Interviews: Zao
-What's your least favorite interview question?
NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE AT ALL INTENDED HERE, BUT I REALLY GET TIRED OF
THE STRAIGHT EDGE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE ASKED IN EVERY SINGLE
INTERVIEW.
How much did you tour before Tooth and Nail?
ZAO DID A FEW DECENT SIZED TOURS BEFORE GETTING SIGNED TO TOOTH AND
NAIL. THE BAND TOURED ALONE THROUGHOUT THE US AND CANADA, AND TOURED
WITH SIX FEET DEEP AS WELL. THAT PLAYED A PART IN TOOTH AND NAIL'S
INTEREST IN ZAO.
-What's the Zao live show like?
I THINK THAT ZAO LIVE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTENSE AND SPIRITUAL IN ONE WAY
OR ANOTHER.
-What's the best thing about Tooth and Nail? Are they the first label
to offer you anything?
THE BEST THING ABOUT TOOTH AND NAIL IS ALL THE FREE CD'S!! NO NO, I AM
KIDDING. TOOTH AND NAIL IS AN AWESOME LABEL BECAUSE THEY ARE HELPFUL
AND THEY WORK FOR THEIR BANDS. EVERYONE THAT I HAVE DEALT WITH AT THE
LABEL ARE JUST RAD PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT ZAO AND ABOUT PUTTING OUT
AWESOME MUSIC. WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED FINANCIAL HELP AT TIMES, THEY HAVE
GIIVEN IT TO US. THE VAN WE DRIVE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE OF TOOTH AND
NAIL. I COULD GO ON FOR A WHILE, BUT THEY ARE A GREAT LABEL. AS FAR
AS OTHER LABEL INTEREST IS CONCERNED, WE PUT OUT OUR FIRST FULL
LENGTH, ALL ELSE FAILED, ON STEADFAST RECORDS (MATT TRAXLER FROM
BRANDSTON AND SIX FEET DEEP'S LABEL). BEFORE THAT, THERE WAS TALK
WITH THE NOW DEFUNCT R.E.X.
-If you were in a crashing airplane and had one pocket in your pants
that could safely carry one CD, what would it be?
RIGHT NOW IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUR MINUTE MILE BY THE GET UP KIDS, OR
JIMMY
EAT WORLD'S STATIC PREVAILS. NO, MAYBE AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. I DON'T
KNOW. THAT IS THE TOUGHEST QUESTION I EVER HAD TO ANSWER.
-Has everybody always played hardcore?
NOT EVERYBODY. MY MOM DOESN'T PLAY HARDCORE, AND NEITHER DID MY SECOND
GRADE MATH TEACHER.
-A few of your songs are pretty complex. Does any body ever get lost
and play the wrong thing?
NO, NOT USUALLY.
-What kind of writing process do you use?
ZAO DOES NOT HAVE A SET FORMULA FOR WRITING SONGS, THAT'S FOR SURE.
EACH SONG HAS A DIFFERENT WAY THAT IT WAS WRITTEN AND PROGRESSED. I
WOULD SAY THAT EACH SONG IS INITIALLY INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT
THEY COME ABOUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. MOSTLY NOW, OUR SONGS ARE A GROUP
EFFORT. MUSICALLY, JESSE, RUSS, AND I (Brett) WORK TOGETHER TO WRITE
AND DAN DOES MOSTLY ALL OF THE LYRICS.
-How would you handle it if some belligerent fool approached you at a
show and said that Zao is horrible?
I'D SAY THANKS FOR BEING HONEST.
-Who is your dream band to tour with?
METALLICA AND IRON MAIDEN (WITH BRUCE DICKINSON)... BUT THAT LAST ONE
IS JUST
MY DREAM, NOT ALL OF THE REST OF THE BAND.
-What are your future goals with Zao?
OUR GOALS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE ARE TO TOUR ALOT IN SUPPORT OF OUR
UPCOMING FULL LENGTH "WHERE BLOOD AND FIRE BRING REST," WHICH SHOULD
BE OUT IN APRIL. AFTER THAT, I JUST WANT US TO GO AND DO WHATEVER WE
ARE LEAD TO.
-On a political note, do you think that our country's citizens should
be so concerned with Clinton's sex life? Or do you think that it
doesn't matter as long as he does a good job in office?
I USED TO TRY AND BE ALL POLITICAL, BUT REALLY, I THINK POLITICS ARE A
JOKE. I KNOW THAT PROBABLY JUST MADE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE ANGRY, BUT I
DO.
-Give some closing comments.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, WE WILL BE TOURING ALOT AND SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN
RELATIVE DRIVING DISTANCE FROM EVERYONE READING THIS, SO IF YOU GET A
CHANCE, COME SEE US. AND PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR HOME ON THE WEB AT
HTTP://MEMBERS.AOL.COM/ZAO98/ENTER.HTM EMAIL US AT
ZAO@UNFORGETTABLE.COM JEREMY, THANKS ALOT FOR THE
INTERVEW AND
GOD BLESS.