Interview with Mike of Ark of the Covenant

Fresh off the release of their Separation EP, the band's debut release on Strike First Records, the Connecticut-based Ark of the Covenant spoke with CRR about their EP.

Christian Rock Rocks (Michael Small): Can you tell me a little about the band's past for the people who are just getting into Ark of the Covenant?
Mike Hnath (Ark of the Covenant): Well, we formed in September 2009 as a five piece playing progressive metalcore. But then our lead guitarist left not long after forming due to other obligations which we were totally fine with. So after a while and trying a few different things, we finally settled into the band we are now and have been going full force ever since.

CRR: You recently released Separation on Strike First/Facedown Records. Is there any difference between this version and the one you released last year?
Mike: Musically, it's the same EP. We got new album art for it and put the Strike First logo on it, but that's pretty much the only difference.

CRR: How have things changed for you since signing with the label?
Mike: We've gotten a lot more opportunities for shows and much more exposure since we signed to Strike First. We now have an awesome online store thanks to Facedown with a bunch of sweet merch and our EP.

CRR: Could you explain the meaning behind the songs on Separation?
Mike: Separation mainly talks about how we as Christians are separated from this world through our relationship with Jesus Christ.

CRR: Being a Christian band, do you prefer to aim your shows toward your fellow believers, or try to grab the attention of the secular crowd?
Mike: We don't really aim our show towards one crowd or the other. We just play our hearts out at every show and hope everyone, Christians or non-Christians, enjoy our show and walk away knowing that we play our music for a purpose and aren't just performers.

CRR: What can we expect from Ark of the Covenant in the remainder of 2011?
Mike: Tons of shows all over the country! We'll probably release a new song sometime in the fall. We're also coming out with a bunch of new merch that looks amazing and then we'll begin working on our full length in the winter.

CRR: What's the most rewarding thing about being in a band?
Mike: Performing live by far. It's such an amazing experience playing in front of hundreds of kids and watching them get involved by either moshing, crowd surfing, or just singing along!

CRR: When can we hear the Drowning Pool "Bodies" cover?
Mike: Haha, well I don't know where you got that from, but we still haven't decided if we are actually going to cover it or not. Maybe some day we will do a cover, but at the moment we are just focusing on playing shows and writing songs for our full length.