Cognition Interview

Q1: Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, Cognition is a five-member rock entity. Could you introduce the members of Cognition, explain how the entity first came together, and reveal the meaning or philosophy behind the name?

Mychal Drysdale Jr: It all originally started with Daniel, his cousin on drums, another friend of ours on bass and myself. Now ten years and multiple bassists, drummers, and singers later; we struck gold with singer JenX, drummer Travis, and bassist Nick.

JenX: Cognition was already established. Daniel actually reached out to me on Facebook about joining GenarationZ, our other project, but I was working a cover band project at the time, so I declined. Few months later he reached out to me again and sent me their music which I was like OK!

I decided to audition for GenarationZ and was blown about by their talent. I agreed to join GenarationZ and Daniel sent me some Cognition songs which were also great, so I said wanna do both and here we are? I was initially worried they’d be the same band but they are entirely different.

Q2: Cognition’s musical identity brings together haunting melodies, aggressive instrumentation, and emotionally charged compositions. How would you describe the entity’s overall sound, and which musical influences have helped shape its creative direction?

JenX: I feel like we definitely have our own sound. It’s very high energy and bouncy but I feel like you can hear just a mix of all the music that influenced us from 90s/00 rock/metal, to country, to R&B, to a little bit of 70/80s rock. I love all music and it’s all shaped us.

Mychal Drysdale Jr: I wouldn’t really know what or who we would be categorized with tbh, but I do know I get a lot of influence of my play style on guitar from Chevelle and Breaking Benjamin etc.

Q3: Throughout 2026, Cognition has released three singles: The Game, The Washed, and, most recently, Picture Perfect on 1st October. Could you discuss the creative journey behind these compositions and how the entity’s songwriting has evolved across these releases?

JenX: We released The Game and The Washed and since lost 2 members. Having added 2 new members, it’s definitely changed our sound. That’s the kewl thing about musical artists. Everybody has their own sound and brings something different to the table. I really feel like we all compliment each other in great ways. As we all mesh and lock in, we grow and the music grows with us. We retracked The Game and The Washed. They will probably be Re-Released with the album.

Mychal Drysdale Jr: A lot of the times when we write songs one of us has a riff and we’ll all just come up with our own sections based off that one persons riff.

Q4: Heavy guitar riffs and melodic hooks appear to form an important foundation within Cognition‘s musical approach. Could you discuss the guitar and bass arrangements, particularly how aggression, melody, and atmosphere are balanced throughout the songwriting process?

JenX: Shoot I was hoping Mychal answered this one. This is definitely the guys question. You know I think the guys just get in the zone and play around until they find a riff they like or we’re all like Ooooo yeah that’s nice, that’s the one and then we slowly write around it. Piece it together. Everybody throws their own twist on it and then the melody shapes.

Q5: Cognition is fronted by a female vocalist whose presence is central to the entity’s identity. How does the vocal approach complement the heavier instrumentation, and what techniques or influences help shape the emotional expression behind the lyrics?

JenX: I grew up singing country and don’t get me wrong I love all the music I listen and sing too. It all takes me to different places within myself but rock music makes my heart happy 😂🙌🤘. No, it just brings me alive. When we started this, I wasn’t sure my tone would translate but the response has been overwhelming and I’m extremely grateful that I get this opportunity to be living my best life in front of a rock band.

Are you kidding me? Really is amazing to me. ❤️🤘

Q6: Aggressive rhythms and technical precision are highlighted as defining characteristics of Cognition’s sound. How does the percussion contribute to the entity’s musical direction, particularly regarding groove, tempo changes, and the relationship between the drums and guitars?

JenX: Bro Travis is a mfering beast. Can I say that? With him came a whole different heart beat. I think he’s still perfecting the songs to his liking. He’s always throwing something wild out there and I find myself either almost laughing mid song during practice or turning around like bro, WTF was that, you must keep that! 😂🙌🤘

Q7: Every entity approaches songwriting differently, whether through individual ideas, collective arrangements, or spontaneous experimentation. How does Cognition develop a composition from its earliest foundations into a completed recording, and how much creative input comes from each member?

JenX: I really appreciate that we all encourage each other to be our best and be ourselves. We listen to each others ideas and respect each others talents. How I ended up with such talented guys, I still find myself mind blown but very grateful.

Each of us is what makes Cognition. I know as the front, we get a lot of attention but we work as a whole unit and as I said before compliment each other. I know they inspire me and I think we inspire each other in different ways. With all that being said, we all throw in the things that makes us individually us and luckily bringing it together works.

