Since releasing the spastic blast of noise that was the bands self-titled debut EP, the Discord of a Forgotten Sketch have gotten weird. Their full-length follow-up wasnt the same Daughters-esque cluster fuck of tightly wound songs but a looser collection of alternating heavy and jazzy compositions that featured some of the most bizarre vocal performances ever committed to tape by a band generally considered to be "hardcore. Now, it appears that Discord are preparing for an even greater left turn as they enter the studio to produce an improvised free jazz record before embarking upon a tour. Wholly uninterested in trends in the current hardcore scene, Discord certainly arent worried about winning over any new camo short-ed fans, but just who will follow the band into the sonic unknown remains to be seen.
The last time you and I spoke you were just about to put out your last full-length. Whats been happening since then?
Drummer Julien Paradis: We didnt practice a lot because we didnt have much time. We only practiced when we played shows. Then we tried to book a tour and Exclaim! came and offered us a chance to do the Aggressive Tendencies tour, which is perfect. So now were going to release a new EP, an experimental free jazz one [with] less vocals. I dont know if youve ever heard Black Flags The Process of Weeding Out?
Yeah.
Yeah? Its our biggest influence for the new EP. Its going to be very improvisational. Were going to record that in three weeks and it will be released in time for the tour in November. We didnt really do a lot of things since we talked.
What was the reception to the last record like?
Because the recording is very weird, many people didnt like it at first but Im very proud. It seems like the kids liked it less but we managed to reach some new fans that liked it a lot more, some old-man jazz fans, less hardcore kids. Its very cool to see people wearing shirts and ties at our shows. Its another kind of fan and Im very proud of that. I think, in the media, the CD was reviewed very well. Its pretty cool.
Has your audience really been shifting?
Yeah, its not the same. At shows, its not the same. Its just not the same vibe. Its cool to have a lot of different people come to shows and not just hardcore kids.
Do you think youre going to find yourself even further a field of those hardcore kids with the new EP?
Yeah, I think were going to reach more musicians. Its going to be jazz, but noise jazz. Its going to be weird, and noisy, and free jazz, and our style, but I dont know if its going to have many vocals. I think the people who are going to enjoy it are going to be real jazz or experimental fans. I dont know how its going to work for the future. With our first CD, it was kids who liked the big breakdowns and the screaming.
You mentioned there not being a lot of vocals, so whats Simon [Herbert, vocalist] doing?
Hes going to do some vocals, but more like an instrument. We didnt write lyrics at all for this CD. Hes going to do that "ahhhhhh stuff in the background. Well see what happens when we get in the studio. I think its going to be great and Im excited to hear what hes going to do. Simon will always be in the band but he has a new role.
Does he play any instruments?
Weve got a keyboard and I think well use it for the CD. I think well bring it to shows on the tour to make some extra noise. Simons going to sing but more like an instrument less lyrics, more sounds from his mouth.
What are the shows going to be like? Youre going on tour with a lot more structure-based metal and hardcore bands. Are you going to play free jazz stuff or stuff from your old records?
Were going to play mostly songs off our last LP and one or two songs from our first EP. We will not play free jazz for this tour because the kids who will be at these shows will not be fans. We want people to like us. We only have 30 minutes, so we cant play a lot of songs. Our songs are pretty long. Its going to be old material.
When youre doing shows around Montreal now are you doing more experimental stuff?
We basically play old stuff but we try to incorporate experimental stuff. We have to see how the shows are and see how the vibe is.
Where did the idea come from to just go in and produce a free jazz record?
Weve had the idea for a long time but we didnt have the resources. We didnt have the money or the time to practice or rent a studio. And now Jason from New Romance For Kids said it was cool and that he would release it. It was perfect. Were going to try that. With the upcoming tour, its good motivation to release something. For the tour wed like to have new merch and new stuff for sale because its pretty huge. We wanted a new CD and we didnt have time to make new songs, new real Discord songs, so were going to be releasing the free thing.
