Metallers Fools' Brew talk about their new EP, “New Machine”!
Hello Fools' Brew, how are you guys doing? Would you mind introducing your band to our readers, as a start? We are a four-piece, beer-soaked heavy metal band consisting of Jarrett O’Cooley on vox. Diggs McNasty on guitars, Cormander on bass, and Timmy D on drums. How would you describe the metal music scene in Chicago? There is definitely a love for metal in Chicago. It seems to be a favorite destination for many big name bands that come through as the crowds are always rowdy and make them feel welcome. As far as the local scene goes, it is similar to just about any other with positives and negatives. There are a lot of really talented bands and amazing people that are incredibly supportive of each other. But it is very tight-knit and can be difficult to become a part of. You really have to work to make a name for yourself and only get out what you put in. The harder you work and the more you are present in the scene and supportive of others, the more you get in return. We have definitely felt the love from the scene and its fans as of late. And we are grateful for the opportunities we have had in our hometown. You recently unveiled your new EP, titled “New Machine”. For those who haven't heard it yet, what kind of songs can we expect on this EP? Aggressive, relentless, and catchy. We focused a lot on writing heavier and more aggressive tunes than previous releases, while still having big hooks for people to grasp onto. We pulled from some different styles of metal to create a record that is diverse but still cohesive. Above all, groove is always important for us. No matter how fast the song is, you can always nod your head along. We are always pushing ourselves as individual musicians and songwriters. So many parts are much more technically challenging than previous records. As always, we have a strong focus on being memorable. When we finished “NEW MACHINE”, it really felt like something that wasn’t any definite subsection of metal but was definitely Fools’ Brew. https://open.spotify.com/album/1n8Ws51BkSr1jPX4kkhV2m Do you have one personal favorite song on this release? If yes, which one is it and why? We honestly can’t agree on a favorite since everybody brings something to the table and ends up writing something extra into their part here or there that stands out and makes each track unique. It makes all the songs interesting and well rounded. But also makes it really difficult come time to pick and choose which to use for promo or play live. “THE PARADE” is undeniably a fan favorite and always evokes an immense amount of energy from us on stage that transcends into the crowd. “GHOSTWRITERS” has proven to be a memorable single that successfully delivers a strong statement on our opinion of the music industry. “UNBOUND” and “EXIT” really get the crowd moving. And “THE FACELESS” has one of our best grooves to date. How do you pick your “favorite child”? We’ll just go ahead and let you decide. Are you happy with the feedback you received so far from both your fans and the media? We’re very happy with the feedback for this EP. It’s definitely the most well-received and popular EP we have released so far. And we feel this has been a large success for us as a band. We’re very proud of the songs we put out and hearing positive feedback for the hardest work we’ve done so far elicits a lot of satisfaction and a great feeling of accomplishment. Our fans have sent pictures of them listening on Spotify or in their cars. And it’s a huge motivation to know how much everyone is enjoying it. We’ve also seen a lot more attention from magazines, promotion companies. And online media groups and radio stations, which has been a big help in pushing the EP to more listeners. Likes and follows on our Social Media pages continue to climb quickly and we’re grateful to have an expanding fanbase. Can we talk about the artwork of your EP? Who designed it? The title “NEW MACHINE” represents us and who we’ve become as a band. We wanted to have a symbol that really emphasized our new drive and wanted to almost rebrand ourselves. We chose a torch to represent what we felt was a change or an uprising of sorts. Something to light the way to a new destiny. We decided to make the handle of the torch a baseball bat to bring in part of our live show. At every show, we bring an empty keg on stage that we hit with a baseball bat for extra percussion/something to rile up the crowd. It’s a subtle detail we wanted in there that’s a bit of a nod to our fans that always come to see us perform. We sent some sketches to a friend in the scene, Larry Smith, who got back within a day with different designs. He did a phenomenal job and we couldn’t be happier.
The last words are for you. If you have a message for your fans, here’s your chance! We just want to say thank you to our family, our friends, and everyone who supports us and our dream. It’s humbling to know we have fans and people who care about our craft and enjoy what we pour our hearts and souls into. And we are forever grateful. We have big ambitions for this year and plan to put out new music, new videos, and new merch. We’re cranking things to 11, and we hope you’re all ready for the ride. We hope to see more and more of you getting rowdy with the Brew Crew in the pit. Stay metal.
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