We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cole Ferguson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cole below.

Hi Cole , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Chase and I formed The Hero & The Madman in early 2020. A month after shooting our first video for our debut single, a tornado touched down in Nashville. The personal losses I experienced during that event, as well as the subsequent pandemic which followed directly after, left me uncertain if I wanted to continue pursuing writing and performing music anymore. After taking a full year off we reconvened and mapped out a plan to work on a full-length album. We built a home studio and enlisted the help of over 25 guest vocalists and musicians. We scrapped dozens of song ideas, re-worked and re-recorded so many different versions in an effort to discover what “our sound” was. I also got sober in early 2023, which has enabled me to rediscover my passion for making music that is not skewed through the lens of any substances or the lifestyle associated with them. After three years of joy, frustration, and endless uncertainty, we are proud to release our debut album that we feel is our best interpretation of everything we have experienced these last few years. Ranging from upbeat electronic songs, to slow-burners with large live strings arrangements, we are excited to share this very collaborative album as we prepare to take these songs out on the road.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Cole began playing in bands while still in high school. After graduating, he spent the next decade working manual labor jobs during the day and performing various New England bars and venues in the evening. He managed to save enough to tour the country performing a few times along the way. He moved to Nashville in 2016 mainly to focus on writing songs for others. Soon after meeting Chase, they began to work on songs together. It was Chase who encouraged him to perform live after seeing his preferred instrument set-up: a five synthesizer rig with various processor effect pedals which many have described resembles a spaceship. Besides playing in The Hero & The Madman, Cole is a music video director and co-writer of various projects in Nashville, ranging from electronic to country music.
Chase had a diverse taste of music from a young age. He started his first band in 2010 but soon after joined the Marine Corps. After finishing his service he moved to Nashville in 2016 to attend Belmont University. He completed his degree in Music Business/Production, and soon after built a home studio to pursue his passion for collaborative art. He is a multi-instrumentalist and plays several instruments on the album, as well as engineering the project. He relishes in the opportunity to learn from people while seeking a path to a higher self.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In the ever-changing landscape of the “music business,” it is growing increasingly more difficult to make a sustainable living as an original artist. Streaming services do allow a farther reach to audience, but the fractions of pennies per stream have wiped out the residual kickback that used to come from hard copy albums. Most labels now take a larger cut of touring merchandise to reimburse themselves. As a whole, fans of artists need to be more vocal about different possibilities in regards to changing the streaming pay out structure. The Spotify hearing in front of congress recently was a positive first step in this direction. In the meantime, going out to support live music is the best way to support new artists.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One goal of ours as a band is to be able to raise some money and awareness for local dog rescues and shelters. As proud owners of rescue dogs, they had been at our feet for the entirety of making this album. Unfortunately a few months back Chase’s dog Creed passed away unexpectedly. Creed was a pitfall rescued from a very abusive home. His rehabilitation was proof that most dogs can change their personalities with a lot of patience and love. Creed’s story is something we will soon be sharing in a single called “Creed’s Creed.” All proceeds from the song and related merchandise will go to local rescues with an emphasis on pitties.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thatmbusiness.wixsite.com/-epk
• Instagram: @thatmofficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzlcJykEz1M
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2XHrzV58Pg

Image Credits

Nolan Knight
Matt Benjamin
Brandon Houser
Cassius Ferguson