Interviews: Zacthelocust

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Punk Rock band Zacthelocust from the UK. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or did it just come out like that?

Ash: This one is all Keryn. As the legend goes Keryn was known to many as Zac in his wonder years and was and is (as I am) a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, in particular his character of Borat. There is a Borat sketch where Borat acts out a Kazakh TV drama by the name of “Locust” for an audition. After watching this Keryn decided to shower in his best mankini, so upon entering the shower with his special sponge and favorite rubber duck called Liam, he had an epiphany, ZactheLocust was born!

Rob: This one is all Keryn. The story goes Keryn had been out for a few pints, maybe about seven? Stripped off naked and ran off into the dark of the night. He was found passed out at 7am by a dog walker on Barry Island Beach clutching a traffic cone with ZacTheLocust written on his forehead

Keryn: Both of those accounts could be true! But all I know is when it was time to name the band, I thought it was cool. Plus there definitely isn't another "ZacTheLocust"!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Keryn: Being a teenager in the 90s and early 2000s I just loved punk, pop punk, rock, and metal. The feel-good songs, the anthems of all those bands that I still love now, were always going to influence my writing and style of music and make me want to play in that style. From the moment I bought Dookie in 1994 and blasted it out of my CD player I was hooked!!

Ash: this is where it gets interesting. My playing is kind of a smash of all my influences, growing up I listened to Blink-182, Sum 41, Puddle of Mudd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Stereophonics, Oasis, Blur, Thin Lizzy, Led Zepplin, The Who, Black sabbath, Rush, Metallica, Slipknot, Rage against the Machine, Elton John, Funeral for a friend, The Beatles, Queen, Sex pistols, Nirvana, Rainbow, Toto, Wishbone Ash, Free…… just to name a few. But when you mix all that up it makes for some interesting stuff, so getting back to the original question I’d say my playing spans genres, and when that’s mixed in with the band it makes for even more interesting music.

Rob: I’ve never specifically played one genre really, Starting out I played so many different genres being in a cover band, from Blink 182, black sabbath, The Who, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the offspring, Jimi Hendrix, Rage Against the machine, Leonard skinner, the Eagles….The list honestly would go on forever and is so broad. I really just enjoy any music that really grabs you and makes you listen again and again and takes you somewhere, I love the energy of songs and the ability they have to connect you to so many people regardless of Genre. I love taking elements from many genres and merging them with my playing to create great music.

Archie: I've always been big into music, as a kid, with my dad, I'd listen to The Jam, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, AC-DC. Then I found Blink-182, Sum41, and Green Day. I later got into heavier bands and styles, but Pop Punk always stuck with me.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Cory: Well I wanted to get back into the band scene for a while so i just went online and browsed local bands looking for a singer. Literally within a month and a half, I was in the studio recording songs. Was pretty surreal for me and everything just clicked together so well. Feels like we've all known each other for years.

Keryn: I knew Rob from being in a cover band previously. But we all got introduced to each other through mutual friends. Cory was the last to join as we needed a better singer than me!

Archie: No I didn't know anyone previously. I was between bands, so I decided to record and upload some covers to Facebook and YouTube to pass the time through lockdown. I received a message from an old bandmate who told me ZacTheLocust was looking for a lead guitarist and that I should try for it. And nearly 3 years later, here we are, they still haven't got the heart to tell me how shit I am!

Rob: Me and Keryn previously played in a cover band that dominated South Wales with our youthful good looks, outstanding sense of humour, and charm. Later on, when life hit we had a bit of a pause, and after Keryn asked me did I fancied doing some original material. I met Archie and Ashley for a jam in a hall and we ran through a load of songs for an hour or two then went home. Once my hearing came back after a few days, I called Keryn and told him to stick the band where the sun doesn’t shine, Only joking I was hooked and here we are!

Ash: I knew of Keryn through his cover band but was never formally introduced. One evening I was relaxing in my favorite chair wearing my deluxe velvet gown and slippers and the phone rang, it was a mutual friend asking me to come along and try out and thus formally introducing me to Keryn, the rest is history as they say…… I still don’t know who the other 3 strangers are.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Keryn: Has to be Greenday for me.

Rob: Really can’t answer that with one band which is something that really annoys me! But here’s my top ten: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Blink 182, Black Sabbath, The Eagles, Rush, Rage Against the Machine, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac

Cory: for me, Green Day was my go-to growing up as well as Black Sabbath. And can’t forget about Queen. 🤟

Ash: A tough question, I love many but my number 1 has to be Rush.

Archie: it's so hard to just pick one band as a favorite. But if I have to I think I would go with Blink-182.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Keryn: From as long as I can remember I was always fascinated with how people can come up with melodies and great riffs and lyrics. I just think it's great that someone can write a song and be so universally loved and reach people on so many different levels and in different ways! Music unites people and if I can somehow, come up with a song that does that, then I'll be happy! As for who inspires me, my favorite songwriters would be Lennon and McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Billie Joe Armstrong, Noel Gallagher, and Kelly Jones.

Rob: I think having the right people to write with drives creativity. When you work together well in a band you bounce off each other and it pushes you to want to constantly create more music. As for bands I just love any band who constantly adapts or pushes the boundaries of songwriting like Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Rush, etc

Archie: There are so many bands and artists that have given me inspiration to write songs including Blink-182, Sum 41, The Jam, Oasis, AC-DC, John Lennon, Bullet for My Valentine, and so many more. Most of the time I'll be messing around on my guitar and I'll come up with a riff that I think is pretty cool, or some sort of chord progression that I really like and I'll record that straight away on my iPad. But that's as far as it goes really! I think I've finished 2 or 3 songs and shown them to the boys, I just haven't completed any of my other ideas yet lol hopefully I'll knuckle down and get them finished. But Keryn is the main man for writing.

