Zoëtrøpe are (from left to right) Hannah (bass and vocals), Amy (lead guitar and lead vocals) & Zoë (drums and vocals). They formed in September last year and having seen them play Buffalo Bar on Friday; I had to get an interview.
How did you all meet?
Amy: Hannah and I met when we were squatting a toilet factory in Elephant and Castle about 5 years ago, her room was significantly less depressing than mine so I hung out in there a lot. I met Zoe through Hannah last year.
Hannah: I thought Zoe was underage in a pub so I tried to look after her for a bit. Shockingly, she’s older than me.
Zoë: Our first band practice was in Hannah’s living room in Stoke Newington, it was a mess. We didn’t write a song or have a name but from that moment we were a band.
How would you describe your sound?
Hannah: Quite nice.
Amy: Melodies for swamp sirens.
Zoë: Raw, fun, full of life.
Did you have fun recording the video to Demons?
Zoe: The set Penny (Mills, who art-directed the video) made was amazing and Ringle the gecko was a star! We only had tiny speakers for playback so it was pretty funny and hard playing along to the track in time but I bet editing it was harder! It’s a great video.
Amy: Filming the miniature landscape was fun because Penny lived with a bunch of kittens at the time so watching them wander around on it was endlessly entertaining.
Hannah: The gecko bit was fun, the green-screen bit was a bit tedious but I think the video’s great.
Having seen you play at Buffalo Bar; I would say your live performance fluctuates between intense and funny but always entertaining. Your song Don’t Look At Me would be a good example. Would you agree and do you think this is Zoë’s influence (and as actor/comedian)?
Amy: I think fluctuating between intense and funny could be a pretty accurate description of any one of us as individuals. Although ‘always entertaining’ only really applies to Hannah.
Hannah: Yeah well it’s hard to imagine what impressions we’re making on people but I’d say I find all of Zoetrope very intense and very funny.
Zoë: We all influence one another – we find each other intense and entertaining but not always at the same time.
What has been your favourite gig so far?
Amy: I actually had the best time I’ve had at a gig for a while just last Friday at Buffalo Bar. It was probably my favourite since the Halloween gig with Manflu.
Hannah: Maybe the Pussy Riot one, we stuck balaclava’s on at the end, that was fun.
Zoë: I really enjoyed supporting the Not Sensibles at the New Cross Inn a couple of weekends ago for a punk all-dayer. I was scared before we went on that we wouldn’t be hard enough but we smashed it! And I was honoured to play after Viv Albertine at the Pussy Riot fundraiser.
Are you looking forward to playing the Lexington on Sunday?
Zoë: Yeah!! Should be a good night, it’s for a good cause too! [To raise awareness of FMG]
Amy: We haven’t played the Lexington before and I’ve always loved seeing bands there so I’m looking forward to it.
Hannah: Yeah it’s a big stage though…
Do you have any more gigs or festivals planned this year?
Hannah: Hopefully no more gig’s for a while, we’ve done 28 gig’s since September, I wanna muck about in the studio more. Would love a few festivals though!
Zoë: We’re playing 1234.
Amy: We might run away together over the summer to see what happens…
Who are your favourite bands at the moment?
Hannah: Baby Godzilla, Fat Whites, Toy, Umez.
Amy: My favourite band in London, hands down, is Fat White Family.
Zoë: I love Trash kit and wish Wet Dog would reform!
Have you had any interest from record labels?
Zoë: Have you?
Hannah: Secret.
Amy: It’s been pleasingly organic thus far so hopefully that’ll continue and everything will be perfect and eventually explode into glittering white light…
What is your favourite recipe?
Amy: Salt and vinegar.
Hannah: Menemen – it’s a Turkish thing – tinned tomatoes, spinach, eggs and feta
cheese all mixed up, looks like sick but I love it.
Zoe: Guiness and a whisky chaser.
Interview by David Apple, photo by Tina Shekih.
