About This Episode
My guests this week are The Zebecks, one of the most exciting up and coming bands on the Glasgow underground scene.
They have played the likes of King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, Broadcast and more, and they have supported many acts including Scouting For Girls, The Big Pink, Callum Bowie and more.
Having been honing their craft live and in the studio, and releasing a couple of demo EPs over the past couple of years, they launch their first fully-produced single Breakthrough on all the major streaming platforms today (7th April 2023), which is a definite notable milestone on their solid and inspiring journey.
I first met them when we were both performing for a charity fundraiser back in 2019, and it’s been very interesting watching them grow and develop. Which is why I was delighted when we were able to arrange our calendars so that finally we could make this episode happen!
Join me Dan, Max, and Aiden from The Zebecks (sadly technical issues prevented Hayden from joining us this time round – next time!) as we explore where their name came from, what drives them to continue to create and evolve, how they managed to grab a headline spot so early in their career, what it meant personally to the to play King Tut’s, what’s in store for the future, and we took a look at their new single.
Breakthrough – New Single
The Zebecks set out to create a dynamic, upbeat post-punk track that is first and foremost Scottish and portrays their unique, inspired writing style.
Whilst recording at Castle of Doom, producer Jamie Holmes stated his excitement that they are bringing back the early 2000s Scottish Indie sound with modern flair.
After recording, they created an artistic vision to compliment the music.
They worked with three independent Scottish creators to develop this vision:
Music Video – MET Film School student Leon Miele created a psychedelic fever- dream story set in the Grosvenor Picture Theatre in Glasgow. The storyline follows concepts of internal struggles, finding a voice, and awakening, based on the song’s lyrics.
Artwork – The artwork was created by Wolfalanis. The Zebecks loved her vibrant and constantly evolving styles so met for an afternoon to start a collaboration. She helped them to realise their vision and this proceeded to inspire the photoshoot that followed.
Photography – The Zebecks entered Cove One Studio in the Southside of Glasgow with photographer Angus McLennan, a frequent collaborator with the band. Gus ran with their idea and helped form a visual of the band members which has tied the elements of the single release together.
The single itself, Breakthrough, was released across the major streaming platforms on 7th April 2023, and you can find it on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
About My Guests
From meeting on the first day of primary school to headlining King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, The Zebecks have embarked on a dedicated pursuit to establish their name on the Scottish music scene. Dan Thomson (vocals/guitar), Hayden Peace (guitar/vocals), Max Robertson (bass), and Aiden Smith (drums) originate from a small Scottish town called Elgin (where your podcast host also lives). Back in lockdown, they each made the move to Glasgow to pursue a career in music.
After gaining BBC Introducing radio play with demos alone, the band were given their first support slot at Broadcast. By contributing to an advanced sell-out, they were offered their first headline before they’d even stepped on a Glasgow stage.
Intimately depicted in an award-winning documentary from a student filmmaker, their debut headline kickstarted a busy 18 months of 30 shows. This led to the opportunity to headline King Tut’s in September 2022, an impressive achievement at such an early stage in their career. The show declared The Zebecks one of the most exciting new names on the Glasgow underground scene.
Throughout this period, the band developed a more mature, modern sound that transcends genre boundaries. This ranges from energetic post-punk anthems to mesmerising, dramatic ballads that take the audience on a journey of emotions, with vivid, introspective lyrics woven throughout.
Breakthrough, their first fully-produced single, perfectly encapsulates this new era and forefronts the band’s drive to national success. The song was released on all major streaming platforms on the 7th of April.
You can connect with The Zebecks at –
Instagram – https://instagram.com/thezebecks
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thezebecks
Twitter – https://twitter.com/thezebecks
TikTok – https://tiktok.com/@thezebecks
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChIeVcZgEG_Xu6t_7zE1l5w
Apple Music – https://apple.co/40KMYcN
Amazon Music –https://amzn.to/43eSVQU
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/4qhuK84zhOS5EYA1zMq1ZX
Bandcamp – https://thezebecks.bandcamp.com/
SoundCloud – https://soundcloud.com/thezebecks
