

Discover more from Volatile Weekly
Interview with Zealous Grooves
Zealous Grooves was born in the capital city of New Mexico and honed their musical prowess in the downtown clubs in Albuquerque, NM. After meeting Drummer Kent and Bassist Adrian, with Shanahan on guitars/vocals, the group quickly started writing the new material which would become the eclectic style of the band.
While the rock influence is recognizable in the sounds of Zealous Grooves, you will hear hints of folk, funk, blues, punk, and a bit of hip hop in their ever growing catalog of music. While the mash up of genres is there, one thing remains the same, the love of the music.
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
For me, it was my family as they were traditional singers as I was growing up. I'd probably own a bar if music was not in my life.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
I like to snowboard, watch documentaries, outdoorsy stuff. I have a song about the rise and fall of Julius Caesar which was influenced by a documentary I had seen.
How long has music been your career?
We have been playing professionally for about 5 years now.
Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
All the members of the band are from different parts of New Mexico, Kent is from the Albuquerque area, Adrian and I (Shanahan) are from the Santa Fe area.
There is a hint of Latin and Native American influence in the funk sound.
Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.
The best show was a packed house where the crowd was involved in the music. Worst was when no one showed up in the audience.
Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
Our favorite place is a tie between The Launchpad and Kimo Theatre and we would love to play the Lion's Lair in Denver, CO.
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
Line up would be with Greta Van Fleet, Cage the Elephant, Crash Kings, and J. Roddy Walston and the Business.
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music?
Practice, practice, practice.
If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?
Play longer and keep writing.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
The Heat because it was inspired by true events about police brutality and over empowerment of law enforcement.
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
My favorite is a new song called Damn My Pride. Most requested is Nobody.
What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?
Creativity comes at any time and real life events inspire our music.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
Many messages in our music but I'd have to say just rocking out is our main message.
Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?
Collaborating with the guys is a very smooth process, everyone has a say and all are heard.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
Planning a Southwest tour to promote our upcoming EP. We also recently released a single called Be Happy available on all major platforms.
Thanks for the interview!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPmOjHUOA1QMSWD_ICO8mw
Instagram: instagram/zealousgrooves
Website: zealousgrooves.com
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/zealous-grooves/954952801
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B00RCH620G/zealous-grooves
Spotify: