Zenon performs during Sled Island on Thursday at 7pm at Commonwealth.
TRANSCRIPT:
Aldi (CJSW)
Could you introduce yourself first?
Zenon
My name is Zenon. I am a local soul musician here in Calgary.
Aldi (CJSW)
As an emerging artist, what do festivals like Sled Island mean to you?
Zenon
I think that Sled Island in particular, means a lot to me, because I played it a few years back, and it was kind of one of my first intros into what the scene really means here. And I think what that means is a big sense of community and being able to find your people, and not even just your audience as an emerging artist, but also your homies, people that you can really vibe with. And so I feel like a really big part of that for me—and I imagine a lot of other artists, I guess I’m only speaking for myself—is a sense of community and the opportunity to really just get out there more and connect with more people, or even more musicians.
Aldi (CJSW)
How important do you feel that community is for growing artists?
Zenon
I think it’s an integral piece. I know that for me, it’s been an up and down road when it comes to community. I can be someone who’s pretty in my head, and sometimes it’s hard to interact with other people, because I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I’m being perceived. I’m being judged.’ But then I have to look internally and realize that I’m kind of pushing that narrative out for myself. Once I get back into that headspace and realize it, it’s so extremely apparent how important community is, and that sense of connection with everybody around us.
Aldi (CJSW)
It’s pretty interesting that you mentioned being perceived. It’s a weirdly common thing with artists who want to put their music out, but you also don’t want people to look at you at the same time.
Zenon
Yeah, it’s so strange. It is a very strange thing. I think that there’s a lot of things that I’ve wrapped my head around and being like, it’s not actually about me anymore. When I’m in that writing phase, it’s about what I need to say and what I need to get out emotionally. But I think, later on, it’s more so about the people that you’re speaking to, which is the community.
Aldi (CJSW)
What unique creative chemistry exists in the collaboration that you don’t really get from your solo stuff?
Zenon
That’s a great question, because this is actually my first year playing the festival with a full band, and collaborating with other artists is just so heartwarming and so fulfilling. And I think the biggest creative aspect of it that comes out for me is being able to see different perspectives. If I share like a melody or a lick and I’m like, ‘I like this,’ and someone else in the band or other people that I’ve collaborated with are, like, ‘Oh, that’s like, not the vibe. But what about this?’ So it’s really just—I think that’s the best part, it’s the most fun part. It just offers new perspectives, right? We don’t learn anything if we don’t have new perspectives.
Aldi (CJSW)
Traditionally, you’ve performed by yourself, or at least alongside BEV. What are some of the motivations behind performing Sled Island as Zenon and The 64
Zenon
Hemen was actually a really big influence. He messaged me months ago, and was like, ‘Hey, are you doing Sled this year with a full band? Are you doing it with Bev again?’ And my immediate gut reaction was, ‘Oh no, like, Bev.’ And then I think I messaged him two days later, and was like wait a minute. I feel like this is a perfect opportunity. It felt like a door had been opened and so that was a really big inspiration. And then also just the opportunity to meet more artists and collaborate with more artists is also a really big desire to be able to do a full band thing. Plus, I love playing with a full band, it’s so good.
Aldi (CJSW)
What’s the most fun part about playing with a full band now, compared to before?
Zenon
I think there’s something to be said about the element of letting go or maybe not letting go, but maybe letting in the groove of a full band. Because once you lock in together, It’s magical, the chemistry that you can get from those moments is so enriching and so fulfilling. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely feel that with Bev and we’ve played so many countless shows. We did a show in Prince George last year. I think it was an incredible show. We locked in the crowd, locked in, everything felt like so cohesive and innovative. There’s an extra added element with a full band.
Aldi (CJSW)
You’ve described your work as neo-soul, but a bit of a blend in jazz alternative and RnB. If “Genre Z” were its own genre, what rules would it define?
Zenon
I feel like Genre Z definitely dipped more into like the jazz element and like the jazz side of what I was doing. I think that also had to do with the players that were on the album, which—amazing players and very jazz based players, so I think jazz is in there. I would say, like jazz and definitely, a little bit with some of the tracks, like walk away, it definitely dipped into a little bit of an alt rock element. Maybe not alt, but maybe a rock element. And then definitely, I think soul is something that stays consistent throughout everything I do, and I think some of that is brought forth by my vocals, more than anything.
Aldi (CJSW)
Genre Z was your debut album, and it’s a pretty bold title. It kind of suggests that you’re not just working within a singular genre. What’s the story behind it?
