “Hate Being Human” last fall and now we’re on to “Make Believe” and things are looking up. We’ve gotten more Press, more Playlist adds and more radio & video looks than we’ve ever gotten before – it shows the power of patience and persistence”

I know and I love Ed. Ed is just a good person.

“Oh, he’s awesome. We’ve been working with him for almost a year and a half. He’s been telling us that it takes time and being consistent and grinding it out. He’s a no bullshit kind of guy, he’s real and he’s honest. He knows what he’s talking about. “

So tell me the story behind the Craigslist post in putting the band together – I want to hear the story.

“I decided I wanted to start a band after I saw Chevelle play in Columbia when I was in college but it took me a while to really commit to it. After seeing those guys and just seeing how awesome they were – I was like, you know what? This is possible – I’ve just got to find some people. I worked on some songs and then I ended up making this post on Craigslist. It said I’m starting a Hard Rock band and I’m looking for local players to join. I never had any intention of being the singer with the band – I just wanted to play guitar. And pretty much the only response I got was from this guy named Brett who was our original drummer, so I sent him what I had. He said Yeah, man – come over and jam. He gives me an address in Columbia and I go. He lives with his dad and I’m walking into the basement of some house and I really don’t know where I’m going and it’s like God knows what could happen in here. (Laughs ) I walked in and I met Brett and that was how the band started. It was in his basement, just the two of us. We tried to find a singer, but couldn’t find anyone. As far as bass players go, we didn’t have much luck there either. But one of his buddies was over there one day just kind of hanging out while we were playing. He’s like, well, I play guitar – I’m not great, but I can play a little bit. I said I’ve got a bass – here you go, learn how to play this thing. That that guy was Josh Grove. He’s been our bass player ever since then. That was the beginning – it started out just for fun through a Craigslist ad. “

That is actually a great story. It’s so cool to just hear, hey, we just fell into these positions. But it works. I’m going to get all metaphysical on you. The universe does its thing: If it’s supposed to happen, it’s going to happen.

“Yeah, it’s crazy how some things play out because like I said, I never wanted to sing at all. We tried to find somebody else that could sing. We finally got to the point where it’s like, if you don’t do it, we’re just not gonna ever play because we’re not gonna find anybody. So I decided I guess I’ll do it! I enjoy it now, but back then that was the furthest thing from my mind, wanting to do it all.”

Right. I was going to tell you, I did listen to everything, you know. So I had a little rough idea of what you sounded like and I think you’re in the right place. I think you’re supposed to be doing it, I’m just saying.

“Thank You. “

This is my follow-up question that I’ve warned you about. Are you ever going to just step from behind the guitar and just be a singer? Or you happily married to the instrument as well?

“Honestly, you sound like our manager. He said the same thing to me before, let’s do a couple of songs and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work well, you could step away. We have used another guitar player before, so that would have been possible. But honestly, I am pretty married to the instrument, and I think I would feel naked up there if I just had to sing. I wouldn’t even know how to behave without my guitar to work with live”

I noticed you’re going out with Scotty Austin in September. Do you have anything in between?

“We just did a local show at our favorite hometown venue, Rose Music Hall. Right now we’re in the process of booking some more stuff for later this summer and then we have dates in the fall – we’re going out with Scotty Austin and we’re also playing some shows with Rehab.”

Dark Below – Tour Dates:

Friday, 9/15 – The Majestic – Fort Smith, AR (w/Rehab)

Saturday, 9/16 – Foxhouse Bar & Grill – Palestine, TX (W/Rehab)

Friday, 9/22 – Sam’s Place – Crowley, LA (W/Scotty Austin)

Saturday, 9/23 – Fat Daddys – Mansfield, TX (W/Scotty Austin)

Sunday, 9/24 – The Deadhorse – San Angelo, TX (W/Scotty Austin)

Saturday, 10/7 – Mulligan’s Bar – Owensboro, KY