Q8: Cognition‘s lyrical approach has been described as thought-provoking, with an emphasis on raw emotion and authenticity. What subjects, personal experiences, or philosophical ideas inspire the lyrics, and what do you hope listeners take away from them?

JenX: Another thing that’s great about us is we all come from similar backgrounds or at least are similar people in a lot of ways, which I think helps with relating to the music in general. Daniel and Mychal wrote the lyrics to most of the current songs, I’m helping more on the newer ones but I understand and relate to their lives, so it was easy to relate to their words.

Q9: Atmosphere can be just as important as technical devilmanship when establishing a composition’s emotional character. How does Cognition approach the creation of atmosphere, and what role do dynamics, quieter passages, and musical contrasts play in shaping the listener’s experience?

JenX: This one’s a little tough. The simplest answer I think is, we just play and write stuff that we love. Stuff that makes us go Ooooo yeah that’s nice 😂.

From a singing stand point, I still love my ballad singers and the atmosphere they create, so I feel like I can flow through those dynamics. Those are easier to find in GenarationZ I think but I throw in different nuances where I can in Cognition but I’ve been performing since I was 5 publicly. I think I’m still learning where the line between “this comes naturally to me” and “this is engrained in me” is.

Q10: Cognition places considerable emphasis on high-energy performances and connecting with audiences. How does the entity translate its recorded compositions into a live environment, and what do you believe makes a Cognition performance distinctive?

JenX: Live is definitely a different experience. It really is hard to capture certain things about music in the studio. There are definitely studio artists and live artists. I think luckily we do well at both but the energy we are experiencing on stage which I believe we’re able to flow back and forth with the audience is EPIC for me! Love that 💩 🤘

Q11: The recording process can significantly influence the character and identity of a composition. Could you take us behind the production and recording of Cognition‘s three singles, including where they were recorded, who was involved, and whether the entity’s approach to production has evolved between releases?

JenX: We are doing our album with Jeff Smith over at Studio 2100. Same studio Chappell Roan did some recording at I believe. I spoke about how much I love the stage but I do love the studio too. I think Jeff has to prepare for us cause our personalities are so strong, we are loud, and we like to have a good time, and we do have the best times 😂

Q12: On 1st October 2026, Cognition released Picture Perfect, a composition exploring deception and the painful realisation that someone is not who they appeared to be. Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind this lyrical narrative and how its emotional themes influenced the musical arrangements?

JenX: I didn’t have the honor of writing this one but man it’s one of my favorites for sure. I love the way it flows. I love the way it stops in the right places and guitar ending walk up….. just love it. As far as the lyrics themselves, I think we have all been through a toxic relationship in our life.

The don’t have to be romantic either. They are painful. They are confusing. They change you. As much as they can help you grow in ways you never realized at the time, processing through the negative side of it is just as important and what better healthy coping mechanism is there than through music?

Mychal Drysdale Jr: I wrote the lyrics about someone ln my life being a narcissist and kind of coming to terms with it while simultaneously facing the mirror to that person. I was in a pretty angry place when I wrote it tbh, but Daniel had came up with the riff for it and we just put the words to it and Jena had worked her magic on the melodies to it and boom! Now we got P.P

Q13: As Cognition continues establishing its presence within the modern rock scene, what lies ahead for the entity regarding new recordings, potential EP or full-length releases, and live performances? Looking further into the future, what ambitions do the five members hope to achieve together?

JenX: We are releasing a full album in 2027. We have already had some amazing opening opportunities with Blacktop Mojo and Smile Empty Soul. Next week, we are opening for Them Dirty Roses! We hope to have more amazing opportunities. I want to do a festival and we do hope to tour at some point. “We’re almost there” (in my best Princess and the Frog voice) 😂

As we bring this interview to a close, we would like to extend an open invitation to Cognition. Is there anything we have not discussed that you would like to share with our readers, whether concerning the entity, upcoming activities, personal reflections, or a final message to those supporting your music?

JenX: Thank You. That’s a big one for me. Music has also been my outlet and I didn’t really get to do it for a long time, so I’m extremely grateful for everything that has come with joining GenarationZ and Cognition. I love all the connections we made. It’s been such a kewl journey falling in love with my own music.

Grateful that other people are appreciating it too. There’s ALOT of healing this world needs to do and if our music and our performances bring a little bit of that to others, I’ll take it. Thank you for having us.