Zenon
The story behind it is that I really wanted to come out and say this stylistically could be anything. And although I said it did kind of branch more into the jazz soul universe, I wanted to kind of come out and say Genre Z is me. I don’t want anyone to have expectations of what I’m going to put out next, because I want you to see me as Genre Z and not whatever you might perceive me as-which is so wild to say-really it was almost an opportunity to jump into the scene and say I’m going to do whatever I want, and if you want to come along for the ride, that’s dope.
Aldi (CJSW)
You said that Genre Z is a part of you. Is there any connection to your identity at all?
Zenon
Yeah, so I would say so. My identity as a whole, I mean, a really big part of that is my queer identity as well. And one of the tracks on the album is titled “Why,” and that was a coming out song for me that was, actually, the way I came out to everybody in my life was through that song. And so I think that that kind of also was intertwined with the title, because it’s so unapologetically me.
Aldi (CJSW)
From “Smoking my Lungs” to “What it Was” your singles dive into some deeply personal themes. How do you decide when a feeling or memory isready to become its own song?
Zenon
What it was, took a long time to come to fruition, so do a lot of my things. I think I sit on things for a really long time. It really just depends on processing some of it. Once I’ve processed those feelings and started to let them go, it’s almost like that feels like the right time, and then obviously bringing other artists on board for those projects kind of reshapes the story a little bit. And I think that’s a really cool aspect. My songs usually starts at the beginning of processing. I think a lot of my writing starts at the core of that first initial feeling. And then again, sometimes it’s years, and sometimes I’ll even leave something maybe because whatever the feeling that emerged didn’t stay consistent or dissipated. Then years later, I could come back and be like, ‘Oh my god, I got to revisit this feeling that I had that one day.’
Aldi (CJSW)
You’ll be releasing three singles in different months and it’s kind of its own motif. What ties them together, emotionally or thematically?
Zenon
Emotionally and thematically. It’s all about changing the way that I think specifically about relationships and interpersonal relationships with not only people that I love and care for but also the world, and how back in 2019 I had a very specific, unfortunate, abusive relationship that really changed the way that I thought about my self in the world, how I interact with it and how it interacts with me. So those singles, those first three, there’s a big thread between those first three that kind of outline the beginnings of of this sense of changing, transformative self, and then it’s going to lead way to an album.
Aldi (CJSW)
Do you have anything to say about the album?
Zenon
Definitely, that’s that thread that kind of starts with the singles is really amplified with the rest of the album. The album’s titled Redecorating my Mind, and I feel like that title in itself kind of showcases the whole purpose, which is changing the way, I think, as a result of this catalytic event that happened for me. I’m super stoked about the album. It’s in progress, I’m in the studio with a local producer, Dempsey Bolton, and it’s been a really fun process to take these songs and kind of reshape them too. And I’m really looking forward to sharing it, and I hope that it’s able to reach people who maybe have gone through a similar experience.
Aldi (CJSW)
You’re composing 12 songs for a musical theater production with Dan Thompson. How different is your songwriting approach when it comes to theater compared to your own personal music?
Zenon
It’s so different, especially because I find with theatre, you’re writing with a plot and ideas already in mind, and you’re kind of, you’re writing to the story, as opposed to creating the story, right? I definitely feel like I’m tickling and using the parts of my brain that I got the tools that I needed as I was studying music in college, and that in itself, has kind of been an awesome experience. So it is very different in that sense that I feel like I’m coming at it, not necessarily. More of like a theoretical approach, but there is that element for sure, and using those tools that I have. I’m writing for all the different characters throughout the musical so they kind of each have their own character arc and their own story to tell. And so as I’m writing songs for each of those characters, that does for sure happen, but it’s definitely like individually based on those characters.
Aldi (CJSW)
How do you maintain emotional presence and vocal stamina, especially with music as intimate and nuanced as yours, when you’re performing throughout the year?
Zenon
Vocal health is really important. That’s definitely the top tier for me. I always make sure, especially before bigger shows, or I mean, any show, but definitely bigger ones, that I’m warmed up, I’m hydrated. I’ll do a vocal steam, very important key elements. And sometimes the emotions get the better of me, and then sometimes I’m not in the best health, like I was sick a couple weeks ago, and I’m still kind of coming out of that, right? So I think it’s just about showing up as you are in your vocal ability and your emotional ability when you’re on stage. Because as soon as you show up as you are, everything’s fine.
Aldi (CJSW)
For Sled, are there any local artists that you’re excited to see or any shout outs?
Zenon
I’m definitely excited to see Dempsey. I love watching him live, super stoked on that show. And then tonight, I was thinking about checking out LEMON BOY, I’m stoked for that. And Friday night, I’m so excited to see Kimmortal. I saw them for the first time in Vancouver earlier this year, and it was incredible. So lots of amazing musicians are going to be here, andI’m super stoked on so many of them.