One of the many beauties that is found within music is its bountiful, ever expanding canvas of genre. Despite performing at what is one of the biggest Metal festivals in England, Zoax are not quite the classic definition of heavy. Owing to their various members ever changing taste in music gives the band a rich palette of differentiation within music. Allowing for not only musical creativity to be rife within the band but the art of expression within music to be one that is unique. Making waves throughout the London scene, Zoax have slowly but surely been crafting their own niche. With premiere’s over at Radio One courtesy of Mr Dan Carter and the like the band return for their third appearance at Download Festival this year climbing ever higher on the bill. Speaking to the delightly Joe Copcutt we were able to get an idea into what life was like in the cycle of Zoax or is it ZO-AX or Zoox? Ask Joe…
So I’m here with the main man of Zoax! How are you?
Yeah great man!
Surviving the torrential downpour.
Just about yeah! Got one of those see through plastic thingy majiggies…
Otherwise known as a poncho.
Yeah thats the one haha! I’m sort of prepared.
What was the show like for you?
I’m still sort of trying to let it sink in really! It was a dream come true. We didn’t really know what to expect, its actually our third time playing Download. It just seems to step up a notch every time thankfully, I hope it continues! Touch wood it will continue to go on much better but yeah it was incredible, the tent was packed out and people singing along. It’s what you dream of when you’re a kid you know, especially Download Festival. Thats the one isn’t it!
So first off, what does Zoax mean?
Hahaa! Whatever you want it to mean, its a bit of a made up, but you’re saying it as Zoax which is quite cool because that’s how we say it. We’ve heard all sorts, ZO-AXE, I’m pretty sure that is what we are called or I’ve heard Zoox which is really cool! I really like Zoox and I’m a bit gutted that its not Zoox but anyway! It is Zoax but whatever you want it to be, we won’t take offence!
So you released your debut album recently, what was it like writing the record?
Well we’ve only ever done two EP’s before so this is our debut album a whole new world. The length of it was something but to be honest we had loads of ideas in the bag already. We’re constantly writing and its actually what we like to do is just get in a room and just jam. Go around people’s houses and just get writing and get busy so we did have stuff in the bag but it was nice to have a set full length in mind.
Thinking ok we need to kind of spread out the workload and try and deliver what we all want to achieve musically. We all listen to loads of different stuff and we’re all into all sorts from Black Metal, to Jazz, Soul, Classical Music whatever it is. Trying to tick everyone’s box, their musical preference box is probably the biggest challenge but it was quite fun in the same way. We didn’t just stick to one sound or one thing that worked. We tried to mix it up a bit and I hope that we managed to achieve that! We enjoy it and it was great fun.
Was it not kind of daunting after having done two EP’s?
EP’s are great, they’re so easy! No, I think that we had in our mind that we would do an album at somepoint and I think that we got the band together quite quickly, we just wanted to get out on the road and start gigging. Get a feel for how we do it live and then sort of take that back into the studio, so I’m sort of pleased that we did it that way. It helped out a little bit on the full length.
What was it like when you were laying down the tracks, actually recording it?
So we did the whole thing in Ireland, Adam the singer, he sort of grew up with his producer which is literally round the corner from his house in the middle of nowhere. It was quite nice to get out of London, we’re all based in London but we thought that we had recorded in London twice before and its all a bit crash bang wallop. Its all a bit everybody’s doing something that night and everybody’s got something to do. We decided you know what lets just get out into the countryside and really set our focus down on doing this full length. It was really nice actually, we had sort of never had that time to dig deep on the tracking side of things and obviously the production and all that sort of jazz as well. It was a pleasure actually.
What made you decide to called the debut album a self titled album?
Well, I think that we had this image in our mind that we wanted to tick all of these musical boxes. We sort of were thinking about it, its the fact that we love Hip Hop all of this and we try and incorporate that, that is actually us. We thought for the debut album we thought just say, this is us as it is now.
