Liverpool bunch Queen Zee are a force to be reckoned with. Currently showcasing their enthusiastic and messy brand of riotous noise punk all over the UK with Dream Wife, the eight-date run concludes tonight with a Halloween show at London’s KOKO, and it’s going to be one to remember. Introduce yourself, and join the fight against bland.
Hi Zee, how are you today?
I’m well and slightly hungry as always.
How did you lot end up on the Dream Wife tour then, are you pals?
We weren’t pals, but we are now. We bumped into them at a festival in Bourges, France and just hung out. It was Frank’s birthday, and we ended up in this rave tent. We love the band, so snapped up the tour offer.
How’s the tour going so far?
The tour’s been belter. It’s as if apathy is in fashion in the UK at the moment, plenty of drab garbage made up of lanky lads who sing about nothing. It’s minimalism to the point there’s no content at all. Dream Wife are the opposite of that, and I’d like to think people would say the same of Queen Zee too. This tour’s been full of colour, vibrancy, energy and ethos.
What first attracted you to making music?
The volume of it, I think. I went to see a hardcore band called Gay For Johnny Depp with my da, and it was such an intense performance it grabbed my attention. So I’ve always looked towards art that gives me that similar “Wow, what the fuck is this?” moment and that’s kind of inspired what I want my own creations to act like.
What were the band’s first few songs like, are they still in your repertoire?
I’m always happy that Queen Zee has had the chance to grow up, our first songs are still gettin’ played. Sissy Fists still opens the set most nights, but at the same time. We’re moving on with our songwriting and Queen Zee is defo in a state of metamorphosis.
What’s been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?
Gettin’ called dirty by Iggy Pop.
What is it about music do you think that makes it so powerful?
There’s defo some science to how sound effects us, but purely from an artistic point of view. It’s bigger than ourselves. It’s a creation that will outlive us, that will speak to people we’ve never even had a conversation with, that will be heard in countries we might never visit. And then it will be forgotten as quickly as it came around.
Who do you think is the most exciting band or musician around right now?
There are loads; the underground is overflowin’ onto the surface. But in terms of something that’s given me that “What the fuck is this?” moment, I’d probably say Ho99o9. I’m stoked to see them open for The Prodigy.
What are you working on at the mo?
Album two, even though album one is still on its way. We’re gettin’ a head start on this one so maybe two records next year. Or three. Or four.
What’s on your bucket list for 2019?
Go to America, go to Japan. My one this year was to tour Europe, and we’ve done it. Every year I wanna see a bit more of Earth before I have to leave it.
Queen Zee play KOKO in London tonight (31st October), and 2Q in Lincoln this weekend (3rd November).
Words: Sam Taylor
