Into the Trip with Sons of Zöku
Gang of Youths have a talent for turning human emotions into life-affirming anthems that Australians (and the world) have loved for the better part of a decade. The band’s bassist Max Dunn walks The Note through the complexities of their latest album and talks about why the five-piece will always make time for Adelaide.
Image by Lauren Connelly
Sons of Zöku’s bassist and sitar player, Jordan Buck and Oscar Ellery, are chatting with The Note ahead of their WOMADelaide set. Nerves aside, the duo says it feels like divine timing for the six-piece to play this year’s world music festival.
“I think we manifested it in a way,” says Jordan. “Over the years, so many people kept asking when we’d be playing WOMAD. We’ve always applied, but I don’t know if we were really ready before – it was probably a blessing in disguise. Now, we’re probably the best representation of who we are.”
But while the WOMAD stars have finally aligned for Sons of Zöku, the band almost missed their chance to play: the fateful email confirming their name on the festival bill landed in Jordan’s junk email...
“They ended up calling me,” the bassist laughs.
“And then he sent this real casual message into the group chat,” recalls Oscar, “Like, ‘Yeah, we’re playing WOMAD’...”
“Yeah, I was trying to play it cool,” adds Jordan.
Known for their psychedelic rock sound that draws inspiration from artists across the globe, Sons of Zöku will play an hour-long set on the Sunday of the four-day festival. The band plan to blend its expansive back catalogue with newer tracks, like ‘Earth Chant’. The just-released song is a taster of what we can expect from their upcoming album set to be released later this year.
“We got long songs, so we need a long set,” Oscar says. “It’ll be pretty dynamic. The first 30 percent of the show will be several songs, but it’ll just sound like this one big thing.”
Tabla player Lovepreet Singh will also join the six-piece on stage. The band have jammed with the Indian-born musician before and says the tabla sound elevates the Sons of Zöku experience.
“The tabla takes us to another level. It really adds to our sound,” Jordan says. “It’s also a special thing to add, so ina way, we don’t want to do it all the time. But WOMAD is a special gig. Lovepreet really pushes us.”
“I feel like he’s taught us a lot,” Oscar says. “It’s a cool collaboration. He comes from a totally different musical upbringing. He’s very dedicated to his instrument.”
Sons of Zöku thrive when playing live, using the audience’s energy to fuel their on-stage experimentation. A recent two-hour gig at the Queen’s Theatre saw the band members let loose in the middle of their set and vibe off each other’s musical direction.
“It was sick,” Oscar says. “For me, it was one of my favourite moments as a band. Totally organic. When you’re in the moment, there’s no room for questioning what you’re doing. You just have to go for it.”
The unravelling of Zöku songs and sounds on stage is a result of the six band members feeling confident in the genre-defying space they occupy. “But you don’t want to get too comfortable,” Oscar says. “We back the music and enjoy it. But there’s something to be said for being uncomfortable. We’re always trying to push ourselves – especially when live.”
Led by Portuguese-born musicians Ricardo Da Silva and Ica Quintela, Sons of Zöku haven’t shied away from exploring different genres, sometimes leaning into punk and garage rock instead of psychedelic world music. It’s resulted in a unique, expansive sound derived from a kaleidoscope of global influences. Oscar says they’ll only delve deeper into their sonic exploration now the band’s line-up is solid.
“Zöku is a platform to musically do what we want. There’s nothing to say we won’t go in a different direction in the future. Influences just creep in.”
And besides, the six-piece feels like they’re only getting started.
“There’s been a lot of moments lately where it feels like a rebirth. Big moments happen, and it feels like day one again,” Oscar says. “It’s the start of a new chapter.