Ash: All the great song-writers, there are way too many to name but I’m still yet to finish a song of my own to bring to the band there are kind of bits here and there, the main man for the writing is Keryn, he will come up with an idea, some lyrics or a riff, many times all three of them at once. I then get inspired to play a certain way to what I'm hearing, that’s how it works for me.

6. Where was your last gig?

Cory: Our last gig was at The Duke in Neath, South Wales. Coincidentally it was our 1st as a 5 piece too.

Rob: Yes and it was damn loud!!

7. Where would you like to play?

Ash: Any arena around the world that would have us, I would really love to play a big festival, Download, Reading, Glastonbury etc…

Cory: Download!!. Have always wanted to play there.

Rob: Anywhere! But aiming high; Download festival, Reading, Rock Am Ring, or any festival 🤘🏼

Keryn: RedRocks in Colorado! Would love to play Download Festival, Reading, And Leeds Festival, basically anywhere that will have us at the moment as we are just starting out with playing live. 

Archie: I'm happy to play anywhere, I love playing guitar and gigging. But personally, I'd have to say Utilita Arena Cardiff (CIA) as that's where my dad would take me to a lot of gigs when I was a kid. Even on a school night!

8. Who would you like to support?

Keryn: Greenday!! Blink 182, Feeder, you me at 6, Those Damn crows, Metallica! 

Cory: would be insane to support some of our idols or even fellow countrymen at shows, green day, blink, feeder, those damn crows. So many amazing acts that we would be honored to support.

Archie: Blink-182, Sum 41, Green Day, Foo Fighters.

Rob: Anyone who would like the support! We would definitely make an impression 

Ash: My legs, they’ve supported me for my entire life.

9. Who not?

Ash: I suppose we would support anyone who would be happy to have us, we would also have to fit in with the main act, no one wants to be booed at and or covered in glass.

Keryn: To not support?? Anyone we would not go down well with I guess, don’t fancy getting pelted with bottles and booed off stage!

Archie: I guess any band that we don't really fit their genre. I don't really dislike anyone, but I've seen gigs where the opening band is completely different from the headliners, and it just throws everything off.

Rob: Anyone who we wouldn’t fit in with musically. I think it’s important to be on a bill with a band that fits with your music

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

Keryn: I can’t say that I have to be honest. I just enjoy playing live. Tips for anyone who has stage fright? Just imagine everyone in the audience is naked haha!

Archie: I've been playing since I was 9 years old, my first gig was when I was 13 or 14. But my first experience with stage fright was quite recent - we played at my dad's wedding. It was very personal for me and I wanted to do him proud - I forgot how to tune my guitar! I had to ask Keryn what the strings were! Honestly, for me, I got out of the fright by "just doing it". Freezing up wasn't an option. Everyone loved us, it was a fantastic night.

Ash: I actually used to when I was younger, my dad helped me, being a drummer himself he told me to just hit the drums as hard as I could, it didn’t matter what I played or not to play anything at all, just hit things hard and weirdly it worked for me, it relaxed me a lot…. On the flip side, the boys have my father to thank for me deafening them.

Rob: Not so much stage fright I’m usually anxious to get on stage, but I am self-critical and I really try to make my performance better each time I play. Any advice for anyone who gets stage fright is to remember you are playing because that’s what you love to do, so play the sh*t out of it!

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Keryn: The Beatles, Queen, Oasis, Green Day, Blink 182, Offspring, Sum 41, Lit, All time low, Sex Pistols, Metallica, You Me At 6, Goo Goo Dolls, Feeder, and way took many more to mention!

Ash: All those great bands from question 2 and many more, I could name them all but you’d still be reading them next week, as for who has inspired me the most, that has to be my dad and animal from the muppets… love that guy!

Archie: Honestly there are so many to choose from. Blink-182 will always be a big one for me I guess.

Rob: Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, and Blink 182, plus many others to be honest but these bands have a hand in how I play and approach writing music.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Ash: To sing bohemian rhapsody backward whilst standing on one leg. True story!

Keryn: To sign a CD, that's weird when you think no one knows who you are! 

Archie: I'll let you know when I get one!

Rob: What brand of shampoo/conditioner do I use in my hair. Yea, I know a pretty weird question right? Anyway, that’s classified.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Keryn: I am and always will be, grateful from the bottom of my heart, to anyone who likes our band and listens to our music.

Cory: Anyone who likes what we are doing we are truly grateful. 

Archie: I'm thankful and grateful for every single one of them. I'm glad that they like and enjoy what we do. The support at gigs is overwhelming.

Rob: We are all so thankful to anyone who takes the time to listen to our music, follow us, and takes the time to give us feedback. It means the world to us!

Ash: I think like the rest of the lads I’m extremely grateful to anyone who listens to our music, by a ticket or merch or anything, without these wonderful humanoids we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

14. What do you think of our site?

Ash: It’s a great platform! Great for up-and-coming bands to get recognition and have the opportunity to do things like this.

Rob: I think it’s great for bands like us to gain a great following and really get our music out there, and the site is really professional

Keryn: It’s a great site for bands like us to be recognized and to answer some fun questions so people get to know us better.

15. Something to add?

Keryn: I want to say thank you to you guys for the interview and thank you to anyone who listens to and comes to see ZacTheLocust wherever and whenever that may be.

Ash: Thank you so much to everyone who has supported ZTL, we couldn’t do it without you and thanks to you guys, it has been a blast, until the next time 🤘

Archie: thank you guys for the interview and thank you to everyone who listens to us and comes out to see our shows 🤘🤘

Cory: Cheers for the interview and we hope anyone who reads it enjoys it!

Rob: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us we are truly grateful! Until next time 🤘🏼