🎤🔥 A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO BRAD JENDZA OF ARTIFICIAL AGENT! 🔥🎤
A huge thank you to Alec Robinson, James Kenyon, and Michael Spleet for providing the brilliant photos used in the interview feature! 🔥🎸
There are some bands out there who just get it, mun. Bands who understand that rock and metal isn’t just about riffs and breakdowns — it’s about community, passion, chaos, sweat, stories, and the absolute madness that keeps this beautiful scene alive. 🤘💀
That’s exactly why we want to give a HUGE shoutout and a proper heartfelt thank you to Derek Jendza — powerhouse vocalist of Detroit hard rock and metal wrecking crew Artificial Agent — for taking the time to be interviewed by us here at The Riff Report Blog! ⚡🎸
Honestly, legends like Derek keeping independent music journalism alive by supporting small outlets means the world to us. In a world where algorithms, AI spam, and corporate nonsense try to drown out genuine music passion, conversations like this remind us why we started this chaotic little Welsh rock ’n’ roll newsroom in the first place. 🍻🔥
And let’s be honest here… Artificial Agent are absolutely CRUSHING IT right now. 💥
With thunderous riffs, soaring vocals, massive hooks, and enough energy to flatten a festival field, the band have been building serious momentum in the hard rock and metal scene. Their latest material hits with the force of a runaway tour bus flying down the M4 after six cans of Monster and a dodgy Greggs sausage roll. 😈🌭
Their recent single “HERE COMES THE WAVES” showed exactly why fans are paying attention. Big atmosphere. Huge emotion. Crushing instrumentation. Proper fist-in-the-air stuff, mun. 🎶🔥
Artificial Agent continue to prove that modern hard rock doesn’t have to lose its soul. They’ve got grit, heart, melody, heaviness, and that all-important ability to make you want to throw horns at the ceiling while spilling your pint all over your mate in the pit. 🍺🤘
🎸 The Band Line-Up
Artificial Agent features:
- Derek Jendza — Lead & Backing Vocals 🎤
- Mike Elgert — All Guitars & Backing Vocals 🎸
- Brad Jendza — Bass Guitar, Lead & Backing Vocals 🎵
- Karl Crafton — Drums 🥁
A proper powerhouse line-up right there.
We had an absolute blast chatting with Derek about music, the band’s journey, creativity, life in the metal scene, and what fans can expect next from Artificial Agent. And trust us, butt — there’s some brilliant stuff coming your way. 👀🔥
The full interview will be landing on The Riff Report Blog very soon, packed with stories, laughs, insight, and plenty of rock ’n’ roll chaos.
🌊🔥 Stream & Grab “HERE COMES THE WAVES”
Crank this one loud enough to annoy the neighbours, butt. 🤘⚡
- 🎵 Spotify — Listen to “HERE COMES THE WAVES” on Spotify
- 🍏 Apple Music — Stream “HERE COMES THE WAVES” on Apple Music
- ▶️ YouTube — Watch “HERE COMES THE WAVES” Lyric Video
- 🛒 Amazon Music — Get “HERE COMES THE WAVES” on Amazon Music
🔥 FIRST THINGS FIRST…
- Sixth studio album already — when did you realise Artificial Agent had become something much bigger than just another local band?
It’s always been our goal since all 4 of us have been playing music in other bands or together on other projects. And when play live, we bring an energy more suited to entertaining large crowds. We’ve played the small clubs and theatres but we do our best at large shows, and have held our own with some of the biggest musical acts around. When you get asked to play more shows on a bill, it must mean we do something right.
- Looking back at the early days, what’s changed the most about the band?
Not much. Possibly our gear and stage clothes. We’ve gotten better at songwriting and entertaining. In the day of AI bands, all we have left is our flesh and blood that can’t be replicated. We’ve broadened our sound a little on the new album, which we’re all really happy with.
- What’s kept the fire alive all these years?
I think we all just enjoy writing and recording new music, but also there’s the live aspect. We look at our shows and music as art expression.
Some people may not like it. Some people will. But we keep doing it for the fun of creating it.
