Cortez’s latest album, Thieves and Charlatans, offers a bold evolution in their heavy rock sound, blending intensity and melody while navigating themes of leadership and personal growth.
1. “Thieves and Charlatans” has been described as a powerful addition to the American heavy rock scene. How do you feel this album stands out from your previous releases, like “Sell the Future” or “The Depths Below?”
Scott: For me personally, “Thieves And Charlatans” is just a continuation of what we have been doing all along. I’d like to think that we’ve gotten more skilled as a band as far as writing and arranging songs. We always strive to do the best we can, whenever we record or perform. I’m very happy with this album, it has a bit of everything that we have done in the past, longer moody songs, more uptempo rock type songs, catchy vocals, scathing lyrics, and lots of guitars solos.
Alasdair: I think of it as a natural progression of our collectively song writing abilities. The Depths Below was the first album I played on, and while we’ve always written collaboratively, like anything you do over a period of time you make improvements and learn to work together more effectively. For me I think this album stands out by the combination of intensity and melody, often within the same song. We aim for crushing riffs with melodic vocals and guitar leads which support the songs, and I think this has been the most successful album so far in achieving that.
2. The album features guest appearances from Craig Riggs and Jim Healey. How did these collaborations come about, and what do you feel their contributions added to the final product?
Alasdair: Craig co-owns the studio we recorded at, Mad Oak. He was previously in the band for a brief period at the same time as former Cortez guitarist Tony D’Agostino, who Stove Up is dedicated to. So that just made sense to have him lend his voice to the tribute. Jim has been a long time friend of the band and it was a no brainer when we were thinking of adding different vocalists to do a few tracks. Both contributions added an extra level of depth to the music. They are two very talented singers and what they brought to the table was a perfect compliment to Matt’s voice.
3. You’ve mentioned that this album was written and recorded during the pandemic. How did the isolation affect the writing process, and do you think it led to a more introspective or personal record?
Scott: The isolation really affected the writing process, as we usually collaborate heavily. The first few songs were written (musically, at least) during the initial lockdown phase. I wrote “Levels”, and Alasdair wrote “Gimme Danger”. We did demos and sent them out to the other guys. Once we resumed rehearsals in July of 2020, we started on perfecting those two songs, then writing the rest over the next year or so.
Alasdair: The main difference with the writing of this album was time. We didn’t have gigs or other band commitments to focus on so we wrote all 8 songs with a singular focus that we haven’t had previously. We tended to write songs in batches of a couple at a time, maybe plays some gigs, come back to them, write a few more, etc. But for this album we basically stopped playing our other songs and focused purely on creating these ones. It also gave us more time to tweak arrangements, and for me personally it meant I had more time to write my solos. Finalizing those is normally the last thing I do before going in to record, but for this one I had time to write them, play them at rehearsal over several months, and edit them over a longer period of time to fine-tune them to my liking.
Matt: We played a show the weekend prior to the COVID lockdown, and that was it for a long time. We were gearing up for a full summer and fall leading into the “Sell the Future” release, and we weren’t really in writing mode at the time. I don’t think any of the songs on this record, other than “Stove Up,” were pre-pandemic tunes. When everyone came back into the room, it felt amazing to shake the rust off, and with everything shut down it gave us the freedom to really explore and focus purely on writing. Thankfully, Scott and Alasdair came back with several solid ideas, and we dove head first into what became “Thieves and Charlatans.” In that way, I think it’s a very personal record. At the time, who knew if we’d even play live again? We made a record for us, rediscovering who we are as a band, and I think it reflects that. I can say that this album is lyrically more personal and introspective. There are through-lines that naturally evolved over the course of writing, and I think the extended isolation and finally returning to focus purely on new music fostered that.
4. The track “Stove Up” is a tribute to your former guitarist Tony D’Agostino and is rooted in your earlier days as a band. Can you tell us more about the decision to bring this song back and how it fits into the overall narrative of the new album?
Scott: When we were in lockdown, I (like most others) suddenly had lots of extra time to do things. One of the things I did was to go through all of the old rehearsal and demo recordings that I have. I came across an old rehearsal from 2007 with a song called ‘Running On Empty’. I remembered the song, and that we had actually played it live a handful of times with the original lineup of the band. After Tony left, we put the song aside. Later in the summer of 2020, I was thinking about Tony and some of the good times and ridiculous stories on the anniversary of his death. The idea popped into my head that it might be cool to rework that song as a tribute of sorts. We relearned how to play it and made a few slight tweaks musically. Matt then wrote some melodies and lyrics. It was a nice reminder of where we started and how much we’ve progressed. Plus, it felt cathartic in a way, the death of a friend is always a difficult thing to deal with.
5. With songs like “Gimme Danger (On My Stereo)” having a more catchy, upbeat vibe, while others like “Levels” are darker and more complex, how did you balance the different moods and styles on this album?
