We recently connected with ZERØ Of ZEALOTROUS and have shared our conversation below.

Hi ZERØ, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

Oh I definitely wish I’d been more committed to creating music – specifically songwriting and playing in bands – sooner in my life.

I’ve always been musical, and played trumpet for many years growing up. I got my first guitar at thirteen and really dove into it – I loved hearing songs on the radio and figuring out how to play them by ear. Being able to play and sing at the same time was a huge challenge at first and took lots of repetition and practice. Once I got comfortable with that and I could pretty much learn and play any cover song I wanted, I just wasn’t really motivated or even aware that I could do more. Aside from the occasional jam sesh or making up silly joke songs with my friends, I didn’t “create” much music until my early- to mid-twenties. I’ve always felt I missed out on some opportunities there – those high school and college years come with so many new experiences and raw emotions – it would’ve been a great time to work on my songwriting and musicianship.

I played lots of solo gigs and fronted a couple of cover bands in my twenties, and figured out that singing and performing for a live audience was my favorite thing in the world. But it wasn’t until my early thirties that – pushed into action by the rise of Trump – I started my own high-energy, pissed-off, political punk band. ZEALOTROUS is my first original band, and it’s been a super fulfilling, cathartic, and inspiring journey so far! It just makes me wish I’d played in bands like this when I was younger and my peers could stay out past 9pm on a week night!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After the 2016 election I was kind of shell-shocked and turned to some of my favorite punk from the ’90s and 2000s for comfort and camaraderie. When I started writing angry political punk songs I knew they didn’t fit with my existing solo material, so I decided they’d belong to a secret side project, which became ZEALOTROUS. I wasn’t sure whether it’d ultimately be a one-man bedroom project, a full band, or something in between, but I just kept writing songs and getting more and more stoked on the stuff I was coming up with. I started excitedly telling some friends about all these songs I’d been writing, and eventually one of them came back and said “hey – that political punk project sounds like a lot of fun and I’d love to play bass in it!” so, that’s how ONE became our bassist and ZEALOTROUS really started to take shape!

ZEALOTROUS is a four-piece political punk band from Durham, North Carolina, and we’re most known for our rageful, high-energy live performances. Our music pulls together influences from a bunch of different sub-genres – from old school 70s and 80s punk to 2000s pop punk, from skate punk to melodic hardcore. We even released a Celtic punk song with folk instruments on it last St. Patrick’s Day. No two songs sound quite the same and we like it that way. We draw frequent comparisons to bands like Anti-Flag, Dead Kennedys, Propagandhi, and Good Riddance – but our favorite compliment to receive after a show is about our unrelenting energy and passion on stage. We go hard all the time, every time, and we take pride in that.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I turn to music like ours for two things above all else: to let some of my rage out, and to feel less isolated and alone in doing so. When I sing along with an angry political song I know I’m not the only one seeing these injustices occurring… I’m not the only one who’s overwhelmed or enraged by it. When I see or hear that ZEALOTROUS and the songs we’ve created are having that same effect for other people in our community, it’s the most inspiring and rewarding feeling in the world. When these songs transform from my own personal cathartic release to helping folks connect, relate, and get some rage out by screaming, dancing, or moshing, it’s just plain magic. I’m so grateful and humbled to know the music we’ve created has had a positive impact on people’s lives.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Seek out new music from up-and-coming artists! Go to local shows at small venues and buy merch! Support and become a part of your local scene – there’s so much love and community to be found.

There’s nothing wrong with going to those huge arena or amphitheater shows, or seeing your favorite band from twenty years ago perform the same old songs once again. But often for a fraction of that ticket price you can also support talented young artists who are still in their prime, still hungry, and genuinely excited to play every night. Whatever band you love from twenty years ago, there are probably ten up-and-coming bands playing a similar style, but better. They’re eager to perform and excited to meet new fans. Buy them a beer and they’ll remember you next time they’re in town.

Thinking bigger picture, it seems like a universal basic income would help to create a thriving creative ecosystem because it could make art a viable pursuit for more people. Thinking about some of the most talented and prolific artists of all time… how many more did we miss out on because someone with prodigious potential was born in the wrong place or time, and didn’t have the privilege or financial resources to take risks? How many generational talents gave up the dream too early because they couldn’t make rent? Guaranteeing every human can meet their basic survival needs is the right thing to do for so many reasons – one being that it would relieve some of the pressure that compels us to take part in capitalism and allow more people to pursue their passion projects and contribute to society in ways that are more unique and fulfilling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zealotrous.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeal0trous
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zealotrous
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj6CGTc7FpqKtr1oMtKty2A
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ZfLnfdI6Jkwrg4vHqYWPn?si=bctf2bCuScKs9jChgEakMA

Image Credits
Melanie Mae Bryan