COOP is a heavy band from Akron, OH blending hardcore, doom and black metal.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Logan-Drums,
Marcus-Bass,
Mike-Guitar,
Zach-Vocals
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to COOP? How long has the band been around?
Logan- The bands I was in before COOP aren’t important, but I’m also in No Nature, Hook, Dead End Job and Cue Ball.
Marcus- I was in a band called 5Songs
Mike and Zach- Neither of us were in a band before COOP
Zach-COOP came around in November of 2016, but the idea to write about movies was something I started to kill time between college classes in 2014. Some of the songs on our first album were written back then even. Our current lineup was solidified in July of 2017, when Logan took over on drums.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Zach- The origin came from the TV show, Twin Peaks, I stole it from a nickname for the main character, Dale Cooper. The name has never been changed, but the original idea was to have COOP as a heavy band with an accompanying acoustic band, but I never had a name for that other project, and it never happened anyway.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Zach- Mike and Marcus write all of the guitar and bass parts. They send ideas back and forth, building off of each other. They bring that skeleton to the band and I’ll ask them to extend or shorten a part so I can fit my lyrics in there. Then Logan will work drum parts in after Mike and Marcus finish the string sections. The lyrics are all written by me.
The lyrical topics vary, but they’re all centered around fake things, like movies, comic books and TV shows. The first album was all about 80s movies, then it got boring in such a specific area, so I branched out to comics, movies from other eras, etc etc. I don’t think the topics will change, it’s easier for me to stick to this. I don’t wanna tackle politics or sociology through my own lens, I’d rather write about the movie New York Ripper and work my views on men being monstrous into it.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Logan- Some bands that are active right now that inspire me are Incendiary, Knocked Loose, Fiddlehead and Mindforce, just to name a few
Marcus- Migos, 21 savage, ilovemakonnen, Meek Mill, and J Cole. I don’t like listening to bands that I could rip off while writing.
Mike- Slayer, Cherry Glazerr and Black Sabbath as of late
Zach- I’m really into City Hunter and Devil Master right now. I’m hugely inspired by the Misfits, and I love horror movie scores. Leonard Cohen and Type O Negative inspire the direction I ask the music to go into, even though it probably doesn’t show.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Logan- I listened to a lot of Hendrix when I was younger, and it was one of the reasons I picked up an instrument
Marcus-Thursday, the band. Thursday showed me you didn’t have to be boxed into one style
Mike- Hendrix made me want to play guitar, The Sword made me want to play guitar
Zach-Watching live Misfits videos made me want to start a band when I was 10, but the distinct lack of heavy bands in Akron DIY made me want to start COOP. Then when we actually got started, Wallcreeper was the only band doing anything like us, so they helped us get off the ground.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
Logan- Well if it’s on a weekday I have to work. But if it’s a weekend show I just like to chill the whole day. Go out and get some food and just clear my head to play.
Marcus- Cardio and playing a few songs by myself. Cardio helps me be able to keep up on stage.
Mike- . Play my guitar the day of the show and make sure my rig is working like it should
Zach- I try to eat really light meals, I convince myself I’ll puke if I eat too much. I stretch a little bit before I head to the venue, but I just try to relax so I can use all my energy when we play.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Logan- Playing a house show in Chicago was pretty sick. That was the first show I had played in Illinois, so that was tight.
Marcus- Two shows, one was playing with Doyle and the other was Fringe Candidate. Doyle had a decent crowd and Fringe Candidate was just a personal goal of mine since I am a fan of EarthQuaker Devices
Mike- Biggest highlight of COOP this far would be playing The Grog Shop and having my dad there to roadie/partake in good times
Zach- Getting the opportunity to play more than just Akron. I made sure we played every DIY venue once, then we got to play Cleveland a few times, and we played Chicago with our friends in Porcupine. It was cool to be so far away from home, instead of playing to the same friends over and over.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Logan- Sabbath, do I have to explain why?
Marcus- Converge, I think we mesh well.
Mike- The Melvins because they have a strange non conforming sound like us and Buzzo and Dale are legendary weirdos. I also have heard that they play super fucking loud
Zach- Type O Negative or American Nightmare. Both bands seemed to always play with bigger, easily accessible bands but kept a cult status. We don’t fit in any one genre very well, so it’s always hard to promote the idea of COOP other than just telling people to experience us live. Or Sabbath. It’s Sabbath.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Logan- Hail Satan. Fuck 12
Marcus- Freaky deakies need love too
Mike- Logan, Marcus and Zach are the best. Thanks to anyone who actually likes what we do. Orange Amps rule, Greg T is a piece of shit. PRAISE IOMMI
Zach- I’m trying to have our next release out on Halloween. Kill your parents, don’t trust cops, long live the new flesh