In conversation with Liquid Zoo: “You can expect to get your fucking mind blown”

Emerging from Sydney, the five piece rock band, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Vanda Erich, guitarist Sam Lobban, guitarist Bailey Sykes, bassist Angus Buhler and drummer Harry Colhoun, are bringing a powerful new sound to the rock scene with their latest single ‘LOVE ANYONE LIKE YOU’.

From life on tour to the writing room, we caught up with Liquid Zoo to discuss their creative process, musical influences, biggest challenges and everything in between.

For anyone discovering you, describe your band in 3 words

Raw. Infectious. Unhinged.

Five personalities within the band inevitably means five different creative instincts, does this make it difficult to make collective decisions when writing? How does songwriting usually work for you? Do you all brainstorm together?

It can sometimes be difficult with five people and five opinions, but if it wasn’t difficult, it probably wouldn’t be worth doing. That said, a lot of the time it’s incredibly easy and just flows so perfectly that it’s almost like the song was already there and we just found it.

Usually the songwriting starts with Vanda bringing in a song with the structure, some basic melodies or phrases/lyrics and a riff, and then everyone adds their own flair to the parts and the song. It doesn’t really become a Liquid Zoo song until all five of us are playing together.

© Amandine Charles Hotz

Has there ever been a song that has completely changed direction during the writing process?

‘Tell Me’ definitely unlocked a lot of influences in us that we hadn’t really drawn from or acknowledged before. As soon as Vanda brought the song in, it was pretty clear that this was the direction we should be heading in — strong riffs, hooky lyrics and phrases, and a chorus that a ’60s girl group like The Ronettes could sing, but with a groove that hits you in the face. It really changed the way we thought about our songwriting and what Liquid Zoo could be.

What is a musical risk that you have taken that you are proud of?

Before ‘Tell Me’, we had a lot of songs that we’d been playing for a while, and we ended up scrapping pretty much all of them and starting again. That was a pretty big risk because we’d already invested a lot of time into those songs and were relying on them.

But it was a risk that paid off. The songs we had before just weren’t good enough, and since then we’ve been chasing that idea of constantly evolving our songwriting. We’re proud that we didn’t let our preconceived ideas of what we should sound like — or what our songs could be — hold us back. We changed direction, and it was for the better.

You played quite a few live shows recently, what’s your favourite thing about being on stage?

I think the greatest thing about being on stage is how present it is. There’s no thinking, just doing. Just action. It’s raw, it’s energy, and it’s giving and receiving that energy from people. Hearing people connect with songs you’ve made and then watching them go crazy for 45 minutes is pretty fucking special. That’s what rock ’n’ roll is about. That’s why we do it.

© Amandine Charles Hotz

Is there a song that specifically stands out when played live? Potentially one the audience reacts well to, or a personal favourite?

‘Love Anyone Like You’ is usually one that everyone reacts to. It’s got a really catchy chorus that you can sing and clap your hands to, and a fun, infectious groove. It’s one of those songs that seems to get people involved pretty quickly.

What can one expect from a Liquid Zoo gig?

You can expect to get your fucking mind blown. To sweat, dance, jump, sing, have erotic thoughts and feelings, and hopefully experience some kind of euphoria — best described as bliss, maybe? I’ve never actually seen us before, so that’s just what I’ve heard and seen from the people who have.

What artists / bands have had the biggest impact on your music?

There are the obvious ones — The Stones, The Stooges, The New York Dolls, all the great ’60s garage rock and ’70s punk and rock ’n’ roll. But collectively, I think we’re more influenced by the energy of rock ’n’ roll and the feeling it gives you when the sound just completely takes over. Like hearing Little Richard and not being able to stop your feet or your body from moving. It’s infectious. It makes you want to dance, fuck or smash something. You know?

What is your favourite part of being in Liquid Zoo? Do you prefer the creative songwriting elements or the performance side?

The best part of being in Liquid Zoo is both. The live aspect is obviously the instant reward — the dopamine hit and the connection with people, which is ultimately what it’s about.

But being in the studio and hearing something you’ve created come back through the speakers is pretty magical too. And when the songwriting comes together, it’s such a great feeling. It’s like solving a puzzle that makes you feel euphoric.

© Amandine Charles Hotz

What are the biggest challenges in being an emerging band today?

Definitely finding the time and money to do it while trying to juggle everything else. But that’s everyone’s challenge in life, so we’re not complaining. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ’n’ roll.

If I interviewed you again in five years, what would you hope I identify as the first clue to where you were headed?

Hopefully that we never stopped evolving. We’d want the first clue to be that the songwriting kept getting bigger, stranger, more confident and more our own. If we’re still taking risks, pushing ourselves and making songs that surprise even us, then hopefully you’ll be able to look back at this interview and see that we were already heading there.