The Ontario-based rock trio known as The Zilis (Sean Royle, Zander Lamothe, Justin Bozzo) may get along better than any act we’ve ever sat down with – players that collaborate as both friends and respected fellow artists. The eclectic rock fusion outfit has been building up quite the audience north of the border, releasing their debut album, Sketches, garnering them a Drummer of the Year award and Rock Album of the Year nomination at the 2012 Hamilton Music Awards.
Lucky for us, they released Sketches II in February of this year, complete with the band’s latest music video for “Trumpets of the Tide”. The trio told us so much about what to expect: “I think people can expect a heartfelt performance of a well-written song. ‘Trumpets’ is a special one – maybe one of our best. The title of it wasn’t something that was thought out over a long period of time, either. It was just one of those ideas that come to you instantly. I liked it because it suited what I was feeling about relationships and being a traveling musician at the time. It’s tough to explain, but I think in the context of the rest of the song, it’s easy to understand.” Click to http://www.thezilis.com/ to get further into The Zilis and Sketches II...right after you finish reading all the answers to the XXQs below.
XXQs: The Zilis (SR: Sean Royle, ZL: Zander Lamothe and JB: Justin Bozzo)
PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound and what do you feel makes you stand out over the others in your genre?
SR: The Zilis are influenced by a wide variety of musical genres. Aside from Rock & Roll some of the less obvious influences include Rhythm & Blues, Country/Folk, Jazz, Electric Blues, and Pop. When you think outside the box a bit and draw from all these different genres it gives a unique sound that you don’t hear too much of these days.
PEV: Ontario-based, but calling the US home, what kind of music were the members of the band into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?
SR: I first started really getting into music when I picked up the guitar in seventh grade. I was into bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, The Rolling Stones and so on. I think what drew me to that “classic rock” sound was all the great playing those guys did back then. In a lot of those bands, every musician is at the top of their game. My first big concert experience was seeing Neil Young on his Greendale Tour in 2003. My father, who’s a huge fan, took me and my sister to the show. Neil did a bunch of long jams in so many of his songs and I remember loving every moment of it.
PEV: What was it like trying to break into the music scene in your hometown, when you first started out as a band? What was your first show like together as a band?
ZL: It has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point. All the support we’ve gained so far is a product of us relentlessly touring, recording, and playing residencies around our hometown. Our first show, though, was at a bar called The Red Rooster in Burlington, which is now closed down. But we performed there under the moniker “The Led Hot Zili Peppers”. We formed as a cover band to pay for the expenses of our original band at the time. I can’t remember a lot of specifics about our first show but I do remember rockin’ out on a bunch of covers just thinking these guys are some of the best musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure to play with.
PEV: What can fans expect from a live The Zilis show?
ZL: I like to think that fans can expect a really good show and a fun night when coming out to one of our gigs. We always try to put on a good show for our supporters and I think we’ve always gotten great feedback from our audiences
PEV: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you step on stage?
ZL: First thought in my head is to make sure all my gear is setup comfortably.
PEV: How is playing in The Zilis different than working with other artists or projects in the past?
SR: Playing with The Zilis is the best experience I have had as a musician. I’ve been in bands before where certain members try to take control over the direction of the group without considering other members’ ideas or feelings. There are no egos or anything of that nature with The Zilis. We all get along very well and I believe we bring out the very best in each other. It’s an honor for me to share the stage each night with such great musicians, and, more importantly, such great friends. I’m very thankful to be a part of it.
PEV: What was the underlining inspiration for your music? Where do get your best ideas for songs?
SR: Being in a travelling band you meet a lot of cool people and get to see the world from a different perspective than others would. I think our music is definitely influenced from some of the stories and people we’ve met on our travels but also from other feelings and encounters that happen in life in general. The underlining inspiration for us is the sheer love we have for making our own music. I think anyone can find a connection with the stories that are told in each Zili song. Whether it’s a love song, political song or even a fictional story involving different themes and characters, the listener can find something they relate to.
PEV: Thinking back to when you first started out, do you ever look back at your career and think about your earlier days and how you’ve arrived where you are today?
ZL: It’s kind of hard to do because I feel like we’re still in the middle of it. I can definitely say that I’ve learned a lot throughout my career so far, but I think it’s too early to reflect too much on our careers because we still have a lot to look forward to.
PEV: What can fans expect from your latest release, and the awesome new video for “Trumpets of the Tide”? What is the story behind the title?
JB: I think people can expect a heartfelt performance of a well-written song. “Trumpets” is a special one – maybe one of our best. The title of it wasn’t something that was thought out over a long period of time, either. It was just one of those ideas that come to you instantly. I liked it because it suited what I was feeling about relationships and being a travelling musician at the time. It’s tough to explain, but I think in the context of the rest of the song, it’s easy to understand.
PEV: What is the feeling you get after a song or album is complete and you can sit back to listen to it in full?
ZL: Sometimes I can sit back and really appreciate our albums or specific songs, and then other times I hear drum parts, sections of songs or something and I wish I did it differently. I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re all our biggest fans and critics.
PEV: What would you say is the biggest challenge for musicians trying to make a name for themselves these days?
ZL: I think in some cases there is a lack of support for developing bands from the “music industry”, but I also think that now, more than ever, musicians have a lot of power over what they create and release to fans. The music industry is definitely in flux and who knows how it’ll operate when the dust settles, but for now, our focus as an independent band is to just make music and build our fan base.
PEV: With all your traveling is there one area you wish you could travel around and play that you have not yet?
ZL: I think all of us really want to go to Europe. Italy, Germany, France, and The Netherlands; there are so many places we would like to go. We haven’t had a chance to tour there yet, but I think we might plan a tour over to Europe sometime in the near future.
PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your career? What’s it like when you get to play at your hometown?
ZL: All of our friends and families are extremely supportive of us. Every time we play a hometown show lots of friends come out. We sold out our most recent CD release in Hamilton, so we definitely have some great support in our hometown.
PEV: What can we find each of you doing in your spare time, aside from playing/writing music?
SR: Sometimes we’ll get together and play ice hockey with our good friends. We’re also all extremely passionate about our favorite sport teams in the NFL, NHL, and MLB. I personally am a big fan of Serie A soccer as well. We all share love for classic movies and I think it’s pretty safe to say that The Godfather Trilogy would be at the top of our list. We’ve each seen those flicks over and over.
PEV: Name one present and past artist or group that would be your dream collaboration? Why?
ZL: That’s a hard question to answer. For me, personally, I would love to collaborate with The Band. I’m just a massive fan and it would have been unreal to work with those guys back in the day.
PEV: Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?
SR: There are a few great bands we’re all into that we feel the rest of the world should check out. In our hometown, there was a band called Dawn & Marra. They parted ways, unfortunately, but both still make new music of their own. Their tune “Not On Top” is probably my favorite song going and we usually end up covering it at our shows. Another band that shows great potential is a Rock & Roll band called The Kerouacs. We met them at a show we played in Toronto and fell in love with their music ever since.
PEV: If playing music wasn’t your life (or life’s goal) what do you think each of you would be doing career-wise?
ZL: I honestly have a hard time thinking of doing anything other than playing music. I’m a huge history buff. I really enjoy studying ancient civilizations and also more current historical events and figures. But for me, my career is music.
JB: I would be helping people or groups of people in one way or another. Maybe as a mediator or a diplomat. Anything involved with resolving disputes or helping people who can’t help themselves. I’m actually a full-time student at McMaster University along with being a full-time musician. At times it can be tough to balance both, but I really enjoy what I’m learning and I hope to continue to do both for as long as I can. Eventually, I would love to go to law school.