The New Schematics
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF
Music
Press
“Their single...will submit you into a craving for more.” - The Shotgun Seat
“The New Schematics have created a unique yet nostalgic rock and roll sound.” - Speakers in Code
“‘Born Without Borders’ [is] a lush, emotional, lyric driven single with pop/synth sensibilities.” - The Daily Country
"[Frontman, Cory Bishop] doesn’t shy away from the majesty of rock ‘n’ roll while maintaining the intimacy of a songwriter’s eye for lamentations, stories and exhortations of the soul.” - The Daily Times
I came to enjoy Cory Bishop's music when he released his Americana/Folk EP in late 2014. In September of the same year, he and friend Michael Bare began collaborating with Nashville-based producer Andrew Bergthold on Bishop's next solo EP. But Bergthold’s involvement aided their sound in becoming wider, bigger, and bolder; drifting towards modern rock ’n roll. Bishop switched gears, forming The New Schematics with Bare. Now a duo, The New Schematics layer lush harmonies on top of sprawling electric guitars and synths while still maintaining story driven lyrics.
Their lead single, the bold, honest “Born Without Borders” was released in May. Now the duo return with a new tune, "The Breakdown." The song instantly calls to mind-in a good way-Duran Duran ("Rio" and "Save A Prayer" in particular) both sonically and in Bishop's delivery, while combining all of the above elements-electric guitar, synths and pulsating rhythms-into a well crafted rock song. Open up your ears and give it a listen.
Their debut EP will be available October 2nd. - The Shotgun Seat
Every once in a while, you’ll forge a friendship that changes everything.
For singer-songwriter Cory Bishop, that happened at a Christmas party in Nashville heavily populated by industry types. Michael Bare, however, was cut from a different cloth. The two guys struck up a conversation about storytelling and the use of the language to do so, and they discovered a mirror image of themselves in one another. Bishop played Bare one of his original songs; the latter loved it so much he volunteered to tour as a sideman for Bishop’s solo tour.
“From there, it slowly evolved into a band dynamic,” Bishop told The Daily Times this week. “We were in the studio, and we both realized we weren’t just working on Cory’s solo project anymore. It was a new project, a new genre, and it deserved a blank slate.”
And so The New Schematics were born, a band that takes everything Bishop did as a solo artist and injects it with some Killers-inspired American rock ‘n’ roll.
“I had this huge obsession with Bruce Springsteen, and when I started sharing that with Michael, he was like, ‘If you love the Boss, you’re going to love The Killers,’” Bishop added. “I hadn’t listened to them in years, but their more recent stuff is just phenomenal songwriting and lyrics and epic rock ‘n’ roll. (Frontman) Brandon Flowers has this ability to create a layered masterpiece in every little song that made me want to push in that direction.”
Bishop, who performs with Bare as The New Schematics on Saturday at Vienna Coffee House in downtown Maryville for the Out of the Dark Benefit Concert, grew up in Southern California. After high school, he moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University, where music was a side project while he studied theology. Afterward he moved to Atlanta to continue his education in seminary, but he found that the call of the stage was stronger than that of the pulpit, and so he moved back to Nashville to pursue a music career. His solo material was heavy on folk and Americana, but Bare turned him back toward majestic, anthemic rock that he gravitated toward as a younger man, he said.
“I think I had initially tied that sound to my youth, just because I got into that stuff when I was in middle school or high school, and then I kind of let it go,” he said. “I thought I matured out of this sound, but I realized that’s not the case. Michael pushed me in a bit more of a rock ‘n’ roll sound, a more ambitious sound, and in the studio, he kept pushing us toward a more modern sound with a lot of layers.”
The guys will release a self-titled five-song EP on Oct. 2, and for those familiar with Bishop’s solo material during his past visits to Vienna, the new material won’t sound completely out of left field. It’s big and joyful and energetic, but the themes are similarly introspective and hopeful. It’s a liberating feeling, Bishop said, and for the time being he has no plans to return to a solo career.
“I’m the kind of person who’s always looking for a fresh start,” he said. “For example, New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday because it feels like a new beginning, and I wanted a new beginning with my music. This felt like an opportunity to do that, and it’s really liberating.” - Daily Times
"Nashville’s own The New Schematics create an alt-pop melodic ruckus that places them somewhere between The Killers and the radio-friendly side of Ryan Adams with an extra splash of twang thrown in for sonic spice. They show a nice range of diverse musical moods on their 5-song self-titled EP, with the aggressive “Midnight” and the slow-burn “Born without Borders” rising to the top of the pack. Keep your eyes (and ears) out for these guys as this debut release already has many of the markings of a seasoned classic." - Noisetrade
Discography
Nashville’s The New Schematics spent their first fifteen months as a band proving that the Born Without Borders Tour was indeed the right name for their tour that spanned 97 shows in 42 cities across the US and Canada. As a band that quickly put so many shows under its belt, it is no wonder as to why they’ve gained the reputation as a live act with “the crowd control skills of preachers” (Cougar Microbes) whose “passion for their art is palpable” (Valslist).
The band officially began as a duo, with Cory Bishop (vocals, guitar) and Michael Bare (bass, vocals), who brought a rotating cast of bandmates on the road with them. A few months after they pulled him on stage for a guitar solo in New York City, Shanan Lau left the band that was opening for The New Schematics in order to join Cory and Michael as a full-time third member.
They now usher in 2017 with the title track from their upcoming sophomore EP, Your Year (Feb 24). The sprawling rock’n’roll soundscape coupled with the clear-cut lyrical optimism of the lead single falls right in-line with their debut that already carried “the markings of a seasoned classic,” (Will Hodge, Noisetrade).
Visit thenewschematics.com/tour for upcoming tour dates in support of the new EP release this year.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Nashville’s The New Schematics spent their first two years on the road, gaining a reputation as a live act with “the crowd control of street preachers” (Cougar Microbes) whose “passion for their art is palpable” (Valstlist). Centering around Cory Bishop and Michael Bare, the duo has a rotating cast of musicians on the road with them to bring their indie rock pop songs from the studio to the stage.
After playing 140 shows in over 50 North American cities, releasing a debut EP with “the markings of a seasoned classic” (Noisetrade), and garnering over 300,000 Spotify streams, they enter 2018 ready to reveal a new side new of their music throughout the year.
Band Members
Links
