Known to his friends simply as The Jewish Cowboy, Bienen School of Music student Josh Fink’s trademarks are both his rebellious hair and uncanny original songs. Beside being a self-proclaimed cowboy of sorts, Fink studies bass as a graduate student at Northwestern, is a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and plays with the NU-based ensemble, The Gentlemen of NUCO. (NUCO stands for Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra.) The Gentlemen of NUCO is a seven-part band that arranges its own versions of rock classics to play on classical instruments. the weekly spoke to Fink about the Gentlemen’s rebellious style and soaring sound, their audition for the hit show “America’s Got Talent” and how infectious diseases just may be the new pink.
What kind of music do The Gentlemen of NUCO play? How’d you guys get started? The Gentlemen of NUCO is a high-brow cover band. Every member of the band is classically trained, so when we cover music like Radiohead, Bjork, The Beatles, Sigur Ros, The Flaming Lips, Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire, our goal is to fuse rock music with a classically influenced arrangement. We got started four years ago when I brought an arrangement of “Since U Been Gone” to orchestra rehearsal and asked a few of my friends – actually the only other guys in the orchestra – to play it with me. Since then, we’ve branched out from Kelly Clarkson and have started playing our own arrangements of rock music around Chicago.
Why listen to The Gentlemen over the real thing? Rock songs tend to have one volume – loud. Because we play on acoustic instruments, the options are endless; we vary the color, dynamics, tempo and sounds to achieve something completely different. This way people can experience and connect to these great songs in a new, intimate way.
We heard The Gentlemen recently auditioned for “America’s Got Talent.” How did that happen? Can you explain the experience? On a whim, we submitted some of our covers to the producers – and a few weeks later, we were asked to come audition as a designated “Q” act. We got to pass the huge line of people waiting to audition and play directly for the executive producer. They shot some tape of us playing, took us into the crowd to do a 30-minute interview and filmed us doing really boring stuff like walking in and out of the convention center.
Do you know if you will be on the show? We haven’t heard anything yet but we are hopeful. After the interview, I was talking to one of the producers who asked, “So what does NUCO stand for?” After I told her she responded, “Well we will have to get that in the round two interview.” We’re crossing our fingers.
So, I hear you’re also known as The Jewish Cowboy. What’s that about? The Jewish Cowboy started as an alter-ego of sorts; it’s the name I write original songs under. So far, I’ve put out four albums and have recently added a band for live performances. I tend to write songs on the spot pulling inspiration directly from people and events in my life. A good number of my friends now have songs about them – and I’ve also written a bunch of drinking songs. My latest project, Infectious Diseases Are The New Pink, was the most concrete concept for an album I have done. But even Infectious Diseases can be romantic – there are a few love songs on the album.
[The Jewish Cowboy is playing a live show at Bill’s Blues Monday, Nov. 16th at 9 p.m. and The Gentlemen of NUCO are performing at Uncommon Ground at Devon on Monday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m.]
