In our next Band Spotlight, we chat to Queen Zee about their evolving
Hi Zee, how are you?
I’m a mixed bag. I’m recovering from a kidney stone and getting ready to release a debut album, so my days have been pretty unusual recently.
In our latest band spotlight, we talk to the wonderous Queen Zee about their forthcoming record, current inspirations and the UK’s inclusivity within music.
What are the biggest challenges you face right now as an artist? Or indeed any artist?
I’d say it’s funding your time. We don’t live in a world where record executives are throwing money at you. If they are, then expect a particular thing, a product. It’s debatable how much you can class that as making your art. If they’re not, then you’re trying to exist on nothing in an industry that expects five people and crew to drive 300 miles with five grand worth of equipment for £50.
What motivates you right now; think specific people, places and music?
I love how Instagram is putting a focus on our visual art. It’s a never previously explored world. Virtual art. We’re on the frontier of a new way to create and seeing everyday people with no art qualification or education, experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The internet is a great leveler and has the ability to put art back in the hands of everyone.
How do you look back on the early days of the band?
With amazement that we survived. I remember flinging myself off a speaker stack and tearing a ligament in my knee; we hurled drum kits around; I would set fire to and punch through the kit. We broke bones and have had stitches, and the worst one was when I spent a week on crutches. Yet no one actually got seriously hurt. Adrenaline is an amazing thing.
Talk us through the development of the new material on your forthcoming debut album; and what were some of the best experiences?
We just got to do it organically, there was no vision for it. It was just written slowly, in different sessions, across a year or so. So, it’s a very diverse and varied record. It doesn’t really let up in terms of energy because it is the handpicked best of the best. I’m happy with us starting off at top speed.
Would you describe the UK’s alternative music scene as an inclusive place to be? And, if not, why not?
It’s better than some, and not quite there yet as well. Like a lot of places are. There’s an initiative by PRS for
