Durkmoose is the professional name of lifelong friends and songwriting partners, Aaron Pickett (bass) and Thomas Hooker (guitars, synths). Originally from Indianapolis, the two first played together in a band in high school. Life ultimately led them far from Indiana, but the two remained close.
A few years ago, fate brought them both to Texas for a short time. Occasional jam sessions and a particularly inspiring A Perfect Circle concert ultimately inspired them to get serious about their music. Durkmoose was born. However, Pickett eventually moved to Albuquerque, NM and to Hooker to Portland, OR. Undaunted, they collaborated across the information superhighway.
Hill Controlled was the debut EP from Durkmoose, released on September 11, 2020. The five song collection introduced a raw, organic, and cinematic instrumental rock vibe. From the percussive lo-fi grunge of tracks like “Bullet in the Head” and “Fail”, to the gothic beauty of “Delirium” and “Scrape Tree”, Durkmoose creates a dark, heavy, and emotionally nuanced sound that lands somewhere between Mountain and Nirvana.
They followed in 2022 with the two-track EP, Deuces. The record is slightly more experimental than its predecessor, but still lives in an organic world. The band never ceases to find new ways to conjure emotion from their analog components. “Year of Tiger ” opens on ambient keys and the surreal sound of a watery tremolo piano. As the 6:19 song progresses, Hooker and Pickett take listeners through big swampy riff-rock jams and spaced-out Bowie-style psychedelia. “Neurilemma ” follows, building from a quiet acoustic intro to a grungy guitar & drum jam.
Check out Durkmoose’s music below, or listen on your favorite streaming service. You can also hear the track “Neurilemma” on the Deep Dive : Pop & Rock playlist. Follow the links below to connect, and get in the loop on all of the music to come from this groundbreaking duo.