As their second album debuts at #2 on the ARIA Chart, Cog prove how far an independent rock band can travel when you work your guts out. After recording again in America with Sylvia Massy, the trio are now touring the country in support of their new record, Sharing Space. Noah Cross spoke to vocalist Flynn Gower.
What do you enjoy about being an independent band?
The creative control is the primary factor. We’re borderline control freaks. We’re very stubborn and almost pig-headed. We want to do things our way. We don’t always want an economic rational to govern the decision-making process.
Are the three of you generally on the same page, creatively?
Yeah, for the most part. I think that’s why we started the band in the first place. We’re individuals, but we have common interests.
What would you do if a major label offered you an amazing deal?
We’d probably say no. A lot of it would depend on the deal and what they were putting on the table. We’re not vehemently opposed to it, but at this point in time I don’t think the majors have got a lot to offer. I think that’s reflected in the music industry at the moment.
Has Cog embraced the online and digital avenues that bands have now?
Yes, as much as we can. We’ve been doing it for quite a while. The deal we have with our independent label [Difrnt] is not an actual ‘360 [degree] deal’ – you hear some talk of these ‘360 deals’, where as ours is more of a ‘270 [degree] deal’. What’s happening is that the major labels have lost so much money from declining sales, because of what’s happening with the internet, that they’re looking at [band] managers and saying to themselves, ‘Well, if managers get 20% of all income streams, why can’t a record label? They’re involved in the whole process just as much as a manager probably is. Hence the 360 deal, where a record company will not only get a portion of the recording royalties, and publishing royalties, but they’ll also get merchandise royalties and even ticket sales. I think [Cog] kind of pioneered that in Australia with the former head of our label, Paul Krige, who was the first man to sign a deal of that nature here, which is awesome. We’re really happy with the arrangement that we have.
You went to Weed in California to record with Sylvia Massy – what were your impressions of that town?
It was our second time there, so it was easy to slot in because we knew what we were in for. We really enjoyed it, because there was no distractions whatsoever. There’s a lot of clean air and it’s a great place to really get stuck into the music, which is what we were there for.
What is the town of Weed like?
Weed was a lumber town that hit its peak around 1940 or 1950, and now it’s become mostly decrepit. Over 50% of the population, which is only three or four thousand, are unemployed and there’s an ice epidemic within the white community and a crack epidemic within the black community. There were a lot of troubles in the town, with people living on or below the poverty line – and not too happy about it.
As this was your second time, what do you like about working with Sylvia Massy?
I think her greatest asset is her studio and the equipment she has in there. She has an unbelievable array of vintage gear. Also, the engineers that she employs are top notch and really know their stuff. Syliva can be very easy to work with and is very diplomatic. She’s had an incredible career and is without a doubt the biggest female producer in the world. She’s worked with not only Tool and System Of A Down, but also Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Prince. Sylvia learned what she knows by working under Rick Rubin, who is arguably the best producer in the world at the moment.
Did you want Sharing Space to be very different to your first album The New Normal?
For sure. For a start, we wanted it to sound different to, The New Normal. That might sound funny, considering that we did go back to the same studio and the same producer. But, even so, we didn’t want The New Normal Part Two, we wanted an album that explored new territory, in terms of the songwriting and the lyrical content. That was our goal.
Why did you feel that Sharing Space was the most appropriate name for the album?
Well, I suppose on a micro level, that’s what we were doing. The three of us were locked in a series of rooms, seven days a week for ten months. But on a macro level, the universe is a space which a whole variety of sentient beings exist in, and we have to share it. The greatest thing about the title is that it can be applied in so many different ways.
Ten months is a long time to record – why did it take so long?
The length of time seems ridiculous, but funnily enough we were racing the whole time. For the duration of our whole trip we were under the gun, just pushing and pushing to get to the finish line. Initially the project was going to take about five months and it ended up taking closer to ten. We were only going to write for one month, but we ended up writing for four. There’s different reasons for that, but I won’t go into them.
Cog perform at Newcastle Panthers on Friday May 30. Sharing Space is out now.
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