Zebrahead: Cali Punk’s Renaissance Men
Seven years since their last visit, punk meets rap icons Zebrahead are finally returning to Australia this October. Ahead of their tour, vocalist Ali Tabatabaee spoke with The Note about growing up in the Cali punk scene, the band’s writing process and the joys of playing live.
Interview Tobias Handke // Image supplied
Zebrahead have been out there getting it done for close to 30 years. What’s been the most rewarding part of the journey so far?
The most rewarding thing about being in a touring band for nearly 30 years has been getting the chance to experience all the places and cultures we’ve been lucky enough to visit. Playing music with your friends, travelling together and making friends all over the world is such a unique experience, and we never take that for granted.
The band came up in the Cali punk scene of the mid-90s. There were a lot of incredible bands that came out of the scene – Bad Religion, The Offspring, Rancid, No Doubt, etc. What was it like being part of that new wave of punk taking over the globe?
Yeah, growing up and having these awesome bands playing shows right down the street from your high school was super influential. It gave us bands we could look up to and also made us feel like, ‘Hey, we can actually do this as a career too.’ The scene was wild at the time – so many good bands, so many venues to go see them at. It was definitely a special time.
Looking back, how do you think the scene has changed over the years?
The biggest difference is that back then, the music industry had a magnifying glass on Orange County. Everyone was looking to sign the next Offspring or No Doubt. That gave bands like us more opportunities to get noticed and signed. But like everything else, trends change, the industry moves on to the next city, or now, more often, the next new platform for finding bands and artists.
Zebrahead have always stood out due to the band’s intriguing punk-meets-rap sound. How did that unique sound come about and when did you realise you were onto something special?
We realised we had something different right from the start. I was always more into hip hop growing up, while the other guys were more into punk and metal. When we first started hanging out, it was just us jamming. I’d do the verses in my rap style, and that made the choruses really pop when the melodies kicked in. I think it worked because it always felt seamless. The parts just clicked, and that set us apart from a lot of other punk bands coming out of our scene.
The band has consistently released music since coming together in 1996. What’s your process when it comes to songwriting, and has it changed over the years?
We usually write when we’re home between tours; that’s always been the case. We were never good at writing on the road. What’s changed is the ability for everyone to have a ‘studio’ at home now. We can work on ideas independently and send them around whenever inspiration hits. I’m more of a late-night guy, while some of the others work better during the day. Now we bounce ideas back and forth and only get together once we’ve got the start of a song structure. When we first started, we had to be in the same room for the entire writing process. Having that flexibility now has definitely helped us stay more creative.
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Speaking of albums, Zebrahead’s most recent record was 2019’s Brain Invaders, which was also the band’s last with co-lead vocalist and guitarist Matty Lewis. Since then, Zebrahead have released three EPs with Adrian Estrella on co-vocals and guitar. How did Adrian come into the fold, and what has he brought to the band?
Dan (Palmer) and Ben (Osmundson) already knew Adrian from seeing him around at shows. They were impressed by his voice and knew his personality fit because they were already friends. When Matty left, Dan took Adrian to Hooters and offered him the job. We never auditioned anyone else – he was our only choice. And we’re stoked he said yes!
What was the inspiration behind those three EPs (I, II, III), and why did you decide to release EPs instead of a new album?
That was during the pandemic. We weren’t sure how the industry would recover or if we’d even be able to tour again, so we focused on writing. We also wanted to try releasing songs as EPs because we didn’t want to wait until we had 15 songs finished before giving fans something new. We thought it was important to give people a distraction from everything going on in the world, and releasing smaller batches of songs felt like the best way to do that.
As great as the albums are, Zebrahead have always been known as an incredible live band. What is it about performing live that gets the juices flowing?
It all comes from having such an awesome fan base. They show up ready to have a good time, and I think they understand they’re just as much a part of the show as we are. That energy inspires us when we’re writing back home, we’re always thinking about how the songs will go over live. We want the songs to not just sound good in your headphones, but also make you want to go off when you hear them at a show.
The band has been touring the globe relentlessly these past couple of years, and you’ve finally announced your Aussie return after seven years. How excited are you to be back this side of the world playing for your fans?
We can’t wait to get back to Australia. The shows have always been fun and we’ve missed our friends and fans there. Honestly, that’s all we’ve been talking about for the past few months!
What can those who’ve never experienced a Zebrahead performance expect? Is there a certain song you really love to play or one that always gets the crowd hyped?
Our fans always show up ready to party, and the shows are super high-energy with tons of crowd interaction. Like I said, the fans are a huge part of what makes our live shows special. As for songs, we always try to play the ones the fans want to hear so they are hyped for the whole set and not just one song.
Is there anything you want to see or do while in Australia?
I’m sure there will be plenty of sightseeing… which may or may not involve eating way too much Pie Face and drinking loads of Australian beer!
Lastly, what can we expect from Zebrahead in the future? Is a new album on the cards?
Australia is our last big tour before we head home to finish the new album. Once we’re back, we’re locking ourselves in the studio to wrap it up, and hopefully we’ll have something new out by next summer. So definitely keep an eye out!
Catch Zebrahead at Lion Arts Factory on Thursday 9 October. Tickets on sale now via moshtix.com.au.
