After more than a decade away, I.D.K. return with “Nark 5,” a furious, Andor-inspired anthem reigniting their classic urgency while embracing collaboration, resistance, and renewed fire for a new era.
1. After
more than a decade without original material, what made now the right moment
for I.D.K. to return with “Nark 5”?
Well, as far as the
break from the action goes — life happened for all of us. Families, careers,
and other musical projects took priority for a while. The right moment came
when Fabio and Mike’s creative juices started flowing. They wrote something,
sent it over to me and the rest of the guys, and that was it. That track ended
up becoming Nark 5.
From that moment on, we slowly started getting back into it. We began gigging
again, recorded Fireman 2025, and did a cover of Black Sabbath’s Symptom of the
Universe — both of which appear on the CD version of the Nark 5 single. It just
felt like the time was right to get out there again.
2. “Nark 5” is inspired by Star Wars: Andor. What was it about the prison
arc that resonated so deeply with you?
I felt that the entire arc was such a great hopeless-to-turn-around,
defy-and-defeat-the-bad-guys type of story. Watching Cassian get through to
Kino Loy and make the prison break come to action was inspiring and very
exciting, to say the least.
3. The song tells the story from the perspectives of Cassian’s alias Keef
Girgo and Kino Loy. Why did you choose this two-character narrative structure?
Those were the key characters from the scene, of course. They were the heroes
that made it all happen. Two different people from two different worlds. They
came together and defied the odds, which in turn saved the inmates. If you know
the story, you also know a good portion, if not all, of the inmates were there
under bogus circumstances due to the corruption of the Empire.
4. Red, when writing the lyrics, how did you balance staying true to the show’s storyline while making the message universally relatable?
I’m not sure I totally made it universally relatable lol. I think the overall theme is to always have hope. Even in the darkest of situations, stay focused as much as possible, and always keep an eye out for that spark that could change everything. I think that is relatable to people who have overcome certain situations in life in general.
5. Themes of resistance, unity, and sacrifice run strongly through the track. Do you see parallels between the world of Andor and today’s social or political climate?
I absolutely do. In fact, the lyrics I started writing were more about the current real-world political climate (the working title of the song was ‘The Next Bad Thing’). We started adding more parts to the structure, and then something came over me when watching the prison break scene from Andor for the millionth time. The whole ‘One Way Out’ moment popped into my head when writing the lyrics, and that’s the direction we went with.
6. Musically, how did you translate the tension and claustrophobia of Narkina 5 into riffs, rhythm, and vocal delivery?
I think our music and style, and my vocal style, mostly comes off as having a certain urgency to it that fits the narrative and the feeling of the scene and lyrics. The ‘one way out’ shouts really pull the whole song together and cap off the whole moment and feeling we were going for in the song.
7. You’ve described “Nark 5” as an I.D.K. classic in the making. What elements of your 1990s sound are still present, and what feels newly evolved?
I think the whole sound is I.D.K. The meat of the song that Mike and Fabio came up with comes right out of the classic I.D.K. sound, yet the type of riff that Mike wrote is different from the early types of riffs that I wrote back in the day. The feeling and progression fit right in with anything from that early period. The song started out as a 2-minute quick punk blast. We added more as we felt it needed a little something added. I think it really came full circle with the addition of the intro and the outro slam part I added, along with some more nooks and crannies the guys threw in to complete the song.
8. This is your first original release since 2008. How has the band’s dynamic or creative process changed over the years?
Most of the past I.D.K. material was written by me. That was pretty much the formula, and it worked. This time we all collaborated, which I personally think led to something more, in a sense that completes the process and helps give more than just the single vision we’ve always mostly been.
9. The single will be released via Scorpion Records. How did this partnership come about, and what does it mean for the band’s next chapter?
Scorpion is run by Scott Earth. Scott is a great guy. I’ve known him for a long time through the New Jersey scene from playing with his bands (Flat Earth Society and Silence Equals Death). He’s been a staple in the New Jersey Hardcore scene going as far back as I can remember. He’s a very well rounded guy. He understands the deal. He did a great job with the Ripface Invasion project I was a part of before this I.D.K. relaunch, so it only made sense to work with Scorpion again.
10. You’ve teamed up with Stone Fisted Production for the official music video. What can fans expect visually from the “Nark 5” video?
This is going to be great. Nedd Jacobs from Stone Fisted knows his stuff. It’s an honor to have him and Stone Fisted aboard. We have a bunch of friends who helped with this as well. The video is basic performance by us blended in with the concept of the song’s story. It should be fun for sure!
11. Does “Nark 5” hint at the broader themes or sonic direction of the upcoming 2026 EP?
Not sure lol. We are currently writing new material, kind of picking up where Nark 5 left off, so I guess that may hint at things direction‑wise.
12. After decades in the punk rock scene, what still fuels I.D.K.’s urgency and fire when stepping into the studio or onto the stage?
Real life. There is always something going on that puts us in situations where we really need to express ourselves through the music. We always need an outlet, and I.D.K. is the perfect vehicle for that.
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