12 Questions With Zuzu
Zuzu is an Indie-pop singer/songwriter who is best known for her distinctive voice. Zuzu is unapologetically herself, ensuring her Liverpudillian roots shine through her lyrics and vocals.
NSG’s Elodie Hadfield caught up with Zuzu to chat about everything from personal hobbies and fashion to upcoming gigs and playing festivals.
EH: Hi Zuzu, how have you been? Been up to anything cool recently?
ZUZU: Hiiiii!! Been writing lots of new tunes, been cooking up some plans for new music!
EH: Obviously Covid has affected everyone, did you manage to continue to stay creative during lockdowns? Did lockdown inspire any new hobbies?
ZUZU: I spent a lot of lockdown recording my first album ‘Queensway Tunnel‘. That took up a lot of my time and creative energy and I was really grateful to have something to put myself into. I played a lot of sims too!
EH: I had the pleasure of photographing your gig in Liverpool back in December, how was it to perform in your hometown?
ZUZU: Oh my goshhh! It was so much fun also seriously emotional. The record was so heavily inspired by my Scouse friends and family so it really hit me to hear a room full of scousers screaming back at me in their accents!
EH: Coming from Liverpool, the music scene there is incredible; are there any Liverpudlian artists in particular that inspired your love for music and performing?
ZUZU: Good question! I know it’s obvious but I was raised on The Beatles, my dad is a HUGE fan. As I got older I started to get onto other bands around like The Coral and The La’s and even now there’s bands and artists that inspire me every day. CRAWLERS are super inspiring, I love their music and their whole vibe. I just feel intense joy seeing Scousers smashing it.
Zuzu
EH: What was your first gig and what was your most memorable gig?
ZUZU: The first gig I ever went to was Blink 182 in Manchester! I was 8 and it blew my mind! My most memorable gig was the Sefton park pilot show we were so lucky to be a part of back in May. Just being in the crowd for Blossoms was incredibly special. That show was just surreal cause nobody had been to a show since the pandemic and every single person from the crowd to security were just so happy to be there.
EH: If you had to describe your most recent album “Queensway Tunnel” in three words what would they be?
ZUZU: Emotional scouse music.
ZUZU_Credit:Elodie Hadfield
EH: I have had your album “Queensway Tunnel” on repeat for the last few months, my favourite song has to be “Lie to Myself” Do you have a favourite track on the album?
ZUZU: Ahhh that’s so cool! Thank you so much for listening. Queensway Tunnel is my favourite on the album, it’s just the song that still makes me cry to play it. It’s a really personal song and I still feel the sentiment of it as strongly today as I did the day I wrote it.
EH: I know many subject matters influence your music, are there any particular topics you wanted to address in your album?
ZUZU: Hmm. Another good question! I don’t think I set out to purposefully address any topics, it just kind of happened naturally. My music is always just a reflection of my anxieties whether it be global Warming or getting older!
EH: I hear you’re a woman of many talents: illustrator, actress, director and obviously singer/songwriter. Do you have any other talents to add to the list?
ZUZU: Oh nooooo! Not that list! I didn’t write it. I wouldn’t say I’m really any of those things except a singer songwriter! I just have other hobbies like drawing that I enjoy weaving into my music and someone turned it into that list which haunts me to this day hahahaha. A secret hobby I do have is collecting old things from the past! Love reading old postcards and photographs. Big history fan in general! Not really a talent though!
EVOL: Micro-FestEvol “Part IV: A New Hope”.
EH: Throughout your music, there are links to space and planets. Does space and sci-fi interest you?
ZUZU: Yeah, I love Sci-Fi! I think it’s the escapism I’m drawn towards in my music but the thing is that I love most about sci-fi is that no matter how deep in space a story is set you can’t ever escape humanity. The human condition is inescapable!
EH: It’s obvious you have a love for fashion as well as music. Is there an outfit maybe for a gig or album cover that sticks in mind as your favourite?
ZUZU: ALL the good questions today!! I have so many that I love and I keep everything to wear again! I really love the blue silk suit I wore on the ‘How It Feels’ cover! Feel like it would be a good moment to shout out the lady who made me the coolest Beatles cape for the Sefton Park Show. They’re called ‘Let Us Pretend’!
EH: How is 2022 looking for you? I know you’re headlining the EVOL presented Micro-FestEvol “Part IV: A New Hope” in New Brighton this month which must be exciting!
ZUZU: 2022 is looking good! I am SO excited to play New Brighton! I’m gonna be around to hang and chat all night. Can’t wait to see the other bands too!
To follow Zuzu on social media click on the links in pink below.
