My name is Cory Brandan. I am the vocalist for Norma Jean. Most people may not know this, but I also write a lot for Norma Jean and have played guitar on almost every song, on every record since I joined in 2004. Norma Jean has six full length records. We’ve been on tours like Ozfest, Warped Tour, Mayhem Festival. We’ve recorded with producers like Ross Robinson, Matt Bayles, Jeremy Griffith. We love music, The South, BBQ, fireworks, God, life.
Congrats on the new album, Wrongdoers. How have the reactions been so far?
It’s been amazing. You never know what to expect, but we couldn’t be happier.
How was the buildup to the release? Did you feel any pressure to come out with something the fans would love seeing as you took the time to make sure it wasn’t rushed?
Of course. We always feel that kind of pressure. It’s not a bad thing, though. It helps us to push ourselves to make something we’ll be proud of.
What’s the most memorable moment from being in the studio recording Wrongdoers?
Since we wrote for two years and recorded for two months, the most memorable moment was probably the day it was finished!! We had a lot of fun, but really we were there to work and make sure our vision was transferred to tape.
You like to alter your sound between releases, and this time around you can definitely feel a bit of your punk roots coming out. How do you think this album differs from the rest of your back catalogue?
We all grew up in the early/mid ’90s punk scene. I think we’ll always have inspiration from that. Even on the Anti-mother with songs like ‘Vipers, Snakes and Actors’, ‘Birth of the Anti Mother.’.. I think that’s when we really first started to show those roots. I think now what we’ve been able to do is effectively mix that with dark melody throughout. Other than that, I really think as far as the basic sonic recording goes, this is our best sounding record. Some of that is us wanting something new and lots of help from Josh Barber and Jeremy Griffith who recorded and mixed this record.
What were the inspirations behind the record – both musically and lyrically?
We take inspiration from a lot of different places. Some of those places aren’t necessarily musical. Sometimes it can be an emotion or just something you’ve been through. We have way too many musical inspirations to name.
Norma Jean has been at the heart of the heavy music scene for over 10 years now. Do you think the scene has changed much over the years?
Most definitely. I am starting to see a split coming out now where a lot of heavy music has gone into a new scene far from its underground roots. There are some amazing underground bands surfacing. I am very excited about this. I think there is a lot of monotony out there. I’d like to see something crash it all. That’s my personal opinion. I’m an old school guy and it’s hard for me to ignore it. There are so many places to explore with music and I don’t see very many bands doing it. It’s almost become a science at this point.
Who are some bands or artists you’re liking at the moment?
Digging a band called Metz right now. I used to love anything that came out on Sub-Pop records. They find a lot of great artists that need attention. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo is another great band and the new O’Brother record is amazing!
Earlier this year you came to Australia for the first time in five Years – how was it to finally come back?
It was great! We kind of didn’t know what to expect since we hadn’t been back in so long, but the turnouts were great and reaction was ever better.
How does Australia compare to other places in the world to tour?
It’s definitely one of our favorite places to tour. Good people that enjoy good music. It’s pretty expensive for us to come there, so as long it makes sense, we’ll keep coming.
At the risk of sounding greedy, have you got anything planned on returning some time soon?
We’re working on it for sure. Already talking to the right people to make it happen.
Given that you’re already had a massively eventful 2013 so far, what’s in store for the next 12 months?
We’ll try to stay on the road as much as possible. Maybe even write some more just for fun.
Read our album review for Wrongdoers – out now through Shock Records.
Listen to ‘Bless The Martyr’ and’ Kiss The Child’ here:
