“I walked out to my car, thinking I’m never going to hear from those guys again. They called me the next day and I tracked two new songs”: How bassist Zach Cooper earned a permanent place in Coheed and Cambria

Zach Cooper of Coheed and Cambria performs during a stop of the Dance, Kid, Dance Act II tour at Michelob ULTRA Arena on August 07, 2026 in Las Vegas.

When Coheed and Cambria were looking for a new bassist back in 2011, Zach Cooper’s name came up through a studio connection – leading to an audition that would change the course of his career.

“This was back when they were recording The Afterman record,” says Cooper. “They’d already held auditions in Los Angeles and in New York, but they were recording the album in Woodstock.