Cold’s Scooter Ward on ‘Superfiction’: ‘I Have No Filter’ [Interview]

Story by Anne Erickson, Photo David E. Jackson

Cold Frontman Talks About His Unrivaled Connection With Fans

Cold frontman Scooter Ward always had a talent for bringing the listener into his world.

“When I did my first record with producer Ross Robinson, who produced Korn and Limp Bizkit, he told me, ‘If you can go sing on the microphone and make everyone feel it in the room, and if you can go back to the position you were the day when it happened and that translates to the audience, that’s when you’re special,” Ward said. “I’ve always carried that throughout my career, and I think he’s right.”

Now Ward and his alternative metal band Cold have a new album out, Superfiction, and a broadening first single in, “Wicked World,” that’s mounting the rock charts. Lounging before a show in Allentown, Pa., Ward checked in to talk about what makes Superfiction unique and Cold’s admiration for their fans.

Why do you think it is Cold has succeeded over the years, while other bands of the ‘90s alternative metal explosion have fallen away?

I think it’s the respect and connection we have with the fans. The songs that have helped us through life have helped them, too. It seems that once a Cold fan gets hooked on one song, it stays with them for a long time and becomes a part of them and they feel obligated to remain with us. It’s a really cool, special situation.

How was the writing process for Superfiction different than with other Cold albums?

I wanted to create a record that was more fictional, because the last two Cold records were very personal, and our lives have changed. I think with any band that has longevity, you’re going to go through changes. I didn’t want to create a personal record that wasn’t true, so I decided to create a fictional record that would give the characters depth, and I wanted to make the stories tragic to where they still related to our audience. The goal was to make the characters come to life and to make our Cold Army kids still feel emotion. I think we accomplished that. I know we’ve accomplished that now, based of all the kids that are talking to us at the shows. They’re starting to think these characters are real. What “superfiction” means is the spark that comes to life when something jumps off the page, so that’s what we wanted to do.

Tell us about getting back together with drummer Sam McCandless and bass player Jeremy Marshall in 2005 and how your side project, the Killer and the Star, was a catalyst.

Well, I created the Killer and the Star when we took time off from Cold. We had been touring for 11 years and wanted to spend time with our families. With the Killer and the Star, I created my own label on Universal to put it out on, and I was trying to find a band to tour with. My genre is more metal-oriented, but I’m an alternative person at heart. I don’t listen to hard rock. I listen to Depeche Mode… I’m not really a metal guy. When I write songs for Cold, I have to follow a certain format, but with the Killer and the Star, I could do whatever I wanted. I did a whole record without guitars on it, just to do it.

So, when I was trying to find a band to tour with, it was impossible, because all the bands were heavier, and I couldn’t find anybody. So Sam, our drummer, called and said, “Hey, congrats. I saw you got a label and a record. What are you doing?” I said, “I’m trying to find a band to tour with,” and he said, “Hey, why don’t we put Cold back together for 30 days.”

Did you know it would be a permanent reunion at that point?

There were no preconceived notions of us getting back together. We were really just going out to tour and have fun. It was kind of scary, because it had been four years and no press, no radio and we thought nobody was going to come to these shows. When we set the tour up, even the booking agents were like, “Well, we’ll try it.” But to our surprise, all the shows sold out all over the country. So that inspired us to create a new Cold record.

Cold help people with their songs. Why do you think fans find hope in Cold?

I just try to be very honest on all my personal songs. I have no filter. I’ll talk about the darkest thing possible, and it’s amazing how many other people in the world have experienced that sort of thing. I think that’s part of my writing process. A lot of people, when they’re writing, they might be scared to go to a certain level, because maybe they don’t want to share that with the world. But, I think opening yourself up like that shows.

 




Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Interviews, Metal, Music

1 Comment

  1. SCOOTER WARD: ‘Once A COLD Fan Gets Hooked On One Song, It Stays With Them For A Long Time’ | Metal4All.com
    16 Aug 2011, 1:10 pm

    […] 'wpp-261'; var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true,"ui_language":"en"}; Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio recently conducted an interview with COLD frontman Scooter Ward. A couple of excerpts from the chat […]

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