1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Chicago. 3 guitars. 3 voices. 1 synth. 1 bass. 1 drummer. We write what we feel. No
genre, just heavy. We enjoy pushing the boundaries of what is heavy music. We enjoy
each others company. We enjoy having babies.
2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Heavy. Not heavy metal, not heavy doom or doom or stoner/doom/sludge/electro
pop/doom, it’s just heavy. To put labels or genres or subgenres or sub subgenres on your
own band is pointless. In this band we all come from different musical backgrounds and I
believe that shows in our music. I write what I would like to hear, I’m not really sure what
that is on any given day, but in my opinion, it will sound heavy.
3.The band uses 3 guitars, do you feel this makes the music sound a lot more powerful?
Fuck yeah. If we practice and one of the guitarist (Chase) isn’t there, there is a noticeable
difference. You may say, “no shit, of course because you only have 2 guitars, not 3.” It’s
more than that. Just the presence of 6 people coming together to create one huge piece of
music that just rolls on. It’s massive. My first thought about having 3 guitarist was that we
could do a bunch of crazy duel melodies or be able to have 3 guys playing off each other,
playing different things. As we started working together it seemed that just the pure power
and feel of 3 guitars, most times playing the same/similar thing, was pure excellence.
Fucking heavy. You can feel that air pushing.
4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with
the music?
On the earlier stuff it was whatever. I was just creating words and phrases that worked with
the music. I had never really done vocals and played at the same time, so it was out of
necessity to make shit as easy as possible. Over the last year we’ve been trying to push
the vocals to a new level. We’re putting as much thought and creativity into the words and
phrasing as the music. Usually, what I feel that makes or breaks a band for me are the
vocals. Are they doing something interesting or just the same ol’ scream/grumble/blah
bullshit? Yeah, I do some of that too, because I like the way it sounds, but at the same time
we do a lot of other stuff with the 2 other voices in the band. As for the content of the
vocals, I see people as such a small insignificant part of what is going on in the universe.
You must realize how powerful every action of everything is, not just you, how powerful that
reaction will be and so on. Look up and feel tiny. Open your eyes and your mind and then
try to bitch about your white people problems.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cokegoat'?
I could say, “we are all animals, each one of us are drugged out on media/prescription
drugs/caffeine/iWhatever/social media/fast food/etc…” or I could say, “Who wouldn’t what
to see a goat fucked out of his mind on blow? Seriously? That would be one hell of a
party.” I’ll go with the latter.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would
you describe your stage performance?
I’ve said it before, Chicago has a wonderful heavy music scene. We’ve have had the
privilege of sharing the stage with Church of Misery, Jucifer, Electric Hawk, Indian, Order of
the Owl to name a few. We always come prepared to bring a well executed, thick, heavy,
high energy good time. Just check out our drummer at the next show. Dude plays like he’s
going to cut your face off, roll it up and smoke it.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Right now we are writing for our follow up, and having babies. We are in a really good
writing groove right now. I’d hate to disrupt that with any huge plans. We have a few
awesome shows coming up late spring in Chicago. We are working on doing some long
weekends in the summer. I’m not sure how much of a touring band we will be. Most of us
are on the wrong side of 30. The far wrong side. We’d all like to do a couple weeks here
and there National Lampoon’s European Vacation style. I’d like to get some support and
have someone help us with booking. Make it worth everyone’s while.
8.Recently The Path Less Traveled has reissued your self released 2013 album, where
you satisfied with the final results?
Definitely. Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos) at Bricktop Recording here in Chicago did a
wonderful job. From start to finish. The guy knows his stuff in the studio, with electronics,
and has a wonderful knowledge of all things music. It was relaxed and a great time
hanging out with the guy. We knew what we wanted it to sound like going in and we
accomplished that. Tattooer Max Brown did a great job with the album artwork. I had a few
conversations with him about it and he just ran with it. We decided to go with a more DIY
approach with the jackets/inserts. Josh Davis at Deadmeat Designs printed and scored
everything for us, we then, as a band, assembled each jacket and stuffed the inserts and
records. You can’t beat 180 gram vinyl.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, doom
and stoner metal?
