Thy Will Be Done have been on the road pretty much constantly for the last few years. Currently out with Fear Factory and All That Remains, we caught up with frontman J. Costa in Sayreville, NJ to talk about touring, the band’s tribute to Dio, Peter Steele and Paul Gray, and their dream to tour with Justin Bieber.
We also came up with a contest to win a TWBD prize pack, consisting of a CD, T-Shirt, and something signed by the band. To enter, all you have to do is guess what’s in J’s beard! We’ll make things easier for you by spotting the two lighters and a Sharpie. Now all you have to do is guess how many matches he’s got in his beard in the comments section below. This is Price Is Right-style, so whoever gets closest to the actual number without going over will win the prize pack! The winner will be chosen on Friday, June 18. Multiple entries will be disqualified. More beard pics after the jump.
How’s the tour been going and why the lineup change?
Originally it was the “Fear Campaign” tour with Fear Factory, obviously headlining and supporting Mechanize. Prong was a co-headliner. I’m not sure, but I believe (Prong frontman Tommy Victor) Tommy’s playing with Danzig for some of those shows. They dropped off and then All That Remains was going out and they figured they’d do the tour.
Have you noticed any change in the type of people that come out?
You see a little bit of a difference in the demographic that’s showing up now. I think some younger people are coming out now. I think that’s changed a little bit. But still some of the people that are coming out are still diehard Fear Factory fans and it’s great to see that and it’s exposing even that crowd to, say, All That Remains and vice versa and the younger crowds to the forefathers, Fear Factory.
Talk to me a little bit about being on Stillborn. What’s it like having Jamie Jasta as a label boss?
It’s great. The dude’s super busy and he’s always doing something, which I think is pretty influential. It inspires me and the rest of us just to someone that’s got that “go get ‘em” attitude. It’s refreshing to see that.
How often does he talk to you?
Every now and then. We talk whether it’s through a text message or through a quick email or like even sometimes through Twitter or just here and there, you know. Sometimes it’s more of on a bro level.
So that Justin Bieber thing has picked up a little bit of steam (laughing). Have you gotten any emails from Bieber fans?
No, but I mean when they started posting on Bieber-affiliated sites it was pretty cool. You know, pretty awesome. It’s a good time. I’ve got people coming up to me at shows and asking me about it and talking to me about it. It’s pretty awesome.
Do you have a message for him?
No (laughing). I think Bieb needs to take us out. Hands down, that’s what he needs to do. And he doesn’t know it yet.
So how long have you been sending “Subversion of the Sleep” out to Dio, Paul Gray and Peter Steele?
This whole tour actually. Before this tour we were doing some one offs right before we started this tour. We were sending that song out in particular to Peter Steele just cause he was so influential to all us and we’re just huge Type O fans. It was our way to remember and celebrate. At the very beginning of this tour was when we heard of Dio’s passing so it was definite within us. We did a thing that we started even before Dio unfortunately was ill. We do Dio Sundays. When we’re driving, every Sunday is Dio Sunday so we’d listen to Dio. So when he passed, of course we integrated that as well so it was Peter and Ronnie James Dio. Then when we heard of Paul’s passing we were in Illinois. So we were sending it out to the three of them. It was the trifecta. It was three influential musicians that we want to send it out to.
So what’s it like being in Rhode Island as kind of part of the New England metal scene?
Yeah, we’re like the bearded stepchild of New England. We’re Rhode Island. No one really cares about Rhode Island.
What other bands have made it out of Rhode Island?
Kilgore, I don’t know if anyone remembers them. Um, the Beaver Brown Band. Howl. They’re a new band that’s out of Rhode Island. Great band. Daughters, another great band. I don’t know if anyone remembers Lightning Bolt. Phenomenal band, underrated. People should check them out. Vital Remains. There’s so many. If I forget any, I apologize.
OK, so in reference to the contest, what is the craziest, most strange thing you’ve ever gotten stuck in your beard?
Wow. Aside from food? Well there will be times where we’ll be driving and I’ll just start randomly sticking stuff in the beard. We have this little miniature bull in the van and sometimes I rest him in the beard and he just kinda hangs out for the ride.
Have you ever forgotten about him and just walked off with a bull in your beard?
No, I’ve never really forgotten about him. But he sits there the whole ride. You know, just random objects. You name it, I’ll put it in there and it stays.
