Zola Blood have been steadily causing quite a bit of an ominous and ethereal stir of late, with the steady tasters they’ve been releasing from their upcoming debut EP, Meridian. Fingers on the PULSE as always at Cultured Vultures, we felt the vibrations coming from that stir and brought them to your attention.
Initially believed to be quite the elusive sort, all coated in an air of mystery perfectly suited to their sound, it was just a case of musicians wanting to put their musical foot forward and not anything unnecessary. Something you’ll soon see from this quick little chat with the band that reveals, in their own words, they’re ‘just four dudes from London.’
First and foremost, hello, and how are things in camp Zola Blood?
Hello. Very good thanks – we’re in Homerton right now, recording for a few days with Oli Bayston (of Boxed In).
I think it’s fair to say, as Zola Blood, you’re perceived as rather mysterious. Was this an intentional decision? Perhaps not to be ‘mysterious’, but to not get bogged down in anything besides the music?
When we released Grace we made the decision to just put out the music rather than our life stories  – we wanted people to focus on the songs and there’s been a really positive reaction. But we’re trying to be less mysterious – we’re just four dudes from London.
Speaking of the music, the sound you create is an incredibly ethereal and atmospheric one, laced with elements of electronica and R&B. Is this the result of mutual loves coming together, or your disparate influences combining?
Probably both. We have a pretty strong sense of self as a band, we’re all passionate about electronic music and love artists like Trentemoller or Arthur Russell. But anything creative that’s put together by four people is going to be influenced by their own individual ideas and experiences. To a certain extent we’re always pulling in slightly different directions and that’s really important.
Having a year writing and playing together has given us time to get a clear idea of our sound – it’s developed quite naturally.
Aside from musical influences, is there anything else that has an influential impact on the end result that is Zola Blood? Are there things that inspire Zola Blood particularly?
We’re a bit obsessed with a Hungarian artist called Gabor Kerekes. He’s interested in the idea of using science as art and presenting the complexity of biology or computers in a very simple, beautiful aesthetic. We’ve used that as a bit of a mantra for our music – we use some pretty technical gear and intricate instrumentation but within the confines of a pop song, which by definition requires a level of simplicity.
With the actual sound and production of your tracks, there would seem to be a lot that goes into getting it just right. Are you all tech-heads in the studio, or is it more of a playground to see what works?
We spend a lot of time building sounds out of different software instruments or vocal samples and using them for something that is hopefully unique. But at the core of everything there’s usually just the four of us arguing about ideas and playing things as a band.
We’re not what you call speedy in terms of song writing. We tend to demo every idea and then reduce it down before something that feels right starts to emerge. We’re also handicapped by chronic disorganisation, which doesn’t lend itself to finishing songs quickly.
Your debut EP, Meridian, is set for release in October. How are things shaping up in the lead up to that?
Yeah pretty good man, we just got an Applescal remix out which we all love and have got the EP coming out on October 20. We haven’t played these songs live before so we’re trying to get in shape for the first show and make sure our setup doesn’t fall apart on stage.
What’s next on the agenda? LP? World domination? Or are you more for taking it one step at a time
I think we’re going to put out another EP. We just went away to the countryside for a few days to write and rehearse away from the smog of Hackney. We’re putting down two tracks this week that we finished off there and will do a bit more recording before the end of the year.
The plan is to get out and play in the new year and see what happens after that.
Are there any of your contemporaries that you feel our readers need to go and check out a.s.a.p.?
We’re really enjoying Kiasmos at the minute – they’re a duo from Iceland who produce really beautiful down tempo electronica. The Acid record is great and also Boxed In – Oli Bayston’s project.
How are things looking on the live front at the moment? Where can you be caught doing your thing?
We’re doing a London show on October 9 at the Shacklewell Arms and there’s a couple of other UK dates getting lined up before the end of the year.
One last question for luck, if you had a pet vulture that you found to be particularly cultured, what would you name it?
Emile, naturally.
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