By Andy Foltz
NKyTribune Reporter
A lot of bands say they are “unique.” Zebras in Public aren’t just saying it, they’re rocking it and they’re living it.
Lead singer Zebediah Williams, while being interviewed for this article, had someone interrupt him. The person was challenging something Zeb had just said, and complaining about a high utility bill.
“Tell me something good you have right now. Tell me something good about 2015,” Zeb said.
The response was, “I’ve got a roof over my head. Things could be worse.”
Zeb agreed, and then pointed out the man’s girlfriend, and said, “You’ve got somebody to share this with. You’re not alone.”
“I want people to leave a ZIP show feeling good about themselves and to feel good about meeting new people,” Zeb said, later. “There’s no gimmick – unity, positivity and love isn’t a gimmick. A lot of bands play, and that’s it. No disrespect to them, but I’m trying to affect people’s lives.”
This is the philosophy behind Zebras in Public’s music – they are trying to bring not just energy, but positive energy to everyone who hears their music.
“Most of our songs have an uplifting message,” said bassist Brandon Masters. “It’s alright to be yourself. You don’t have to live to what society says. We have something in our arsenal for everyone. The best thing about us is how unique each one of us is and how it comes together in the song writing process.”
“We drive in our own lane,” said Ian Zwosta, lead guitarist. That lane is a wide and meandering one, taking stops everywhere from 8 Mile to Beale Street, and comes out somewhere that hasn’t been paved yet, which is just how ZIP wants it.
The band has Bob Marley sensibilities and the energy of over caffeinated toddlers. They would not have been out of place on stage at the Fillmore in the late 60’s, and have the stage presence to play big venues. Of course, at a big venue Zeb might not be able to jump on the bar to belt out a song, or rhythm guitarist Justin Smith might not be able to amble through the crowd the same way, or at least not as much of it.
“What we see onstage is them staring at us,” Justin said of the crowd. “We go out to say, if you’re going to come to us, we’re going to come to you.”
Part of how the band sends their message is the fun they have – on and off stage.
Before a recent show at the Drinkery in Over The Rhine, band members mingled with their fans and families, exchanging hugs and laughs with all in attendance. It was as if the venue was ZIP’s living room, and they were hosting a casual get together, then a frenetic jam session suddenly broke out.
The energy ZIP create during live shows is reciprocal, said drummer Chris Himes.
“I love our fans. I also love seeing people I don’t know, when they’re getting down to our stuff, Woo! I get cold chills,” Himes said.
ZIP are getting ready to launch their second video, “John Doe,” on Vevo, the video hosting site backed by Google that is helping to spread music around the web.
“Propaganda” the first single off the band’s album “Paradise Leg,” is on Vevo already. “John Doe,” will launch June 9. ZIP will also be launching a Kickstarter project to fund their next album later this summer.
“I’m very grateful to everyone who helped out, especially Ken Maxwell and Brendan Jeffrey,” said Chris, who ended up taking over as producer. The video for “John Doe” was shot using the same 4K resolution camera used in filming the recent “Total Recall” movie.
The video is a big part of what helps bands get play, these days, with more and more folks discovering music through non-traditional means, like YouTube, Vevo, and Pandora.
“It’s a deal-breaker,” said Chris. “It’s the difference between being blown off or taken seriously by the right people. It shows you are investing in yourself, because if you aren’t going to invest in yourself, no one else will either.”
“John Doe” starts off with a reggae-vibe, and touches on a darker social message, about the consequences of violence in modern society. “One shot, two shot, three shot, four/And none of them know what John was shot for,” is an expression of the senselessness of the violence, a young man is found dead without even being able to be identified.
“I knew that song was gonna have an impact. It’s about how anybody can become a John Doe,” Zeb said. “When everyone started putting their two cents in, it really came together. It’s just a beautiful project, with the impact it’s had on people.”
ZIP resume includes the following: Voted best live entertainment for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati for the third year in a row; Performed at and nominated for a 2014 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards; airplay on 96Rock, WEBN, Class X Radio, Cincinnati’s Project 100.7, and 89.7 WNKU radio stations; twice the 96Rock Homegrown artist of the week; featured on their own channel on Pandora Radio; and had the single “Propaganda” featured on Touchtune jukeboxes nationally.
Four members of the five-piece band are graduates of Boone County High School. Zeb is a Cincinnati native. They have a variety of musical backgrounds. Zeb was an established hip hop artist prior to joining ZIP. Ian started out as the bassist for a ska band in the mid-90’s. Brandon and Justin starting playing together in junior high school, but didn’t play together on stage until Justin brought Brandon, who was in another band, into ZIP as the bassist.
“It was like, here’s what I learned, and then he would go, here’s what I learned,” Justin said. “It wasn’t even a whole song, sometimes it was just a lick.”
ZIP was originally a four-piece band, founded by Zeb and Ian, who worked together at the time. Chris replaced the original drummer.
“I loved the music, I loved the concept, I loved the message they were sending,” said Chris.
Justin was a fan, coming to shows, and felt something more.
“I could hear a spot where something was missing, and I knew I could fill that spot,” he said. ZIP was his first band. He then took over as bassist once the original bass player got married and quit the band. After playing bass for a year, he encouraged the band to bring in Brandon.
“Out of everyone we tried out, no one else sounded quite right,” said Ian. “It’s cliché, but Brandon was out missing link. Justin was the dog you feed once, and then he keeps coming back, and eventually he’s your dog and you love him.”
“I love how far back we all go together,” said Brandon. “It’s interesting how it all came together.”
It will be equally interesting to see how far their own lane can take them together.