🌊 “HERE COMES THE WAVES”
- “HERE COMES THE WAVES” absolutely slams — what was the inspiration behind the track?
I guess the lyrics could be interpreted any way you want, but it really started as a riff. As we developed it, the chorus just kind of came out. It could of been from all the turmoil in the world, where there’s a never ending stream of dark news being forced on us. But it’s up for interpetation based on the listeners life experiences. It could be about any unstoppable force in your life, good or bad.
- Was this always going to be one of the lead singles from Prismatic?
Not really. Once we arranged it we thought, “This is pretty cool. Maybe it sets the tone of the album?”
- The song feels emotional as well as heavy — how important is that balance for you?
Song to song, we try to add see what words go well with the music. But other than that, it’s all just trying to get a vibe that makes the song have a hook and some poetry.
- At what point during writing or recording did you think, “yeah… this one hits different”?
Usually once we have a demo, it’s 80 percent there. And then when we record it, the other 20 percent makes it really work. But sometimes we get surprised and it changes while mixing. That’s the fun in it. The accidental paint strokes.
📀 TALKING PRISMATIC
- What does the title Prismatic represent to the band?
The easy answer is the different colors in a prism. Our songs on this album break a little from our straight ahead rock roots.
There’s synth pop inspiration. There’s some 90’s alternative. Early 70’s glam rock. We just wanted to see how far we could stretch the silly putty of our band brand.
- How does this album differ from your previous releases?
We explored disco and synth, which we’ve never done. And it’s all on guitar too, which can be challenging for our guitarist Mike.
- Did you approach songwriting differently this time around?
Not really. We have a great organic process of writing. Sometimes we do it with a gun to our head where we say ” We have 3 hours. Let’s write and get a song done.” And sometimes it’s someone sending a voice memo of a lyric melody or guitar riff on an acoustic. Then sometimes one of us has the entire song completed except for a verse or chorus, and someone will throw in a new ingredient.
- Was there a particular theme or emotion running through the record?
We never start with themes or emotions, but sometimes they come out just from what is going on in everyday life or our our personal lives.
These last 2 years we lost some close friends and I can say some of that might of bled onto the tracks. But we’re not all dour and depressed. Some times we just want to explore simple fun rock riffs from our youth. We all still have that feeling you get when a riff just sends a thrill through you.
🎸 DETROIT DNA
- Detroit’s got a legendary reputation for hard rock and heavy music — how much has the city shaped your sound?
It’s always been around in our generation, whether it’s friends in garages or just the music scene in Detroit. It really goes back to Motown and just never stopped.
- What is it about Detroit bands that always seem to hit with extra grit?
I think Detroit has been the symbol of survival, and still is. It seems it goes through changes and when you think it’s done, it comes back to life.
- Does the local scene still have that hunger and toughness people associate with the city?
I think that too comes and goes. I think the 2 years of Covid shutdown was a like a reset button. And people are just now getting their bearings and getting out there. I’d like see some new younger bands go out and start making some noise. It will happen. Everything happens in cycles.
🎤 RIFFS, GROOVE & SONGWRITING
- What usually comes first in an Artificial Agent song — riff, rhythm, vocal melody, or emotion?
Any one of those things can be the impetus for a song. There are riffs, hooks, or just lines that are floating around for years, and then one day it’s like “I’ve figured out how to use it.”
- How do you balance heavy aggression with memorable hooks?
Honestly we don’t think about it. It’s all just art and expression.
- Is there a track on Prismatic that best represents where the band is right now?
I would say “Here Comes the Waves” sets the tone.
- Which song was the hardest to finish?
Personally “Set Fire” was hard to arrange. Mike and I couldn’t agree on was the chorus and what was a verse. We went back and forth until it worked. But that’s the fun of it. It’s a like puzzle.
🔥 THE LIVE EXPERIENCE
- Describe an Artificial Agent live show in three words.
Energy. Sweat. Riffs.
- Which song causes the biggest reaction live?
“We all Fall Down” always gets fist in the air, every time.
- Have you played a show where everything went wrong but somehow became legendary?
We did one show with RATT where a storm rolled in right before we were going on. It was storm cloud of evil came in. The crowd took shelter. The stage almost blew away and got drenched. We came out, and the crowd piled back in and we did the show. And it added some extra energy to it.
- What’s the wildest crowd moment you’ve experienced so far?
Probably a kid on his dad’s shoulders singing our lyrics back to us. It’s insane when some kid with their parents are having a reaction to the show. We live for it.
⚡ MODERN HARD ROCK IN 2026
- Rock and metal are constantly evolving — where do you think Artificial Agent fits into the modern scene?
I feel like music is so all over the place now. Do we fit it? I hope not. We want to stand out. I see a lot of bands sort of pretending to recreate the bands of the past, like a joke, but we’re trying to just be ourselves as creators.
- Do you feel pressure to follow trends, or do you just focus on staying true to your sound?
If you look at us, we’re not following any trend I know of at the moment.
- What frustrates you most about today’s music industry?
Don’t get me started. Haha. I think artists don’t get paid what they should, and there’s also no mystique anymore. We see everyone’s posts and person lives on display. I like artists like Orville Peck that keep their identity hidden. If I see what you ate for breakfast on TikTok, then I don’t care anymore.
- What keeps you optimistic about heavy music right now?
The good thing about streaming platforms is the availability at your finger tips to every form of music on this planet. So some kid in Nebraska can discover Iggy Pop, or Iron Maiden, or Cannibal Corpse… or whomever.
🎧 THE LYRIC VIDEO & VISUAL SIDE
- How important are visuals and lyric videos in helping connect people to the songs now?
It’s important since everything is visual these days, even more so. When people doom scroll, how do you get their attention?
- Did you have a specific vision for the “HERE COMES THE WAVES” lyric video?
Nothing strategy except using graphics from the album art. We love black and red tones, so the visual of us being consumed by a black liquid has a feeling like it’s from Dune. The the gumball machine was a throwback to those glass mechanisms where you’d get prize in a plastic capsule.
- Do visuals help tell the emotional side of the music more clearly?
When it’s too on the nose, I feel it ruins it. I still like to imagine what a song is about or what the lyrics mean. I don’t care what an artist intends. I relate to my own experiences.
🍺 RIFF REPORT ESSENTIALS
- Pre-show playlist?
I can’t speak for the other guys but I don’t play other music before we go on.
- Post-show food order?
Probably for me, a power bar.
- Who’s always late?
Oddly enough, we are all consistently on time or early. It’s a joke within the band that Karl our drummer is there 3 hours early. And he usually is!
- Who’s most likely to break something on tour?
Derek. He’s jammed his finger in our dressing room door before, and even lost the sole of his shoe before going on. Played the show barefoot.
⚡ QUICKFIRE ROUND
- Studio perfection or live chaos?
Studio perfection.
- Massive chorus or filthy riff?
Massive chorus.
- Festival stage or sweaty club?
FESTIVAL STAGE.
- One word that describes Artificial Agent in 2026.
Escapism
🔊 FINAL SHOUT
- Why should rock and metal fans dive into Prismatic immediately?
It’s creative and has something for old, die hard rock fans as well as new, modern rock fans.
- What do you hope people feel when they hear “HERE COMES THE WAVES”?
We hope they want to drive fast, play air guitar, or just enjoy the music loud. And most important, maybe it helps them take a vacation from their problems for an hour.
- Finish this sentence:
“Artificial Agent are…”
“Artificial Agent are…not created by A.I. ”
That’s the kind of interview built for loud speakers, backstage chaos, and riffs heavy enough to shake loose ceiling tiles 🤘🔥
Detroit’s still producing proper hard rock monsters — and Artificial Agent sound ready to kick the bloody doors in with Prismatic.
⚡ Follow Artificial Agent Online
Keep up with all the latest riffs, releases, videos, gigs, and metal madness right here:
- 🌐 Official Website — Artificial Agent Official Website
- 👍 Facebook — Artificial Agent Facebook
- 📸 Instagram — Artificial Agent Instagram
- ▶️ YouTube — Artificial Agent YouTube
- 🎵 Spotify — Artificial Agent Spotify
