On the Dark Side of the Tune

Remember the Animals’ Eric Burdon singing “Please don’t let me be misunderstood”?

The Fire Ants relate to that lyric. With song titles including “Masochistic,” “Found Body” and “P.O.B. (Puddle of Blood),” the Orange County trio has been perceived by some as a death-metal, Goth or shock-rock band.

These intense musicians do indeed draw from life’s dark underbelly with subjects that includes murder, rape, sexual ambiguity and betrayal. But where acts such as Marilyn Manson, the Misfits and Rob Zombie rely on tired, cartoonish scare tactics, the Fire Ants create honest if unsettling imagery that invites one to look within.

Before a small audience recently at the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest, the band’s show--or performance art--recalled elements of the Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and the Doors (think “Celebration of the Lizard”). Roaming from a maelstrom of cacophony to slower, more vulnerable ballads, the Fire Ants, whose latest CD is “Imaginary Friend” (Firestarter Records), offered jarring yet precise sonic shifts in tempo that defied the audience to listen passively.

According to lead singer, lyricist and bassist Skie Bender, ‘the band, which also features her husband-guitarist Kevin Jacobs and drummer Kelly Busby, wants listeners to acknowledge their frailties and discomfort.

Bender, also a poet, said she’s drawn to the dark side of the human condition because it hides our inner conflicts.

“I’m not really trying to make people uncomfortable or squirm. . . . I want our audience to open up,” she said in an interview at the Fountain Valley home she and Jacobs share. “If you’re uncomfortable, I hope it’s because you have to face yourself at times when you’d rather bury yourself.”

Said Jacobs: “It sounds like we’re alienating a lot of people, but we’re just trying to provoke everyone to know themselves a little bit better. We’re not a party band, you can’t dance to us, and we’re not for everyone. The people that are really into us tend to be part of this outside circle of introverted misfits. But they’re very sincere, loyal and really connected to the lyrics.”

Band members concede they’re purging psychological demons and are disheartened by what they call the greed and depersonalization of corporate America.

“Any anger I have is born from my frustration that there isn’t more unity among people,” Bender said.

The seeds of the Fire Ants were planted in 1987 when Bender and Jacobs met at a literary arts center in Venice. The two shared a passion for poetry and art. Bender is a painter, using primarily oil and acrylic on canvas; Jacobs does prints, drawings and assemblages. They soon began doing spoken-word shows with Jacobs on acoustic guitar and banjo.

The performances evolved into a singing duo called the Oven Mitts, which after a couple of years blossomed into an experimental, electric three-piece with the addition of Busby on drums. Changing its name to the Fire Ants, the group self-released “Self Taught” in 1996. Three much heavier albums followed: 1998’s “Coping Mechanism,” 2000’s “Indian Transvestite” EP and the new “Imaginary Friend.”

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Bender offers a glimpse into the life of the Fire Ants with a book, “The Invisible Suicide,” being released at the same time as the CD. The stream-of-con- sciousness journal mixes poetry, non sequiturs and a narrative structure to pursue topics ranging from life on the road to her father’s lifesaving kidney transplant.

Even if the Fire Ants are an acquired taste, the band members take pride in winning over those willing to digest them.

“A lot of times we say we’re just not reaching our potential,” Bender said. “It’s very discouraging to play before minuscule crowds because we feed off of their energy. . . . We’re euphoric for a week after a good, rousing show.”

Sometimes, just one fan can make a difference. Like the teenager who identified with “Stella,” the gender-bending song that closes “Indian Transvestite.”

“This kid came up to me crying after we played that song one night,” Bender said. “He said he never told anyone before that he’s a cross-dresser and that the song brought it out of him. Isolation is dreadful if you don’t have self-esteem. I think about some of the kids who don’t have a core to hold on to, and touching someone like that is what keeps our engines running.

“We view what we do as art. . . . We don’t really see ourselves as musicians, per se. Whether you’re doing poetry, sculpture, painting or making music, it’s a form of art.”

Added Jacobs: “Power chords are like our broad-stroke brush. It’s all about choosing textures for your form of self-expression, and we’re fortunate to have several different kinds--even if our essence is misunderstood now and then.”

* The Fire Ants play tonight at Linda’s Doll Hut, 107 S. Adams St., Anaheim. 9:30. $5 to $7. 21 and older. (714) 533-1286.

“I think about some of the kids who don’t have a core to hold on to, and touching someone like that is what keeps our engines running.”