Zand In Conversation with FAULT Magazine

Zand

Zand really gives a fuck. Not so long ago, musicians made a point of being destructively anarchic or apolitical to the point of apathetic. Lyrics either raged aimlessly about tearing everything down or hinted archly – and equally nebulously – at great and wonderful changes that might come to pass if only people would just, like, open their minds. Zand doesn’t have patience for any of that shit: they want to call out close-minded boomer BS when they see it – as articulately and vociferously as possibly. They want to extend the hand of friendship to all those feeling cut adrift in what remains an overwhelmingly heterocentric, neuronormative, and often downright bigoted society.

Fresh off the back of appearances at Reading & Leeds Festivals, Zand has just released their much-anticipated ‘Sewerstar’ EP today (7th Sept ’23). We caught up with them to discuss their recent single releases from the record, their upcoming UK & US tours and a whole lot more…

FAULT: You get labelled A LOT. ‘Nu-gen’, ‘non-binary, ‘bisexual’, ‘queer’, ‘ugly pop’, ‘alternative’, ‘weird’, ‘sex-positive’… the list goes on. Some of those are terms you’ve chosen to express aspects of your identity. Others are stamps that people have reached for to try and categorise Zand the person and/or artist. How useful do you think labels are? From both a creative standpoint and a personal one?

ZAND: People have very mixed opinions on labels as a whole, especially when it comes to personal instances like gender identity and sexuality. On that side of things, there is no denying that labels are actually sick. Not only does it mean you have a validated identifier for a very important part of you, it means you can find community and people who are just like you. I wish I had that when I was younger: I never had the vocabulary to describe my identity or what I was even going through as a kid because I never understood it, so I always felt so alienated.

The queer community has a very special place in my heart. When it comes to music and style, I think the community aspect definitely still stands. I love my little bubble of alt people but, sadly, there’s fuckheads who ruin the scene. Like there’s a subsection of racist, misogynistic, transphobic fucking meatheads who turn their noses up at anything that isn’t Motorhead or Guns ‘N’ Roses, or anyone that doesn’t look a certain way – which is so ironic considering the implications of the alternative community in the first place. We’re ‘misfits’ so we’re meant to look out for each other…! It’s gross.

It’s hard to feel fully connected to a community where you’re made to feel excluded because you don’t fit into some 40 year old’s mould of what alternative is. But the people who make it great, make it fantastic. There’s just a lot of work we need to do.

People can Google long lists of ‘Zand musical inspirations’, but what/who else do you find inspirational?

I am incredibly inspired by film and cartoons. I’m a proper film nerd. Huge, actually. Especially horrors and thrillers. I’m big on Letterboxd as well – I got like 8 followers. In ‘Battery Acid’, the lyrics are inspired by one of my favourite horror films, The Eyes Of My Mother. Although the subject matter has nothing to do with it, I just love that phrase. I quote Mad Men in it too, even though I don’t even watch Mad Men. I just heard the quote “you’re not dying for me ‘cos I never liked you” one time and I thought wow, that’s hard as fuck.

Also, my favourite show of all time, Courage The Cowardly Dog, has some absolutely superb scores in it. Especially in the episode ‘The Tower of Dr Zalost’ – there’s this epic, orchestral piece that repeats throughout. It’s so unnerving yet beautiful and completely fits the tone of the episode and what’s happening because it gets a little bit apocalyptic. Really scratched my Hans Zimmer obsession. I remember coming across it again when I was 14 and ripping it from a YouTube video to listen to on my iPod.

I love how odd little things you’re exposed to throughout the course of your life can inspire and influence you so greatly.

You’ve spoken a bit in previous interviews about being neurodivergent. How does that affect your approach to songwriting?

I like to think it adds a certain panache to the process. I tend to overanalyse lyrics a lot, in terms of the message I want to portray or how I want certain words to be alliterated. I’ve learnt to let go a little bit more in my approach, though.

Which do you prefer: recording or performing live?

I think performing live, depending on the vibe of the show and the audience. I actually hate recording stuff – I get so in my head about vocals and go into perfectionist mode. But I do get super stoked when I’ve nailed a take on something, like a scream that sounds fucking sick first try.

Your recent single, ‘Battery Acid’, is about an abusive ex. You explore how some people’s lack of understanding about non-binary, non-heterosexual, and queer people can lead to paranoia. In a lot of cases, that can lead to abuse. Similar themes are present in ‘Deliverance’. You say that your music is for the queer community, and it’s obviously incredibly important that disenfranchised groups can ‘find a home’ in what you represent. But how important is it to you that you also reach the ignorant, or the comfortable – or even the abusive?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. My music and the message it sends has always been kinda polarising to a certain demographic that generally feels called out depending on the song. I guess if anyone who has been a perpetrator of very real harm like abuse, rape, homophobia etc happens to come across ugly pop and learns something from it, or it causes some sort of self reflection then that’s good for them. But I don’t necessarily want fans like that. Nor do I want to stand as some sort of sensationalised white knight for “helping” anyone come to their senses to perhaps not act like a piece of shit.

Ugly pop is above all a home for the DV survivors, queer people, those in recovery, non binary people, autistic people… anyone who relates and sees themself in it. I want to provide escapism AND empowerment to those people. I couldn’t give a fuck if an abuser or a transphobe likes my shit or not.

Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?

I am a huge fan of Only Fire; I would love to make something unhinged and horny with them. I met them when we both played the same stage at Standon Calling a few weeks ago. They’re a sweetheart. I really like what Royal & the Serpent’s been putting out recently too. Beyond that, I have other long-time-coming collaborations in the works so I won’t spoil them. Bucket lists collaborations would be Tommy Cash and Hans Zimmer. SOPHIE if she was still around, rest in peace.

Who is overrated/underrated?

Some artists I’ve had on repeat this year are SEBii, kmoe, Sweet Pill, Brevin Kim, Senses. My friends in Calva Louise have been working so hard for literal years. To see them popping off right now is super cool. SCOWL are also fucking sick, they’re doing bits. In terms of overrated, that’s always subjective anyway so maybe I won’t talk shit this once.

You’re in the middle of doing a lot of big festivals before your UK & US tours. Basically, Zand: you’re a pretty big deal. Any messages you’d like to share with any childhood haters or other dickheads from later life?

No.

What is your FAULT?

Overthinking.