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How did the three of you come together musically?
Lucius and I had worked together in a previous project/band known as “the Hanging Tree”.
Some time after we finished up with the Tree we reunited and started creating more new music together which eventually led to COG. We needed a bass player and fortunately for us Lukey was interested and keen to get involved. Everything just started to flow from there.

It’s heading towards thirty years now. How do you all still get along together? Is one of you the “driving force”, or do you all make decisions together?
Yeah it’s been a long journey for the 3 of us and for everyone we’ve been fortunate enough to share our time with. We’ve definitely had some challenging moments along the way but we’re very patient with each other and the friendships we have together have stood the test of time.
Each of us has contributed in different ways to the project over the years but if one of us was the driving force behind the band it’d be Lucius for sure. And then there’s Uncle Yogi…

How would you describe your sound? How has it changed over your long career?
It’s always been difficult to describe the bands sound. In short it’s always been some kind of distorted, dynamic and progressive rock interspersed with melodic softer sections and all things in between. It definitely changed over the years. I’d like to think our songwriting developed and matured as our understanding of songs and producing improved over time. We listened to a lot more heavier music when we were young but as we aged our tastes changed and we found ourselves listening to a much broader and eclectic mix of artists and bands.

Why do you think fans resonate with your music? What special ingredient does COG have that separates them from the thousands of bands that either don’t make it, or don’t last?
I think we were always really passionate about what we created and we desperately strove to be as authentic as we could at every stage. We were inspired by a lot of overseas artists but realised early on that we’d like to contribute to something that sounded uniquely Australian if possible. We spent a lot of time on the lyrics and the vocal delivery and we always pushed ourselves to make something that hit home and inspired people to lift their spirits and to push for more from life. There were certain things and topics that interested us with regards to political and social issues of the times and we made a deliberate, conscious effort to express those sentiments in the bands music and this was something that people respected and resonated with.

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Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today?
More recently I’ve been listening to a lot of world music. I love hearing songs and artists from other cultures from around the world and have drifted away from western music per se. I still love listening to soul artists both old and new as well as a collection of eclectic electronic acts who are pushing the boundaries and fusing different elements to create something unique and inspiring.

You have two albums ‘The New Normal’ from 2005, and ‘Sharing Space’ from 2008 about to be released on vinyl for the first time ever. That’s exciting. Can you describe the origin and evolution of these releases?
Yeah it’s been a long time coming. We’ve had to be patient and wait until the term on our contract ran out which was frustrating but necessary.
As far as the origin and evolution goes we had finished the “Just Visiting” album and we took stock. We were invigorated and things were flowing. We began working with a chap called Sean Boucher who offered to help record our new ideas at his home studio in Sydney’s west and we just got stuck right into it. It felt like we understood who we were and what our strengths and weaknesses were and we were free to create with some momentum behind us. Sean was amazing in the studio and he was an invaluable friend and collaborator during this pivotal period. We basically demoed the entire New Normal album with him and then took what we had to Weed, California and recorded the final album with Sylvia Massy. Things really felt like they fell into place during this whole undertaking and that set us up for the next record. This time it felt like a further distillation of ideas and processes had occurred and we embarked on “Sharing Space”. Once again we worked closely with Sean and demoed another album but this time our label and Sylvia wanted us to create more content in Weed. The process was intense and rewarding but filled with problems and hurdles to overcome. It dragged on for a lot longer than we anticipated and was really tough on everyone involved. Especially for our families back home.
Thankfully we somehow got there in the end and the result was “Sharing Space”.

What new music is on the drawing board?
Even though we’ve released  some new tracks since the Weed albums we’ve struggled to produce like we did in the past due primarily to our commitments to our families who take precedence over the music. We are working on new material but it’s been slow and arduous. Hopefully we can find more time and space to create and release the music we’d like to as our kids are older and more independent now.

You are touring the East Coast in March. What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
We’re just looking forward to another opportunity to play live again and to connect with everyone who enjoys the music we’ve created over the years. Every chance we get to play our songs is an incredible moment to inspire, uplift and reconnect with like-minded music lovers. We’ll be curating the best set possible with an eye to selecting tracks that seem particularly poignant at this current point in time.

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If you could perform with any music artist, alive or dead, who would you choose? And why? 
That’s really tough as there’s so many inspirational artists we’ve encountered over the years. If I had to pick 3 right off the top of my head right now it’d be Midnight Oil, Pink Floyd with Roger Waters and maybe Radiohead. There’s more of course.

With all the experience behind you, what piece/s of advice would you give to an artist starting out? 
Don’t ever try to emulate someone else. Be yourself. No one is better qualified.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been one or two career highlights so far?
The best thing about playing live is the vibes that flow back and forth between the band and the audience. Priceless and deep in the pocket of the now. Not to mention the total lack of digital filters. It’s reality in real time. Too many serendipitous experiences to mention but the Big Day Out shows are definitely up there.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album –  Impossible to pick one
Artist – Impossible also
Place to visit – Angourie
Venue to play – Selinas or the Tivoli
Food – Deli platter
Drink – Water
Person in History –  My dad
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) Don’t have any but I almost committed to a Sequoia Tree on my back

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COG VINYL PRE-ORDER
Available from Rare Records here

COMPLETE BUNDLE

All 6 x Cog Coloured Records
6 x triple vinyl albums. All variants.
Please note that the top 2 with the black and gold foil OBI strip are packaged together.
3 x Sharing Space
3 x The New Normal

THE NEW NORMAL + SHARING SPACE VINYL DOUBLE PACK
Clear With Black & Tan Blob Double Pack
Wrapped In Debossed Gold Foil OBI Strip
— Limited to 1,000 Numbered Copies —
THIS VARIANT ONLY AVAILABLE IN DOUBLE PACK

THE NEW NORMAL – TRANSLUCENT AMBER & BLACK
— Limited to 500 Copies —

THE NEW NORMAL – BLACK & SILVER SMASH WITH GOLD SPLATTER
— Limited to 500 Copies —

SHARING SPACE – TRANSLUCENT ROSE WITH TAN SPLOTCH
— Limited to 500 Copies —

SHARING SPACE
ROSE & TAN SWAMP
— Limited to 500 Copies —

JUST VISITING (COLOURED)

First pressing of Just Visiting. This is a super rare promo only copy of this release with the word “RARE” written in gold paint pen instead of a number so it looks like: RARE/500.

Each record sleeve is a deluxe heavyweight 420g gatefold jacket, inside of which are two transparent red and green (one of each) 190g virgin vinyl records.

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Follow COG
Website – Instagram – Facebook – Youtube

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Press Release 8th December 2023 (below) HERE

PROLIFIC PROGRESSIVE ROCKERS
announce
‘THE VINYL TOUR 2024’

+ Touring
THE EAST COAST
next February + March
featuring special guests
YOMI SHIP + KODIAK EMPIRE

+ COG
set to release
THE NEW NORMAL + SHARING SPACE
on vinyl for the very first time

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Nobody Presents

COG
THE VINYL TOUR 2024

With Special Guests
YOMI SHIP + KODIAK EMPIRE

FRIDAY 1 MARCH
Northcote Theatre, Naarm VIC

SATURDAY 2 MARCH
Hindley St Music Hall, Tarndanya SA

FRIDAY 8 MARCH
Princess Theatre, Meanjin QLD

SATURDAY 9 MARCH
King Street, Mulubinba NSW

FRIDAY 15 MARCH
The Basement, Ngunnawal ACT

SATURDAY 16 MARCH
Manning Bar, Gadigal NSW

FOR GENERAL TICKET INFO & MORE, VISIT: HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB