Norma Jean [1 of 4]
4 the next 4 weeks we are releasing quarter portions of the 8,481 words transcribed from the interviews with Norma Jean drummer Daniel Davison and vocalist Cory Brandan.
Part One (2,114 words):
NORMA JEAN is:
Chris Day aka "Derr" (guitar)
Daniel Davison (drums)
Jake Schultz (bass) -- replacing Josh Doolittle
Scottie Henry (guitar)
Cory Brandan (vocalist) -- replacing Josh Scogin
Quotes from Daniel Davison’s cover-story interview:
We’ve been in Seattle for the last month, I guess. We have another week. It’s been going really good. I couldn’t be any more happier with the outcome so far. We’re pretty much finished. Today’s our last actual day of recording. I’m just doing like, little, adding guitar parts and harmonies and backup vocals and noise and that kind of stuff. We just moved over to this. We’re currently at … This is the last studio we’re going to be at, where we’ve been at four different studios, and some of the nicest studios in Seattle. The one we’re at right now, it’s called Robert Lang Studios and it’s, like, where Nirvana did their last sessions of recording and the first Foo Fighters record was done here. Just tons of amazing bands have been here, so I’m real happy to be here.
How easy is it to translate the media from place to place? Like, back in the old days, the 2-inch tape wouldn’t always sound the same.
Yeah, this is all on Pro-Tools, so we just have our own hard drives that … It’s as easy as taking the hard drive and hooking it up to this other computer. It’s pretty smooth.
Briefly describe the last two years in the life of norma jean -- the band.
Whoa! I don’t even know if that’s something that can happen briefly, but I’ll do my best. I guess it might be best to start out the summer of 2002. I guess it’s been about two and a half years, but that’s probably the best place to pick up. Because that’s when we… We were out on tour all summer and at the beginning of that summer, or late spring, early summer of 2002, we went up to Massachusetts and recorded Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child and then straight from the studio went out to tour for pretty much all summer. We were on tour with a couple of different bands, like Eighteen Visions and Every Time I Die and Bleeding Through and Hopesfall and just a bunch of bands. But that summer kind of opened us up to a whole new audience and a whole new fanbase, as far as going on tour with bigger non-Christian hardcore bands, which is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. We finally got to and it went really, really well in every way possible. It was amazing. Like, ministry and just for the band itself. The band was growing and a lot of ministry was taking place.
So that summer was pretty awesome. Things were going really, really good. At the end of that summer, in August, our singer, Josh, and our bass player, Josh Doolittle – they both left the band, like unexpectedly. And it wasn’t anything like… There was no bad blood or anything. They just felt like their time with the band and the ministry there was up. They were supposed to move on with their life. So, we couldn’t argue with that. But Chris and Scottie and I (some people call Chris “Derr.” That’s what he’s kind of been known as for the last couple of years.) But us three knew that we were supposed to continue on by whatever means. We really didn’t know at that point, but we knew we should... We ended up doing a tour, starting a tour that fall with some friends of ours just filling in. That went really well up until, like, one of our dudes got hurt and had to go home. So we just ended up going home from that tour.
A brief summary of the last two years: We had a guy named Brad singing for us for about a year. That went well. We did several tours and things were doing really good. The record was selling really great. Things couldn’t really… Not too much was going wrong. We were really happy and everything was going really good. And we were with him for about a year. And then, when we got seriously thinking about writing and stuff for our next record and started talking with him, we just decided it wasn’t going to work out for us to continue on with Brad as the singer. Like, just creative differences, I guess. Like, musical and style differences. But again, there was no bad blood. But yet again we were without a singer. In the midst of all that, we got a kid named Jake to play bass for us, who’s still playing bass for us and we love him so much. So, we were without a singer again, and this was in January of 2004.
Yet again we were thinking and praying about who we should ask and who God would, like, lead us to and stuff. We had a tour booked for Europe for February. We called our friend Cory Putman, who used to play in Eso Charis and Living Sacrifice. We have just known him from touring and playing shows with his band or whatever. So, we asked him if he would fill in for Europe, and he said yes. He came with us and it was really, really good. While we were over there, we just talked to him and didn’t ask him if he’d be in the band, but we were like… We definitely told him that we were thinking about it and if he’d pray about it. We all felt really good about it, so he is our singer. And he’s recording with us right now. So, it’s been a pretty crazy last couple years, but I can’t really complain, because, I mean, it seems like most bands would just kind of fall apart or just decide it’s too hard or quit or whatever. Maybe not, I don’t know. But there’s definitely been a lot of ups and downs, but somehow… I mean, obviously, through God, we’ve really come out on top in all those situations, so it’s all good.
NEXT PAGE
All Pages | 1 | 2
Return to Internet Exclusives
Comments
i love norma jean this band gives me hope for all those saved kids out there that are into hardcore. i think that god is really working through this band......you guys should play in memphis... no for real you should
wow... that shows me even more how amazing the jean is.. you guys are CrazY! keep god first always! you guys are ganna go far!
Wow, I love the new album. It's great to find out how it all came together and what's been going on post-Scogin/Doolittle. Please come and do Minneapolis guys.
amen... ahk.. can't wait for the next page! i don't know who's who though (in the pics). someone please email me and tell me - i'm so confuzzled.
btw - O' God is a blessing to my ears.
mG
i love norma jean
who cares about norma jean. Head from Korn is a christian and is now out of Korn. thats history folks. HM do a cover up on that story.
ok to begin with nothing is better than Norma Jean without those guys i don't honestly think i can say i would still be here alive! They made me realize who I was and to live for another day. God really came through from them and still shines through them throughly to Norma Jean thank you for everything you've given all of us and hopefully one day we can give it all back!!!!
Fuckin Norma Jean kicks ass
check out my band at myspace.com/lenna
Norma Jean puts on one of the best live shows I've ever seen. There music is so much more different then any other band I listen to. There so creative with their sound and lyrics. One of my favorite bands. I just started listening to them a few months back and went to their tour with Atreyu, Unearth, and Scars of Tomorrow. Best Show I've ever been too. Check them out!
Dude show this weekend come see
Norma Jean, what more to say? they r awsome, but there first cd is better. it was recorded live in a studio setting. I love it.
I've just gotten into the Jean, and Im so very glad I did. Every time I listen to the new album, I go to a place of euphoria. They truly are a gift from God to all us hardcore kids trying to stay true to our faith. God Bless you NJ- COME TO FLA!!
