Hey, how did you get into music?
I guess it was my grade one visit to a local high school to sing ‘Kumbaya” that was the original spark for me. Kidding! Kind of. The mysterious records that showed up at the house from a company called ‘Columbia House’ allowed a curious kid to hear a lot of the latest music. I was ticking extra boxes on my dad’s vinyl order.
My Zebra Bro and I were steeped in music from an early age – we independently had a deep love of music and were both playing and deriving our own music in our teens. There is a lot of energy and creativity in writing as a duo. The continuous feedback of ideas, lyrics and music create an amazing blend that is for sure greater than the individual parts alone.
Who are some of your musical influences?
That is a great, but difficult question to answer. So many music influences!
We are exhilarated by a staggering variety of influences and love to experiment. We like some element of surprise to the variety of our music. We don’t want to stand still or be nailed to one approach. We have tried to envelop the listener in a variety of subtle influences; from glam rock to pop; from prog rock to reggae – a world of musical diversity. We take inspiration from a wealth of talented performers spanning Hendrix to Sting to Sheeran – such a variety of artist old and new.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Put those little holder things over your guitar strap pins so the strap doesn’t come off in the middle of playing a song. Ha ha! I guess the best advice I’ve gotten is to just do what you do and be true to yourself. It sounds clique, but you can only be the best you – you can’t be anyone else. You are allowed to and should express yourself the ways that work for you!
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Our inspiration is from what’s happening around us and in the world. The old adage about sticking to what you know is correct in expressing emotion and ideas better – it comes from a place that is more natural and authentic. Ideas don’t just flow all at once, they are more like butterflies you happen to catch on any given day and put them in a jar– later you pull the ones out you need. I personally take bits of lyrics and save them. Starting with a central theme you build out an idea, but you can then apply your lyrical bits where they fit – I mean it is an art!
What are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry?
There is some leveling effect coming out of the ability for artists to distribute music themselves, through YouTube and music platforms. There are a lot more artists that are at least getting a share of the big pie, but there is still a long, long way to go. I firmly believe that you need to have copyrights protecting your work. To have a wide-open unrestricted use of anyone’s creativity – to theoretically come up with the best humanity can do, I think is flawed, for two reasons: What is the artist’s incentive to create original work? I can’t even break even now, although I do anyway. The other reason is if you know that on any given day people take your idea and it is just a part of a vast string of revisions anywhere in the world at any time; why get up in the morning to that insignificant world. It seems demoralizing.
It will also be interesting to see what impact AI has on the industry. The electronic processing of music has been going on a very long time. Is it ok to use a voice generated by AI where the artist has given permission to use on an original song? I think so! We are likely going to try this experiment very soon. Stay tuned.
Should AI sample copyrighted materials without permission to create a song or a sound or vocal track? I personally think the answer for me is no right now. There are limits and we are just starting to explore that massive impact as this technology threatens to become sentient – science fiction or fact?
What’s the story behind your latest single, ”Side of the Road”?
While weaving a story of being broken down on the side of a long dark road, the “Zebras” transform a difficult situation into a bold accolade to the connectedness of people – no matter where they are. The beautiful harmonies provide a mystical depth to haunting lyrics that embolden a way forward through darkness and fear. Side of the Road wades through the formidable to realign life’s intricate pathways and find beauty through togetherness.
Why should people listen to it?
We reach out to people with ideas and try to connect with them. If we connect with some people and they think about those ideas and give them enjoyment or peace or even just a thoughtful moment, then we have succeeded as songwriters. If we can share part of who we are or what resonates with us to another human being it is a
How do you know when a work is finished?
Generally, if a song is good, you can play it on a guitar or piano and sing it – it stands on its own. You focus on the lyric and music fusing together to become more than the individual parts. If you get to the point where it flows right, has good cadence and phrasing you just know. There is not much else you can do to it. You don’t want to over-do it either. I guess, even when we took our songs to the studio, we had a vision. If you have a good producer, they will understand and enhance that vision with you. We were changing small musical parts and word-smithing lyrics till the very end though. Once its ‘in the can’, it is hard to change it, so you keep plying your craft to the very end.
What are your favorite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
The musical genres that influence our songs are varied, from indie, rock, pop, new wave, reggae, and singer-songwriter. We are very open to music and love variety. You know, something like 80% of people eventually get stuck in one type or one era of music and really don’t listen outside that. It is extremely sad!
I guess in terms of music we dislike it is more derogatory or discriminatory against other groups or women. Like some gangster rap maybe. We don’t condone hurtful words, or approve of people that sing along to them.
Would you like to say anything to emerging artists?
You mean to other emerging artist? I think you must commit to getting involved in the process and have tenacity. To be successful there really are two parts: making great music and connecting with and creating new fans. Neither is easy. You just have to hang in there.
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