Do you ever find that fans saying that maybe there’s a bit too much of this or a bit too much of that?
Not really! I think that we often find that people just go along with it. We’ve heard it all from Justin Timberlake meets Beyonce to Whitechapel to anything in between and to be honest thats sort of what we wanted to achieve. I listen to a lot of records and you get halfway through and you think, I’m sure I’ve heard this song before and its cool when people have found the sound. Obviously stick to it, we listen to so much stuff that we just wanted to please ourselves more and we’re not getting sick of the same old stuff and just trying stuff out basically, seeing what we can get away with is quite good fun actually! Just put that bit in there, bit of a curveball!
What about melody, there are small elements of melody that come in and out is that something that was premeditated?
Thankfully Adam is a great vocalist to work with, he can sort of do anything he wants and anything that we want. That bounces back and forth quite well so we’re not just doing heavy when he screams and I think that he really likes to sing and we try and build a platform for him that he could dive in and out when he wants to. Lyrically as well he can just go in waves, up and down. I think dynamics for us is a massive factor. I love real strong dynamics, big ups and a little down at the same time, it makes it a bit more of a journey as a listen. As opposed to everything peaked out to the max or everything a bit mellow. It can get a bit dry for us personally.
“Roses All The Way” has got really intimate kind of dynamics with the melody.
Yeah for sure! That’s definitely one of the poppier tracks off the album but that was really great for us to try that out as well. Adam came up with the vocal hook in the chorus and we were just like, oh wow this is quality! Fuck it we’ll go with it!
What’s in Zoax plans now that the album is released?
We have quite a few shows that are yet to be announced, we’ve got 2000 Trees which we are all stoked about. The line up is incredible, so looking forward to that, we’re actually back writing again. Keeping the ball rolling! We sort of thought that whilst it was quite fresh coming out of the studio we were already in that mindset of creating, we didn’t really want the ball to stop so we’re just keeping on track.
Do you write a lot on the road or is it more predominantly when you get into a certain mindset?
I guess predominantly its when we go into soundcheck. Normally it will be when we plug in, play a little something that pricks the ears and think what’s that then we think that we should probably stop and behave to do a proper soundcheck. No I mean there’s bits and bobs on the road but to be honest we like to close the door and hone in on around peoples houses but obviously in the practice room as well.
Its a bit weird because you like to jam when you do soundcheck but you also like to make sure that it is refined. Is that something that you have always had?
For sure. I think that we sort of do it inside the box and we just jam to a computer and then we take it into the room to just try and get a live feel for it. Then obviously once we are in the practice room things evolve naturally from there. Obviously when you’re turning up the amp and all that jazz it can kind of go onto different things. So be it, we just go with the flow really!
It sounds like you guys have quite an eclectic mix of genres, for you personally, what would you say is a big influence?
Its a real hard question. I think my all time personally is probably anything James Brown. Oh man I love it, anything Soul anything Funk is probably my cup of tea. Hip Hop was probably the first thing that I got into as a kid and then Punk and Metal seemed to come quite a bit later. I mean everbody, Johnny the drummer, he’s got a big classical background as well, everyone is into Country, Blues. The van is an interesting listen, if anyone gets in with us, its out there!
What has been an album that you have been listening to for the last six months to a year anything that you have really caught your ear?
Anderson Packs latest record, I really like that what he has done with No Worries as well. Really love that EP, nothing Metal unfortunately.
There’s nothing wrong with nothing Metal!
Its quite refreshing to hear an old song sound but really moved on. I think Ander Pack is really killing that scene at the moment, the latest Dre album. Joey Badass’ album, Action Bronson, a lot of Hip Hop to be honest. Black Peaks actually, moving onto the more rockier side of things. I recently checked them out only a few weeks ago and I was just blown away at his voice. Incredible just blew me away.
Zoax’s debut self titled album is out now via Century Media.
