Interview: Zoe

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

Aldo (guitar) : The four of us are big music consumers. It was only natural that we wanted to do that one day. Personally, if I didn’t play music, I’d be spending all my time at my vinyl collection.

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

Holy (drums) : I watch ice hockey games and I support the team of my town

Aldo : I like to listen to vinyl mostly from 60’s and 70’s, I like to read artist biographies, I like to create infographics and I also have a YouTube channel that talks about vinyl, called “Aldo le vinylien”. But what I love the most is talking music with my friends while drinking a good beer or a good wine.

How long has your band been around?

Aldo : ZOE has been around since 1997. The style of music we play now dates back to 2003.

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

Clément (bass) : We are based in the north of France, between Calais and Dunkirk, actually it might have motivated us to make something of our own, usually bands end up doing music for the people, to make it work, but where we live there are not a lot of chance to see bands work and have a career. So we just do our own thing and we don't expect it to make us famous or something, and doing music for yourself, with heart and passion makes better music.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Fred (voice/guitar) : We wanted something simple and efficient, not an extended name, but something flashy on posters and t-shirts. Besides we thought that a girl name was something original for a rock band. Later, we'll learn that Zoe means "life" in Greek and that's also the first french atomic battery, pretty cool isn't it ? At a moment, we had thought to change it, because there's a mexican rock band called Zoé, and a lot of female singer too... But finally we said to ourselves : it's us, people knows us under this name, let's keep it !

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

Aldo : We have many very good memories, we opened for Alice Cooper, Dio, Nashville Pussy, Lords Of Altamont, Jim Jones Revue... we played at Hellfest... In ZOE’s life there are not very bad memories but a lot of very good times.

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

Holy : There are a lot of good places that we liked to play at and so much we’d like to play, it’s impossible to tell about all

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

Holy : Wow ! It should be a big festival with Turbonegro, Backyard Babies, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, AC/DC, Fu Manchu, The Hellacopters, Glucifer, Danko Jones and a lot of others... lol

Aldo : Definitely with AC/DC when Malcolm was still there ! I love everything about this band, the rock'n'roll, the simple and humble personality of the musicians, the work of the 2 guitars, the rhythmic efficiency and what they created as songs, it’s just incredible, the kings of riffs and rock'n'roll.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

Holy : Pratice your instrument

Aldo : Not to hide behind your instrument. The most important thing is to give emotion !

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

Holy : Practice more motherfucker !

Aldo : Can be more working my instrument, but would ZOE be better today ? maybe not !

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

Clément : It's difficult because since the beginning there has been a lot of members going out and in of the band, so it might have changed over the years. But I think "Roller Coaster Blues" is a song we would all agree on, it's definitely one of the best.

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

Holy : I love the groove of "By Your Side" but we don’t play it during the show, for the moment

Aldo : I really like playing « Let’s Get This Show On The Road » from the second album of ZOE ("Dirty Little Sister" album) because I feel like I’m on a highway and driving very fast without ever slowing down, a magical feeling of freedom !

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

Clément : Usually Aldo or Fred bring a riff or an idea, and then a lot of talking and other ideas between the four of us, and then with a bit of times we try to figure what works or not in the song.

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

Aldo : Some texts can speak about the human, various emotions often related to rock'n'roll but ZOË is not really a group with messages ! ZOË is a band with a Rock'n'Roll spirit and our music delivers above all a feeling of freedom !

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Aldo : It happens disagreements, for example when we build songs but that’s how ZOË gives the best because there are always more ideas in 4 heads than in one. Most of the time we are enough in osmosis !

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

Fred : At the moment we are concentrating on the tour. Maybe a new music video but nothing is planned for now. We have a few songs ready for the next album and maybe next year, we'll start to compose more.

Aldo : We invite all people who are lacking rock'n'roll emotions, lack of power, lack of energy, lack of musical sincerity to listen to Back Into The Light our latest album and give us their opinions, then maybe startbe the beginning of a beautiful friendship.