Interview with Zita

Nov 11, 2022

Another engine powering the resurgence of true rock and roll, Zita is an invigorating, guitar driven, classic sounding 5-piece reminiscent of classic bands as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Guns n Roses with a ubiquitous, unapologetic New Orleans rock and roll flare. As lead guitarist Bradford Lewis puts it: "Zita is best categorized as New Orleans classic rock and roll of a decade between the 70s & 80s".

Independent radio program directors and press outlets have taken kindly to the group’s debut 9-track album “Hardly Alive” in cities across the US. Those outlet’s include Offbeat.com , The New Orleans Advocate, and even ESPN’s own Tony Kornheiser who referred to the band as “Heavy duty rock and roll,” as he later proclaimed “God, I miss this kind of music.” “If old-school arena rock is to stage a comeback, it will come courtesy of young bands like New Orleans’ own Zita” said New Orleans’ famed journalist Keith Spera with nola.com .

Claimed to be "the Classic Rock element that we’ve all been missing" and "embodying all that is vintage", the band brings back the true hard-driving, classic spirit of rock and roll. For hoisting an undeniably classic rock sound while establishing the ever-present spirit of their southern roots, Zita has been called “A New Orleans take on the classic rock revival”. '

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Bradford: My folks have been full-time musicians my whole life. My dad used to always play guitar around the house. I would just sit there and stare at the guitars wishing I could do that. I can't remember a time before I wanted to be a musician. Had I not gotten into music, I'd have probably been a Minecraft Youtuber or something.
Kai: As a child I’ve always liked to bang on random objects and I’ve also played Taiko drums but ultimately I would have to say watching the movie “School of Rock '' inspired me to be a drummer. If I haven’t, I would probably be working towards becoming a pilot or following my fathers footsteps teaching English.
Dylan: When I was a kid my dad played guitar and my brother played drums and I thought that was the coolest thing ever so I figured I'd give it a shot. If I hadn't gotten into music I'd likley be a professional fisherman.
Brad: Hearing Jimmy Page play with Led Zeppelin just made my brain melt in such a psychedelic way, that it was impossible for me not to pick up a guitar and start learning….if I would’ve never picked up guitar I’d probably be just miserably working for a job that I hate, never achieving anything
Michael: My whole life I grew up watching my dad share the stage with Harry Connick Jr., Ok Go, R.E.M, and many other notable artists. Seeing how much my dad could positively affect so many people with something he created was the catalyst to my musical passion. If I hadn’t been a musician by career, I’d probably be in college for business or law.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Bradford: I always try to be productive, typically I'm just cleaning with a record playing. Nothing too fancy. I do try to listen to different music every time, though. I can definitely hear the idiosyncrasies of different styles and players making their way into my creative output.
Kai: I tend to surround myself around music even when I’m not playing, whether that would be driving in my car listening to music or going to live shows. I would definitely say just listening and absorbing helps out in the creative aspect of my playing.
Dylan: When I'm not playing music I enjoy fishing. I believe being out in nature helps me take a step back and enables me to think more creatively.
Brad: I enjoy silence more than most people would expect a musician to.. the lack of sound opens the mind up to the potential your brain has to fill that sound space...
Michael: Exercise, running or sports of any kind are my other escape. I find it fundamental to the human experience to explore your physical potential. It’s something that has intrigued me since I was very young.

How long has music been your career?

We’ve been a band for 4 years now.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

New Orleans. As an obviously storied American music city, it was hard not to absorb much of the culture and let it inform the music. We certainly wouldn’t have the electric trombone in the band if it weren’t from being a New Orleans band, but also, we wouldn't have such a strong foundational focus on the importance of feel, rhythm and groove/pocket. All of us grew up going to music festivals, being exposed to the music of The Meters, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Fats Domino, and other greats. In many ways, New Orleans music paved the way for rock n roll, and this is something we don’t shy from acknowledging. It’s an overlooked facet of music history, but rock and roll greats like Elvis, Little Richard, and even the Beatles acknowledged the likes of Fats Domino and James C. Booker as being some of the pioneers of rock and roll. These are things you wear on your sleeve as a New Orleans artist, and you never forget. It influences our music as much as it did the greats of this illustrious genre.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

There are many of each, lol. If we had to choose one as best, it would likely be our second show at Tipitina’s to a room of 500 people all there for three young bands, us included. It was a special night to see people our age pack out the historic music Mecca, but also it was inspiring to see some of the best live music we’ve ever heard from our peers “Quarx” and “Hans Williams” and his band. The worst would probably be this dive bar we played in a suburb of New Orleans where we only put 2 people in the room.

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 venue as a band is Tipitina’s in New Orleans. Everything about the venue is top-tier from production to hospitality to the strong sense of community and undying music enthusiasm in the fan-base. Tipitina’s is a cultural staple and one of the last truly great New Orleans music venues, which is being managed and run properly, in a city which is unfortunately filled with too much of the inverse.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Michael: The Meters and Led Zeppelin. Obviously they aren’t still together, so in terms of modern bands, I’d say Marcus King, Dirty Honey or Lettuce.
Brad: Led Zeppelin with Zita are fucking kidding me…
Bradford: My dream lineup would have to include Led Zeppelin and The Meters. I feel like we would be able to glue the two bands together to make the bill feel cohesive.
Dylan: Quite honestly I've been very fortunate and have gotten to meet and perform with most of my heros so I would probably go with my brother and my dad on this one because we haven't been able to perform together in years so if I could play a show with any lineup it would have to be with the people it all started with as well as my 3 of our biggest rock influences being Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Rush.
Kai: If that includes past bands that are no longer together I would definitely want to be on a bill with bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and maybe Black Sabbath. If we’re talking artists that are active, Dirty Honey, Rival Sons, or Marcus King would be a blast to play with.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music?

Michael: Quality over quantity.
Brad: Practice, Practice, Practice… you’ll build your own path to success this way…
Bradford: Learn from absolutely everything you do. Even if you don't like something, you're just learning what not to do. You can learn from everything and it can help develop your ear and taste.
Dylan: I would tell any new musician to attend every open mic and jam that they can and force themselves to learn things by ear as well as network with people at said open mics and jam sessions.
Kai: Keep expanding your vocabulary and learn to listen and absorb from all kinds of artists. Don’t stop playing.

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?

Michael: Work smarter, not harder.
Brad: Work harder… don’t be so easily distracted by the irrelevant…
Bradford: Learn from absolutely everything you do. Even if you don't like something, you're just learning what not to do. You can learn from everything and it can help develop your ear and taste.
Dylan: Always remember when in a tough situation, it'll probably buff.
Kai: Stop comparing yourself to other artists and keep practicing.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Michael: Magnolia Soul. This tune, while being a tribute to our hometown, is a full reflection of all of our most prolific influences embodied in musical art. I think this is a tune that exceeded all of our expectations by the time it was a finished product.
Brad: Smoke is definitely my baby.. I brought that song from nothing to something just jamming in my garage…
Bradford: For me it's our tune Magnolia Soul, it was the last song on our first record and I feel like it mixes all of our influences into a big music gumbo. Also my dad recorded the guitar solo in the song. That day in the studio was super "full-circle."
Dylan: I'd probably say magnolia soul because that song was such a beast to record and the fact that we were able to complete it was a big accomplishment to me personally.
Kai: One of the songs we play called “Magnolia Soul” means a lot to me for a few reasons. In my opinion, It represents who we are the most and it’s a song about our home of New Orleans. I always enjoy playing this song and it was the toughest to record as well so this song will always have a place in my heart.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

We actually get the most requests for our song “Smoke”, with Brad Keller on lead vocals.

What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?

It is fully collaborative.We’re all inspired by the music we listen to and come together in the rehearsal space and essentially throw ideas around until they become one thing. Sort of like a musical gumbo. Sometimes it’s hard to remember who even came up with what because of how quickly it flows from everyone, as all of us are adding elements.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

A few things, personal autonomy & freedom is a recurring theme in a lot of our songs. We’re very big on the importance of personal autonomy and not mistaking authority for truth. With other songs which aren’t so cerebral, it’s all about the live experience, and what can get people grooving at a live concert or show. If it feels like pure-hearted, good rock & roll with an appetite for jumping around and losing yourself in riff-based cacophony for about 3-4 minutes, it meets the criteria.

Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?

Paramount to everything is having the fundamental understanding that ego comes last and the music comes first. As humans do, ego can get the best of any of us at times, but we are all unified under the one central idea of what will best serve the music. And this never loses pertinence.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

The plans for the future are consistent national touring and getting back into the studio! The majority of our most favorite art has not seen the public world quite yet, and has yet to be recorded. We have shows coming up in the Houston and greater New Orleans area, including the following: Nov 26th at Fred’s Bar in Baton Rouge, Dec 9th at The Continental Club in Houston, and Dec 17th at Columbia Street Rock N Blues in Covington, LA (a homecoming show for us).

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zita.band/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zitaband/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zitaband
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTM_jKkhxrnH-5oxuosxV6Q
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Zitaband
Website: www.zitaband.com/