Jeremy Koering: Can you tell our readers what they can expect from Comatose?
John Cooper of Skillet: I’d say to people who do know Skillet, I’d say that we kind of evolved from the Collide record. Took the things that worked for us well, and went a bit further with them, and what those are would be, we still have the heavy guitars, and the real thunder drum sound. That whole kind of heavy guitar, drum sound we kept. One of the things I liked from Collide, that we did, was we tapped into a bit stings orchestration, piano, kind of classical feel, we only did a tiny bit on Collide, and I really liked that. And we took that and we went crazy with it on this record. In fact, we did two songs with 24 pieces of the LA Symphony; it was just kind of like a big live orchestra sound. I’ve never done anything like that, and for me, personally, very fulfilling. [Laughs] Guess you’d say, and we kept some of the piano influence. So what we did took that, kind of evolved my song writing to the sound of the band, and took it a bit of classical mixed with hard rock sound that we kind of packed into it. For people who don’t really know us is, I think what they should expect it, it is a hard rock album, but the funny thing is a lot of feedback coming from Comatose is, there are a lot of people who don’t necessarily love hard rock music, but are really enjoying this record, from a listener stand point. Which I’m really glad about, and I think that it has a lot to do with the a lot of these influences, a lot of piano, a lot of classical hard rock music influences, but it also have a very pop influence on the record too. So I guess that’s what musically you can expect.
Jeremy Koering: Where did your musical influences for Comatose come from?
John Cooper: Well I’m one of these sponge writers, every thing I hear goes through my John Cooper filter of what I like and what I don’t like. Within listening to one song I can be really passionate about something I love or something I just hate, it’s what makes, music frustrating to listen to sometimes, because I’m so critical all the time. But I’ve always been that way and I’m always like “Ah I love how they do that” then I’ll be like “Oh I hate how they do that chorus, that’s stupid.” I’m just really incredibly critical, but it makes to where I hear something. I guess what I’m saying is, all these things that I’ve been apart of have been an influence on me. Going back all the way to when I started music when I was 5 and my mom was a classical piano teacher, so I took eight years of classical piano, and that became a very big part of who I am, and everyone in my family was forced to play in the marching band, as a kid. So I played the Trombone in the marching band and orchestra, for eleven years, all the way through college as well. So that kind of music, it makes my base very broad for what I’ve been exposed to. And then of course I grew up listening to rock music and pop music, all the way from Petra, I was a big Petra fan, then to modern bands like POD, Linkin Park, and Switchfoot. All of those things are as well a part of me.
Jeremy Koering: Your first single off the album is “Rebirthing.” Could you explain the message behind it?
John Cooper: Well one of the things you’ll notice on the whole record of Comatose, from the title track, to the theme of the record, the individual songs, all the songs have multiple meanings. “Rebirthing”, first of all, is about a personal awaking, happening in my own live. It’s kind of similar to the theme of “Comatose.” In a personal way God has really change my outlook on the world, I have two kids now, my worldview has definitely has affected my spiritual life, because your worldview changes as you have kids. I think I’m coming to a new place, where I want to impact the world for Christ, I want to do something lasting, not just rock music, show people who Jesus is in a powerful way. I think the other side of what that song could mean is stripping all the way down; to make it just as simple as saying Rebirthing is about second chances, and one of the big messages in this record is for all people who feel, that they don’t deserve a second chance, that they’ve messed up so much in life that they can’t start all over again. This is a record that’s very positive and hopeful, saying to people that feel that way, and they absolutely do have a chance for that re-start. And of course the Christian message that we believe in is, no matter what you’ve ever done, you’ll never get to the place where God will not give you a second chance. So I think overall, not only for the song “Rebirthing,” but for the whole record. I want to be very hopeful and very positive on that aspect.
Jeremy Koering: Do you have a favorite line of lyrics from “Rebirthing?”
John Cooper: Yes, I think my favorite part of the whole song is the bridge; the bridge is kind of broken up in three sections, but the second being the guitar solo, this ripping shredding guitar solo, after the solo it goes back into the Bridge, and it says, Tell me when I’m going to live again / tell me when this fear will end / tell me when I’m going feel inside / tell me when I’m going to feel alive, and I think that whole section of tell me when this fear will end, for whatever reason is the most emotional part for me.
Jeremy Koering: “Better than Drugs” is a cool high energy song, how did you come up with the idea for the lyrics?
John Cooper: I’ve never done drugs my whole life, and I think it’s one of those things it’s really hard for me to really relate to. My understanding is when I talk to people ad what they go through, whether they’re a Christians now, and tried drugs or tried alcohol whatever it is they did, it’s one of those things I just start seeing, drugs must make you feel good right? It must take you away from all your circumstances. What I really don’t like, I don’t like it when Christian speakers or pastors say that what the world doesn’t have anything good, because what the world does offer is good, it’s just not lasting. It does make you feel good for awhile, or else we wouldn’t do it all the time, and I don’t want to lie to people, and be one of those Christian speakers who says what the world has is not good, you’ll hate it. What is it about drugs is good? I think the best thing it seems to me that drugs and alcohol, all these things we run to, have to offer is that they temporarily take you out of all the junk in your life. All the hard times in you life, all the things that bring you down. If you go to one of these substances or issues are that they’ll take you out, for a while. The big kicker is that it doesn’t last. That’s why the song basically has Jesus, is so much better than all these things because he is lasting, it’s not about a feeling, not about taking you out of your problems, it’s about saying yes, you’re in these problems and you can deal with them. That song has been strangely controversial, which I’m a bit surprised about in some ways, because people are saying oh your saying drugs are good, I’m not saying drugs are good. It’s just saying anything drugs have to offer, God has to offer in such a better way. Without experiencing that hope and peace God has to offer during those times in your life.
Jeremy Koering: “Looking for Angels” is probably my favorite song, what was your inspiration for writing and recording it the way you did?
John Cooper: Oh yeah, I’m glad and surprised to hear that at the same time. That was one of those songs, obviously we’ve never done anything like that before, and its track eleven because it could go against us and people may hate it or love it. It’s one of those songs where people are either going to hate it or love it. It was musically way different than anything we’ve ever done. I just felt to get the message of the song across is to talk it, as if you were reading it or as if you were having a conversation with someone, otherwise it’s come across cheesy. I just thought the overall message of Comatose, the record, is, us Christians need to wake up and make a difference in the earth, we need to see that there are so many problems that we’re unaware of, because we can be so selfish in our own lives. I think in so many ways that the church is not really that aware of what’s going on. I read a book by a guy Ron Luce; he wrote a book called A Battle Cry for Generation. I’m friends with Ron and he gave me the book to read, and it impacted me in such a way, it made me just realize we don’t know what’s going on with teens we don’t understand things like we should and that honestly is what inspired the overall theme of Comatose. All the songs on Comatose are very issue driven, but there was never one song that would bring all these issues together and saying what are you going to do about it, and that’s what “Looking for Angels” is was, it’s ok now I’m going to spell out what all these issues are, all the junk going on in the world, all the bad stuff that’s going on, all coming down to what are you going to do to make a difference in someone’s life, to someone who’s hurting, how are you going to be Jesus to someone else. That’s what “Looking for Angels” says.
Jeremy Koering: If you could have someone listen to one song from any of your albums, what song would it be?
John Cooper: Oh gosh, maybe “Rebirthing,” from a musician stand point, it’s a very musical song, and it’s got the hard rock aspect I like, it’s got the ripping guitar solos, Korey singing, all the best aspects of our sound, I feel. Message wise, it’s just a positive message, even if they aren’t a Christian; it’s still such a positive message for people. And I want to be one of those rock bands that rock, but then you still feel good after the song, which is hard to come by these days.
Jeremy Koering: Do you have any big tour plans coming up?
John Cooper: Not at the moment, we’re not sure what we’re going to do tour wise, right now we’re just doing weekend dates promoting the record. We’d like to open for a mainstream band if we can, break into a new audience.
Jeremy Koering: Are there any bands that you really like going on tour with?
John Cooper: We’ve been on tour with a lot of great bands, we’ve been with Pillar, and we had a great time with them. Seventh Day Slumber, Kids in the Way, we’ve toured with a lot of really cool bands. I’d like to go out with a mainstream band like Linkin Park or something like that, that’d be awesome, influence a new kind of person in the crowd. The secular bands we’ve played with I’ve seen God use conversations we’ve had in a powerful way.
Jeremy Koering: What’s your least favorite thing about being on tour?
John Cooper: Being away from home is hard, especially with the kids. I have the kids on the road with me most of the time, you don’t get a lot of sleep, and the kids get up at 4 or 5 in the morning and you’re exhausted all day long. No I take it back; being tired is the worst thing about being on the road. [Laughs]
Jeremy Koering: What’s your favorite Bible verse?
John Cooper: Favorite verse is Romans 8:38 it’s been my favorite verse for about 10 years, but I still can’t quote the whole thing, because I always forget it, I’m a moron, it’s something like, I’m convinced that nothing in the heavens and the earth or demons or thing hidden or thing become, can ever separate things from the love of Christ.
Jeremy Koering: Any last comments or things you’d like our readers to know about?
John Cooper: I guess, for fans who want to get to know us better our web site is thorough in that regard. You know. www.Skillet.com
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