My soundtrack for spring and summer includes something old and something new: Robbie Basho’s long out-of-print “Visions of the Country” and Peaking Lights “936”. When I first heard Basho’s album this winter, I knew I had found my summer theme song. But when I heard Peaking Lights “Tiger Eyes”, I realized this was my dark, dub-pop anti-theme to Basho’s Utopian folk. Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis (code name A.C.I.D.) of Peaking Lights kindly answered a few questions for DOMAHOKA.

Mark: How long have you been making music together?
 
Indra: We’ve been playing together since we started dating 5 years ago—first in Rahdunes in 2006, and then as Peaking Lights since 2008.

M: Besides music, what do you both love doing?

Aaron: I love listening to records and chilling, reading books, hangin’ at the beach, DJ’ing, being in nature, digging for records, making art, being with good people, traveling, cooking. When we have our little dude Mikko, I’ll probably just want to be hangin’ with him...so much to love!

I: I love a lot of what Aaron said too—being in nature, going to the beach, camping, traveling...I also dig photography, and thrifting! Until recently, Aaron and I owned a vintage clothing and record store, and we both loved the treasure hunt of finding goods for our shop. We recently sold the store, but I still love looking for cool vintage clothes and shoes for myself, and for my soon-to-be born son! Wisconsin has tons of little towns with little thrift shops run by old ladies—you can find some real gems! Vintage baby clothes are beyond adorable.

M: You moved from CA to WI, what prompted the move (if you don’t mind us asking)?

A: I had never lived outside California in the states, even though I lived in different countries, I wanted to see what it was like to live somewhere else in the U.S. I also wanted to not pay a lot for rent which was what was happening in the bay.
 
I: Yeah, I lived in San Francisco for 11 years and was ready for a change...I’m from Wisconsin and missed it a bit, I thought it could be a good place to find a cheap house to rent out in the country—which is what we ended up finding! We lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright style house in the SW “driftless” region of Wisconsin which is beautiful...rolling hills, forest, prairie, and river swimming! Unfortunately, we found it hard to make ends meet in the middle of nowhere, and moved back to city life a couple years later. Now we’re getting ready to move again—to LA! We miss the coast.

M: What’s on heavy rotation on the Peaking Lights playlist these days?

A: So much...Ranking Ann, Julian Bahula, Sons of the Soil, this pretty killer Cuban record I found recently David Le Winter, also this un-named Brazilian jazz record, Blackbeard, Randy Weston, Rufus Harley, ‘Babylon’ soundtrack (Jamaican movie), Seguida, a lot of Latin boogaloo and older Latin stuff too-- these have all been on the turntables this week, it rotates pretty constantly.

I: We also recently got a Francoise Hardy record I love! And this cool Bridget St. John 45 singing with members of Soft Machine...awesome psych folk stuff. 

M: If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A: I can’t even fathom this question, it sounds awful to listen to just one album...I think I’d just take the sounds of nature.
 
I: I have to agree with Aaron on this—really impossible to say! But nature sounds never get old.

M: What’s a favorite Peaking Lights summer dessert way up in WI?

A: :)  Homemade ice cream! And tres leches!

I: Frozen custard is a regional favorite here—it’s like ice cream only richer, creamier, and super delish! It’s made locally, with different flavors for the seasons like pumpkin pie for the fall and egg nog for the winter holidays.

M: Patti Smith or Kate Bush?

A: Patti Smith. 

I: Same.

M: What is one article of clothing you’ve worn at least a hundred times? And why?

A: I don’t have that many clothes and usually wear them into the ground, like one change a week minus chundies and sox! I only have 2 pairs of pants—uh, one pair are Cheap Mondays we got on tour last year in Sweden, the other pair are Somet jeans, super killer fancy jeans i got for DJ’ing this party for a men’s boutique in Madison called Context...obviously wear both those a lot but what takes the cake is this double jacket jam I like to rock--it’s a jean jacket, just some generic one that fits awesome, super worn in, under this lightweight overdyed German military coat. Man, I’ve been jammin’ that look since ’99!!! And still dig it!!

I: I’m 9 months pregnant right now, so there’s not too many of my beloved clothes I’ve been able to actually wear throughout this last year! But, I have an awesome 70s long white knit hooded cardigan with a colorful Nordic pattern, and big wood buttons that has seen me through this past winter! It looks a bit tighter on me now then it did last year, but it still buttons over my belly! I found that sweater in a vintage shop called Painted Bird in San Francisco, and I’ve had it for at least 5 years and it’s still one of my favorites. I’ve taken it on multiple tours too! Also I’m always wearing a pair of vintage flat brown boots—I go through at least one pair a year because I wear them to death and I’m always looking for a replacement pair!