The reviews from North America have been great. The European reviews have been
soso, or maybe Google translator is broken. But whatever, I’m just happy people are
listening and describing our music to someone that might have never heard of us. I really
don’t care if they slam the record and call it the biggest piece of shit since the last Kix
record. As long as they describe it honestly, compare it to stuff and throw the links up, I’m
good. Let the public make their own decision. There’s been many times I’ve been turned
on to bands by a writer who just describes what he/she is hearing, calling it shitty the whole
time, but just the description will get me to check it out.
10.Where do you see the band heading into music wise during the future?
It’s hard to say. I’m not even sure where each individual song is headed. This is one of the
great things about this band, unpredictability when it comes to songs. I do want to keep
pushing our vocals, always keeping it fresh and interesting. We will keep it heavy, I can
see that in our crystal ball.
11.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and
also what are you listening to nowadays?
I’ve asked the whole band to answer this question.
Ed Nudd/guitar/vocals:
INFLUENCES: Agalloch, Opeth, Paradise Lost, Cynic and Rush.
LISTENING TO: the new Cynic and the new Alcest album (fucking awesome). I just
finished "Lord of Chaos" last week, the book about black metal and the church burnings in
Norway, so I've been dabbling in a bit of first and secondwave black metal too, Beherit,
Bathory, Ulver, Burzum. Also Chicago locals Murmur and Bongripper
Chase Bentley/guitar:
INFLUENCES: Shudder To Think , Helmet, Mushuggah, Don Caballero , Thin Lizzy, King
Crimson, anything mathy.
LISTENING TO: Velvet Underground, Coffinworm, Gorguts, The Atlas Moth, Genesis King
crimson, Killing joke.
Jordan Schultz/drums:
INFLUENCES: Shudder To Think, Keelhaul, Kayo Dot, Kylesa, High on Fire, Crimson, Thin
Lizzy, Drive like Jehu, Don cab, Helmet.
LISTENING TO: Talking Heads, Swervedriver, Earth (Bees made honey in the lion's skull),
Joy Division
Rebekah Brown/synth/vocals:
INFLUENCES: Rush, Doors, Norman Greenbaum, Kinks, Carol King, Jim Croce.
LISTENING TO: Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Seger System, Cal Tjader, White noise maker
for baby Ocean sound.
Tim Baldwin/bass:
INFLUENCES: Mercyful Fate, Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, Coltrane, Miles Davis, Harold
Budd, Yes, Thrones, Earth, Sunn, some punk stuff.
LISTENING TO: High Spirits, Yob, Willie Nelson, Stars of the Lid. Oh and Manilla Road.
And Inquisition.
Jeff Wojtysiak:
For me, growing up in the 80’s listening Black Sabbath, Metallica and Slayer had a huge
influence on me. Plus bands like Queen and Yes. Then in the mid 90s it was stuff like
Tortoise, Don Caballero, The Fucking Champs, King Crimson and Trans Am. Stuff that
has been catching my ear as of recent and have an influence nowadays are the new
Murmur, Coffinworm, Kayo Dot, Helm’s Alee, Stomach Earth, The Atlas Moth, Slomatics
and Pallbearer to name a few.
12. What are some of your non musical instruments?
I whistle a lot. I’m horrible at it but I still do it. I’m not even sure I know how to do it, but a
sound does come out. I also like making this synth static noise with my mouth. Kinda like
the sound in “Frankenstein” that leads into the drum solo. I think that might just be a
nervous tick though.
13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Based on our first album, our first 8 songs, we are really excited to witness the progression
of this band. I say that as if Cokegoat is an entity that has its own mind and soul. The new
stuff we have written is the new standard, and we will keep raising the bar with each new
song and each new recording. We don’t plan on getting locked into a “sound” or a genre. I
really hope people will take this journey with us, keep an open mind and listen to what the
future will offer.
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