Norma Jean hopes live show is 'gold'

Hardcore band Norma Jean wants to make sure its live show is worth its weight in gold.

"We put a lot of money into our concerts," said lead vocalist Cory Brandan. "I mean, it's still weird for us to know that kids are paying money to see us. But that also means we want to make sure they have a good experience at our shows."

The Christian metalcore band — which also features guitarists Scottie Henry and Chris Day, bassist Jake Schultz and drummer Daniel Davison — released its third album, "Redeemer," two months ago. Brandan says the recording process was more relaxed than it was for the band's previous album, "O God, the Aftermath."

"We needed to make 'The Aftermath,"' Brandan said by phone from San Antonio. "And we put a lot of thought into it. It was our 'brainy' album. We had things thought out and marked when we recorded it.

"With 'Redeemer,' we didn't. We just went into the studio and played what we felt. It was like getting back to the basics."

Still, with albums selling, the band sees touring as the most important thing right now. "It's hard, though. I'm a family man. I've got a wife and two kids. And when I'm working, I'm gone for weeks. Sometimes I just want to go home.

"But I know that being in this band pays the bills. And we have to make it interesting for people who see us. Word of mouth is important in this business. When kids see us live, we want them to talk to their friends."

Brandan said with a laugh, "I would like to make some money being in the band. Like I said before, it pays the bills, but that's about it."

The members of Acute also feel that being on tour is enjoyable, but also necessary. "Anyone these days can write a song and record it," said front man Isaac Lekach. "You can also book shows by yourself. But there's no guarantee that anyone will come to the shows.

"This tour, we know we'll get a few people there. And playing live is a good way for us to get our music to the people."

Still, with only a short extended-play CD available on the tour, Lekach said the band — also featuring drummer Patrick Edwards and bassist Colt Maloney — will make the best of it.

"Our full-length album is coming out after the tour," he said. "We had all agreed that if we released it before the tour, no one would know who we were and it would get lost in the shuffle. By going out on tour and offering the extended play, we are giving people a preview of what the album is about. And we'll release the album at the beginning of the year."

The album, as yet untitled, was produced by Dave Trumfio, who has also produced Granddaddy, Wilco and My Morning Jacket. "We got in touch with him via the Internet," said Lekach. "I looked up albums that I liked and made a list of the producers. We got in touch with Dave, and he liked our demos and agreed to produce us."

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If you go . . .

What: Norma Jean, Acute

Where: Club Boom VA, 2701 Washington, Blvd., Ogden

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

How much: $17.50

Phone: 467-8499 or 800-888-8499

Web: www.smithstix.com

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com