by Maria DeBlessie
Daily Lobo
The band Norma Jean has no expectations.
"Sometimes when you decide to be something, you have to force yourself into it," said singer Cory Putman. "We don't do that. We don't try to force ourselves to be anything for anyone."
Norma Jean will play Saturday in Albuquerque.
Putman said the guys in the band like to wear the same T-shirt to every performance, and the drummer, Daniel, even has a lucky headband.
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Their new album, Oh God, the Aftermath, is theme-based and focuses on the nature of deception. The songs are strung together to tell a story of hope, Putman said. The title of the CD refers to a positive outcome after a crisis.
"We believe that there is hope beyond any kind of desperation in the world," Putman said.
The album is the first disc Putman was a part of. He's been with Norma Jean for a year, but, he said, he's always been good friends with the members.
"I've been in other bands before that have had terrible relationships," Putman said. "But we get along really well."
Members write lyrics as a group. Putman said the writing process is erratic, and members do whatever they want.
"We are all Christian, and that has a very huge influence on our lyrics," he said. "We're laidback about it. We want people to relate to us and our lyrics."
Putman said they chose Norma Jean as the name of their band because it was Marilyn Monroe's real name, and for them, it reflects a certain grace in their music.
Putman said he is inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins.
"We definitely like heavy music, but we listen to a lot of different stuff," Putman said.
He said the different perspectives help them create their music.
Putman said they've had bad shows, but it doesn't stop them.
"If things go wrong, we try not to let it get to us," he said. "We just keep going and not worry about it because it's not going to help."
One of their best tours was the Solid State tour in the spring of last year, Putman said. Various bands from their label performed, and they were all good friends and had a lot of fun, he said.
Putman said the audience is different in every town, and the crowd always responds differently, from rushing the stage to singing along.
"There's something cool everywhere we go," he said.
The band is all about Devotion.
"Our faith in God is the biggest thing," Putman said. "We try to be as real as we can."
Norma Jean
Sunshine Theatre, 120 Central Ave.
Saturday, Doors open at 6 p.m.
