- Tue, 2010-04-06 15:43
Flower Of Zeus make much more noise than their two-man line-up should allow. Their debut EP Diamond Rings is a full on noise clash, and if you have ever wondered what Led Zeppelin would sound like if they’d been caged, force fed tornadoes and made to play The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues in the style of Slayer – then look no further.
I Like Music caught up with guitarist/singer Priptal and spoke about how the band was born, the creative process behind the EP, their disparate musical influences, and time travel.
“I Like Music because…like the mother wolf, she has nurtured us on the sweet milk from her teat and made us see the wolf that exists in us…” Priptal, Flower Of Zeus
ILM: Tell us a little bit about Flower Of Zeus’ history; where did it all start?
Priptal: Gregg and I had been playing together in I Own Kings and we used to spoil rehearsals by getting over-excited sometimes and getting louder and heavier. We decided to get this out of our system by doing a little studio side project. Gregg and I went in with the intention of recording something loud, bold and fast and things escalated from there.
ILM: You write on your Myspace that Flower Of Zeus are a collective rather than a band. Why do you like to make that distinction?
Priptal: It’s more idealism than an actualization if we are honest. It started as a studio project and good friends came in and played/sang various things on it. When it came to playing live they all said no! (mainly due to other commitments rather than embarrassment I hasten to add…). This lead to Gregg and I working alone onstage but this allows us to create another aspect to Flower Of Zeus. As an example, the involvement of Sophie and Simon, who did the artwork, was so precious to the project that it feels fair to think of them and all the contributors as Flower Of Zeus members. That’s why the word collective is used. We might have to change this if Trading Standards gets involved...
ILM: Your new EP Diamond Rings is about to be released, what was the writing and recording process like?
Priptal: A very good experience. It was free flowing, improvisational and spontaneous to begin with. As it started to form, we started to hone in on the ideas that were presenting themselves and then executed them to what they were asking from us.
ILM: Have you got any more releases planned for the near future?
Priptal: Yes, we are tracking the album over the next couple of months but talking about a one off release (probably vinyl) late spring/summer.
ILM: Your sound is really compelling; energetic and brutal but strong on melody at the same time. Who or what has influenced the way you sound?
Priptal: Gregg and I both have a wide-ranging taste in music. We’re also involved with other projects with similarly wide-ranging vibes. It would however be fair to say that classic rock bands like AC/DC, Motorhead and Zepplin help define the aesthetic, but the whole idea is to do something bold that is why the influences of Daft Punk, Prince and Outkast (to name a few) are in there if not obviously audible at first.
ILM: If Flower Of Zeus could have been born into any musical era other than the current one, which would you have liked it to be?
Priptal: Rock ‘n’ Roll 50’s when Elvis was about to kick off. We’d like to steal his thunder as bad boys by traveling back in time with Ozzy Ozbourne and dropping Iron Man. Alternatively, 1910/20’s Moscow just after Stravinsky premiered The Rite Of Spring and caused a riot. Again we would go back with Ozzy and cause nationwide pandemonium. I realise this wasn’t a time travel question but it’s more fun to imagine...
ILM: How do you approach your live show? Is there any recurrent structure, or is it all about seeing what happens on the night?
Priptal: The recurrent structure tends to be playing the songs. As for how good it turns out – that’s the bit we see what happens on the night.
ILM: Do you have any plans for a full-scale tour in the near future?
Priptal: Nothing penned, just planning still. Gregg and I travel and gig very easily as there are only two of us live (even though we have more amps than live band members), but we will get busy later this year.
ILM: Other than music, what gets Flower Of Zeus excited?
Priptal: Gregg likes driving Nascar and I like shooting beavers from my porch.
ILM: Could you recommend our readers one track by any other artist that you think they should check out?
Priptal: Our good friends Out Of The Afternoon from South East London are an amazing new band with a single out in May called I Won’t Forget You.
