Dark, Dark, Dark unabashedly labels themselves in the chamber folk genre, something they may have invented, according to banjo and clarinet player Marshall LaCount. Their songs feature banjos and accordions that mingle with clarinets and guitars creating a melancholy sound that paints the picture of gray, drizzled dawns on a run down farm. The band didn’t start off with a soft sound, quite the contrary. LaCount explains that they initially started playing on the street, which caused them to play louder and faster then they originally intended. Though this has worked in the bands favor as they now possess the ability to change gears at easy. “We have this sort of epic range of dynamics that we can use now, from quite and subtle to louder and more intense,” said LaCount. The band’s time together also helps contribute to their ability to control a song’s mood. “Four or five years of playing together is going to make anyone’s communication a lot better,” explains LaCount. Instrumentation is not the only eclectic element in the band, as its influences range from New Orleans jazz to Appalachia string bands and European folk. While this makes for a seemingly antiquated sound, Dark, Dark, Dark is anything but. The band successfully blends old-timey traditions with modern influences that lends to the bands fresh sound. “Nona has been listening to a lot of hardcore singer-songwriter stuff, but also new top 40 and more obscure stuff,” explains LaCount. “It’s diverse, personally and as a band, it’s a diverse mix.” The band’s sound comes largely from singer/piano, accordion player, Nona Marie Invie, who writes a majority of the groups material. That’s not to say that the band is a one-sided creative process. “Primarily Nona brings us the ideas right now, then we edit and arrange,” said LaCount. Despite the band’s hectic touring schedule – they played around 200 shows last year – they also find time to work with other artists, lending their musical talents to visual art projects. They are currently working on scoring a silent film for an event at the Walker Art Museum in the band’s hometown of Minneapolis. In addition, they have taken part in art installations, including a 2008 work they did at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art titled: “Being Here Is Better Than Wishing We’d Stayed,” which is a line from their song “Cloud Story.” They also built an interactive installation from salvaged materials at the Van Abee Museum in the Netherlands. This passion for art and performing is something that has always interested LaCount, even before joining the band, though he isn’t sure what he would be doing if he wasn’t playing in Dark, Dark, Dark. “I’d probably be organizing something,” said LaCount. “Though it already seems like I end up organizing things a lot.” The band will be taking time off from touring this winter to concentrate on the follow up to their critically-acclaimed 2010 records, “Wild Go” and “Bright Bright Bright.” LaCount explains that the bands approach to recording is to spend the time leading up to the session writing and composing, making the time they spend in the studio relatively short. “All of our time is spent arranging and thinking about it (a song) and hearing it outside, before it happens,” said LaCount. “Then when it’s time (to record) we feel pretty ready, though we are open to changing things in the studio, but most of the time it is ready.” The band will be performing some of their new material on the current tour, which LaCount explains is something the group feels they owe to the audience. “We’ve been on tour with ‘Wild Go’ and “Bright, Bright Bright’ for a long time and we want to keep bringing people new stuff,” said LaCount. Dark, Dark Dark will be performing their first Cleveland show in sometime on September 20 at the Grog Shop.