Interviews: ZOE

This is a new interview with the Stoner Rock/Hard Rock band ZOE from France. Check out the interview and follow the band on his FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or came out just like that?

Fred (voice-guitar): We were looking for a short, catchy, and easily identifiable name on posters, t-shirts, etc... And Aldo came up with ZOË. We found at the time that a girl's first name was nice, original, and quirky. Later we learned that ZOË meant "life" in Greek and that it was also the first French atomic pile.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Clément (bass): I think it's not really a choice, rather a natural way to play, and a sound we are all looking for individually, and ended up mixing together through ZOË's music.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Fred: It's a long story, the band was created in 1997 and there were had a quite few changing in the lineup as far. But yes, we knew each other. For example, I was the Clément's supervisor when he was in high school and Holy rehearsed with his band Seven on a local next to ours.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Clément: My favorite band would be Front 242, since I discovered it, I love every bit of it!

Aldo: I like a lot of bands, impossible to choose one!

Fred: I love a lot of bands but one of them is special in my heart, the Black Crowes.

Holy: It may seem strange but I’m a big fan of Pantera, Alice Cooper, and The Doors

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Fred: Nothing, in particular, thoughts, facts, everything surrounding me could be an inspiration for a song.

6. Where was your last gig?

Holy (drums): At "Le Ferrailleur", Nantes, it was a very cool, awesome audience and a lot of fun

7. Where would you like to perform?

Holy: Everywhere lol we want to meet a lot of people from different countries, different cultures and spend our vibes everywhere we can

8. Whom would you like to perform with?

Holy: There are a lot of bands that we’d like to perform with, but I’d say Red Fang for drinking some beers with’em after the show lol

9. Whom not?

Clément: actually we never really thought about it, maybe Manowar, too much swearing and ego shit ahah. to be fair there is not really a band we wouldn't play with, except for extreme examples such as nazi metal shit, etc.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Clément: Yeah every gig has its load of stress, I think the best advice I would give is to let go, just think about how enjoyable it's going to be! Usually, things work by themselves 

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Aldo (guitar): AC/DC, Motorhead, Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, The Stooges, The Hellacopters, Chuck Berry, The Cult, Kyuss, MC5... We like a lot of bands in a lot of different styles (rock'n'roll, blues, hard rock, stoner, punk...) and ZOË is a bit mixed up.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Holy: To sign an autograph on the chest...but it was a man lol

13. What do you think of your fans?

Clément: Most of the time we wouldn't call them fans but friends actually, load of the people who listen to ZOË ends up knowing us through gigs. But overall they are great people, with great taste in music!

14. What do you think of our site?

Fred: It's pretty cool to support all these underground bands. Good job

15. Something to add?

Aldo: ZOË is a band with strong values. We have deep roots that go back to blues and rock'n'roll. We don’t play for glory or to do good, we play to live a certain Rock'n'roll ethic, based on authenticity. I’m tired of seeing bands that follow fashion and that their hairstyle, their look comes before the music. We just want to be respected the rest is cinema and we are not actors we are rockers. Rock'n'roll follows me at every moment of my life, when I work, when I’m with my family, when I do my shopping or when I piss...