Do you think after this youll want to take time to go back and write new, proper songs or is this the direction the bands going to head in?
I think its going to be a mix of the old songs and the new free jazz songs. Maybe for the next LP, I dont know when, its going to be jazzier, but real songs that were really going to work on. And then make the old songs a little more like the kind of music we want to play.
The last time you and I spoke you were just about to put out your last full-length. Whats been happening since then?
Drummer Julien Paradis: We didnt practice a lot because we didnt have much time. We only practiced when we played shows. Then we tried to book a tour and Exclaim! came and offered us a chance to do the Aggressive Tendencies tour, which is perfect. So now were going to release a new EP, an experimental free jazz one [with] less vocals. I dont know if youve ever heard Black Flags The Process of Weeding Out?
Yeah.
Yeah? Its our biggest influence for the new EP. Its going to be very improvisational. Were going to record that in three weeks and it will be released in time for the tour in November. We didnt really do a lot of things since we talked.
What was the reception to the last record like?
Because the recording is very weird, many people didnt like it at first but Im very proud. It seems like the kids liked it less but we managed to reach some new fans that liked it a lot more, some old-man jazz fans, less hardcore kids. Its very cool to see people wearing shirts and ties at our shows. Its another kind of fan and Im very proud of that. I think, in the media, the CD was reviewed very well. Its pretty cool.
Has your audience really been shifting?
Yeah, its not the same. At shows, its not the same. Its just not the same vibe. Its cool to have a lot of different people come to shows and not just hardcore kids.
Do you think youre going to find yourself even further a field of those hardcore kids with the new EP?
Yeah, I think were going to reach more musicians. Its going to be jazz, but noise jazz. Its going to be weird, and noisy, and free jazz, and our style, but I dont know if its going to have many vocals. I think the people who are going to enjoy it are going to be real jazz or experimental fans. I dont know how its going to work for the future. With our first CD, it was kids who liked the big breakdowns and the screaming.
You mentioned there not being a lot of vocals, so whats Simon [Herbert, vocalist] doing?
Hes going to do some vocals, but more like an instrument. We didnt write lyrics at all for this CD. Hes going to do that "ahhhhhh stuff in the background. Well see what happens when we get in the studio. I think its going to be great and Im excited to hear what hes going to do. Simon will always be in the band but he has a new role.
Does he play any instruments?
Weve got a keyboard and I think well use it for the CD. I think well bring it to shows on the tour to make some extra noise. Simons going to sing but more like an instrument less lyrics, more sounds from his mouth.
What are the shows going to be like? Youre going on tour with a lot more structure-based metal and hardcore bands. Are you going to play free jazz stuff or stuff from your old records?
Were going to play mostly songs off our last LP and one or two songs from our first EP. We will not play free jazz for this tour because the kids who will be at these shows will not be fans. We want people to like us. We only have 30 minutes, so we cant play a lot of songs. Our songs are pretty long. Its going to be old material.
When youre doing shows around Montreal now are you doing more experimental stuff?
We basically play old stuff but we try to incorporate experimental stuff. We have to see how the shows are and see how the vibe is.
Where did the idea come from to just go in and produce a free jazz record?
Weve had the idea for a long time but we didnt have the resources. We didnt have the money or the time to practice or rent a studio. And now Jason from New Romance For Kids said it was cool and that he would release it. It was perfect. Were going to try that. With the upcoming tour, its good motivation to release something. For the tour wed like to have new merch and new stuff for sale because its pretty huge. We wanted a new CD and we didnt have time to make new songs, new real Discord songs, so were going to be releasing the free thing.
Do you think after this youll want to take time to go back and write new, proper songs or is this the direction the bands going to head in?
I think its going to be a mix of the old songs and the new free jazz songs. Maybe for the next LP, I dont know when, its going to be jazzier, but real songs that were really going to work on. And then make the old songs a little more like the kind of music we want to play.