Job For A Cowboy's bassist Nick Schendzielos spoke to me about the band's upcoming third full-length release "Demonocracy" and the different approach it’s taken since the lineup change and what else we can expect from these guys in the upcoming tours, DVD release, and so much more!
1. For the people who aren't familiar with Job For A Cowboy what would you say to get people interested?
Nick: I would say that if you’re into extreme technical heavy metal give us a listen. In particular this new record is pretty involved record as far as techno death metal goes lots of stuff to keep coming back to again and again. It’s definitely one of those records where you can’t take it in all at once you have to listen to it more than once for it to all sink in.
2. How does it feel to have recorded and about to release your third album?
Nick: It feels good I’ve been in the band for a year now so I’m fairly new so this album is more involved and represents what and who the band is now and personally it’s my best bass work I’ve done on a metal release so I’m really excited for people to hear it and hear what they have to say about it.
3. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Nick: Yeah it’s a very political themed record lyrically especially, because you look at the fate of the world of today and it’s not the perfect world ya know? I feel like it’s a responsibility to have and for us being such a big band as we are and able to reach out to the people and get our big foot print involved it’s like our responsibility to get the message out there. Jonny’s history of the band and political involvement and reality of the world we live in really goes onto this release. It’s a grim picture with the level of controls and implement and the ties into government and our fate of freedom so it’s a very political themed record and injustices that exist today. Yeah it is pretty cool because you get to read the lyrics to the song and listen to it too so it gets the image out there. It’s not just the music it’s about the world in it too.
4. How would you describe the overall sound of the new album? How does it compare to Ruination?
Nick: I would say this record overall sound is a lot more aggressive, a lot faster, a lot heavier, and more musically advanced than the previous records.
5. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this album?
Nick: I think everybody in the band wonder what was going to happen with the sound since with the lineup changes and having myself and Tony being new to the band we wanted to be more technical and be able to show our playing abilities and overall just show people that there’s a different change as far as playing and an upgrade to showcase.
6. When did you start writing for this album? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous Job for a Cowboy albums?
Nick: They started writing for this when everybody went home after the tour with Between The Buried and Me and the Gloom release, Tony and Al are closer to each other in Massachusetts so they created the back bone of all the songs and the initial efforts of the songs and made those on MP3 and handled it all out on GuitarPro and send them to each other and tell each other what we thought so then we went into the studio laid down the drum tracks and then guitar, lead, rhythm and vocals. So it was written differently than traditional styled since every one of us lives in different places.
7. What advice would you give to bands that are just starting out?
Nick: I would say probably first and foremost get your technical stuff handled first and everything else will fall into place as you go. Be able to play your instruments first in front of people and have that DIY attitude and have reliable transportation, trailer, gear someone that can handle accounting and all that stuff. Just people who are able to commit and baking soda I would stock up on a lot of baking soda.
8. How would you rate your and the band’s performance ability overall?
Nick: Personally well it’s weird to put yourself on a personal performance level because I’ve never done anything as a solo artist, but I did come from a band called Cephalic Carnage and learned a lot from those guys and how to put on a show. Putting on a show and fooling around and getting into it you can’t just sit there and it may work for some bands but you need to feel the energy. You just need to be able to put on a good show and get the crowd entertained.
9. How would you describe a Job for a Cowboy show?
Nick: I would say aggressive, very loud, and centric and I think the reason people like this music is because it’s an expression and a release. It’s just fun to crack up bands like Metallica and Pantera we’re hoping to get out that emotional level and releasing people.
10. What type of headbanging do you and the guys prefer to do?
Nick: That’s an interesting thing I never had long hair before so I’ve wanted to have it so I could headbang with less the effort. I had someone tell me that you need to get more of your body involved than just your head and neck and get your upper body moving because you can mess up your neck. Who knows what’s going to happen to all of these headbangers out there, from a crowd perspective I like the crazier the better.
11. How many band t-shirts are in your personal collection?
Nick: That’s a really funny question no one has ever asked me that before I probably have about 300 to 400 black t-shirts from bands. Whenever you tour with someone you always get a shirt you like if not a few. It can add up pretty quick with all of the touring happening.
12. Is there anything else we can expect to see from you guys?
Nick: Definitely touring, got a video coming out off the new record, and get a DVD put together or a behind the scenes type of stuff because we’re a goofy band when out on tour and we want to show that side of us and see what our personality type is getting who we are out there.