Alasdair: We don’t pre-plan the riffs and ideas that are brought to the band, so I guess the different moods and styles reflect the varying musical influences we all have as a band. It’s not even that one member brings the darker riffs and another brings more upbeat ones, when the inspiration for a riff happens it just happens and we let it flow naturally. As a band we enjoy the variety of songs, it makes it more interesting for us and can help when putting the album track listing together.
6.Boston has always been known for its strong rock and metal scene. How has the city influenced your sound over the years, and do you feel Thieves and Charlatans captures any specific essence of your hometown?
Scott: Boston has always had an amazing music scene. There’s so much talent that it is incredibly humbling to be a part of it. We are lucky to have so many great bands just within our little slice of the heavy rock world, like KIND, Blood Lightning, Worshipper, GOZU, Sundrifter, not to mention the countless other amazing bands playing on any given night. It has influenced us as far as just generally making sure that we always do everything to the best of our abilities, whether that’s a live show, writing songs, or recording. I would say a specific essence of Boston that makes its way into “Thieves And Charlatans” is a strong work ethic, along with a healthy dose of questioning authority.
7. You’ve worked with producer Benny Grotto once again for this album. What was the experience like this time around, and how did his influence shape the direction of the record?
Alasdair: Benny is a pleasure to work with. This is our third album with him so there’s a comfort and trust that has been built that really allows us to focus on our performances, knowing that he’s going to capture the sounds we’re after. Benny is also a great sounding board for ideas we may have but aren’t sure about, and his excellent ear for music has proved invaluable for bouncing around ideas for guitar harmonies.
Matt: We’ve worked with Benny quite a lot now and each session has been a better experience than the last. He gets what we do, he gets what we’re going for, and there’s a sort of shorthand between us all at this point that just makes the process fun and chill. I always have a good time recording vocals with him, and he’s got great insights and ideas as far as textures, effects, and backing vocals. We’ve got him back on this one too helping us out with some percussion and synth. It feels like that sort of tradition at this point.
8.”Leaders of Nobody” and “No Heroes” convey strong statements about leadership and identity. Can you talk about the themes behind these songs and how they reflect your views as a band? Matt: Both songs are rooted in the broader themes of class consciousness, imperialism, capitalism, and I don’t know… human puppetry? The title “Leaders of Nobody” is a reference to a Fred Hampton speech from November 1969. It’s a powerful speech, and at one point he calls out “ideological servants of United States fascism” and how the media and manufactured leaders are nothing but apologists for it. Nothing has fundamentally or materially changed and many of these people are lionized as heroes. There’s a media feedback loop, impressing and imprinting this upon us, but they keep supporting the most evil, destructive, aggressive, and imperialistic policies to feed the endless hunger of private capital. The rest is all theatre, a distraction to keep people focused on anything but class struggle and what these monsters, and the masters they serve, are doing to our world and its people.
9. As Cortez marks over 15 years since your debut EP, what have been some of the biggest changes in your songwriting process or band dynamic since those early days?
Scott: In our 18 years as a band, our songwriting process has barely changed. We usually start with a few riffs or parts on guitar. We bring those to the band and will usually come up with at least a verse and chorus structure from that first idea. We collaborate on arrangement and ideas to flesh out the song, whether it’s an intro, bridge, solo section, etc. Matt will usually come up with some initial melodies while we are working on the genesis of the song. Sometimes they come together quickly, and other times we get a song partially finished and put it on the back burner for a bit. As for band dynamic, we’ve gotten better about listening to each other and working together to make the best song / album we can. We try to leave our egos at the door.
Matt: I’m not sure the songwriting process has changed much since I’ve been in the band. We work collaboratively as a group on the vast majority of our songs, trying to make the song the best it can be. The players have been different at times, but the approach has been the same. I like to think we’ve learned a lot about songwriting as a collective and as individuals while working together, and that we’ve found a path where every song we write sounds like us. As far as our dynamic, we’ve had a few lineup changes over the years, and new people are bound to prompt a change or two. We’ve got Kyle on board now, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the next round of writing takes us.
10.With Thieves and Charlatans releasing on vinyl, CD, and digital, how important is it for you to offer multiple formats for your fans, and what are your thoughts on the resurgence of vinyl in the heavy rock and metal community?
Scott: It’s extremely important to offer multiple formats. Everyone has their preferences on how they want to own and listen to music. The more available formats, the easier it is for people to access and listen to your music. I think the vinyl resurgence is great. I have been a record collector since I was a kid and prefer to listen to an album on vinyl. I love the ritual of it, grab a drink or smoke and put the needle down, read all of the liner notes and check out the artwork, flip the album. It’s relaxing to me, and I find that I concentrate and absorb the music more than when streaming on my phone in the car.
