The New Schematics

By Kaitlyn Mura

The New Schematics are a two member indie-rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee, consisting of members Cory Bishop and Michael Bare. We sat down with Cory to discuss the origins of the band, and what fans can expect from them in the near future.

HEM: How did you guys first start as a band, and where did you get the name “The New Schematics?”

CORY:  We got started as an extension of my solo project when Michael and I toured under my name [Cory Bishop]. After recording what became the New Schematics EP, we decided that this was a band, not a part of my solo project, and it needed a name. For some reason the word “scheme” resonated with me, I am constantly daydreaming about big picture stuff and we expanded out of the word “scheme” to find the word “schematic,” hence “The New Schematics.”

HEM: What was your favorite album or guilty pleasure release from 2017?

CORY: I don’t think you should feel guilty for liking the music that you like, so I don't really have a guilty pleasure. Maybe some of mine should be guilty pleasures though. I know I’ve listened a ton to the new Killers album, COIN are sort of hometown heroes to us, Bleachers, Alex Cameron, LANY, Joywave - there are too many to list really.

HEM: If you and Michael weren’t making music, right now what would you be doing?

CORY: Just crying all the time, probably. We’ve put so much of our lives into music, it’s hard to imagine ourselves not doing it.

HEM: Do you guys have a dream venue that you would both love to play in the future?

CORY: Because we live in Nashville, it’s the Ryman. It’s this beautiful historical theatre that seats about 2,000 people and there's not a bad seat in the house. Knowing how many legends stood on that stage, it’s kind of a dream to become one of them.

HEM: I always tell people that you guys are the best dressed band I’ve ever seen. Where did the idea for wearing coordinating suits on stage come from?

CORY: The suits were kind of a 2017 thing, because of [our EP] “Your Year” and associating with New Year’s Eve. In 2018, we’re going to push away from the suits and hopefully not disappoint you but go slightly more casual.

HEM: Are there any specific groups that you and Michael would like to tour with in the future?

CORY: The bands that we love - The Killers, Walk the Moon, COIN, Bleachers. Michael was playing bass with Vesperteen as a fill-in on tour this year, so it would be fun to tour with them too. We really adore the bands in Nashville; it’s really exciting to see bands from down the road from us become successful, and we look up to those guys.

HEM: You guys spent a lot of 2017 out on the road. Do you have a favorite memory or experience from touring?

CORY: I think our favorite experiences are connecting with people before and after the show. First I thought about Kansas City, and then the crew that came out to the Atlanta show, Chicago, and Raleigh.

HEM: While we’re on the topic of being on the road, do you guys have any plans for touring in 2018?

CORY: We have some tour dates secured that we will be announcing progressively; we love playing live and will definitely be touring.

HEM: In 2017, you guys released the “Your Year” EP. Are there any plans for another EP or even a full length album in the near future?

CORY: We do; I’ll say that we have a lot of music coming out in 2018. We're hoping to do a full-length for 2019, but that's probably as much as I can say on that.

HEM: Is there a certain song that has become a favorite of yours to perform?

CORY: At the end of last year, we started to perform the songs that are coming out in 2018 and it was super exciting to see people’s reactions. “Who Do You Think You Are?” became a favorite of ours to play live and a favorite of people who had never heard it before, which was really exciting for us.

HEM: On the last tour you guys played a couple of house shows. Which kind of show is more fun to play - an acoustic house show or a full set in a bigger venue?

CORY: Honestly probably a full set when it comes to the music. When it comes to connecting with people, a house show is equally as good as a club show, but I like running around like a crazy person and you can't do that in someone’s house or else you get kicked out.

You can listen to The New Schematics on Spotify and Apple Music! Stay tuned for their new song, "Who Do You Think You Are?" on Friday 1/12/18.

Photo Credit: Graham Dodd