It’s been 8 years since the release of the Zoo Community Jazz Band’s second album ‘Stories’ but now with their brand new single ‘Highflyer’ launched on the 1st May, the band have awoken with a bang. 

The reason for the hibernation? According to the highly-secretive act it wasn’t so much an intentional break but rather a case of the songs that have organically grown over the best part of the last decade taking a form that was ready for release into the world. And ‘Highflyer' shows a real development of ZCJB’s sound - fans of the first 2 albums (2011’s 'Monsieur Chevalier' and 2012’s ‘Stories’) will be pleased to hear that they have continued their unique mix of electronic and acoustic instrumentation wrapping around catchy hooks and pop-friendly melodies. But they have also delved further into the instrumentation itself - with their new sound bringing more vintage instruments into play. Second world war-era lapsteels are blended effortlessly with 1980s electric piano, brand new synths and guitars interweave with the counterparts from the 70s and the sound is fantastic. 

But is this a flash in the pan? Or are ZCJB here to stay?

The Zoo Community Jazz Band is traditionally very much an album artist, previously having released just a couple of singles and preferring to focus on the narrative of the album. But just as music consumers have changed their behaviour, so too have the Zoo Community and the good news for fans of music is that we can expect regular new tunes from them. It’s great to have them back.

Highflyer

Any musicians will know there are certain people always hanging around - at gigs, at the studio, via social media - these characters promise the world to young artists but all too often they’re just looking to take advantage of artists for their own benefit. 
This is a song about breaking free of the chains, getting away from those characters and being true to yourself as an artist, and as a human being.

In this world, we need artists more than ever. We need them to speak to a truth we cannot verbalise, we need them to communicate social injustice and call for change, we need them to provide solace in these difficult times and sometimes we just need them to entertain for the sake of entertainment alone. This song is for all artists both in music and other disciplines, thank you for all you do.


Lyrics:

He’s driving
A cherry red Silverado
There’s a butterscotch telecaster on his wall but it’s gone out of tune

He’s saying
Saying he can make me a megastar, saying everyone will know who you are, baby
Just do whatever I say


And I knew you were pretending
‘Cause every feeling in my bones said the same
Yeah I know that I’m not talented
But I’m just another dreamer, 
A dreamer who got out alive


He’s drinking
Jackie D from the bottle and reeling off
Stories of the old days of writing songs but I’m not sure that any of it’s true


He’s saying
Hold a rose petal over an open flame
To the devil write a letter and in it say
You can keep my soul for a taste of that fame



And I knew you were pretending
‘Cause every feeling in my bones said the same
Yeah I know that I’m not talented
But I’m just another dreamer, 
A dreamer who got out alive
Just another dreamer
A dreamer who got out alive

Talented

The Zoo Community Jazz Band pay homage to the Queen, Dolly Parton, and present their own version of her classic country hit 'Jolene'.

Available everywhere from 31st July - ZCJB present this track to our Soundcloud fam first.

Jolene

'Half a Heart' is the latest of a batch of new singles the Zoo Community Jazz Band are releasing each month for the majority of 2020.

The anonymous collective have been in hibernation for over 8 years. The Coronavirus lockdown inspired them to start making music again.

The new canon of work still has all the hallmarks of the two albums in their back catalogue, creative and genuine human songs that merge electronic elements with more acoustic instruments. The difference with the new material is that ZCJB have spent the last 8 years expanding their studio, producing other artists and honing their songwriting. 

Their new self-produced sound is a beautiful marriage of authentic vintage instruments and their modern counterparts with the aim of transporting listeners to another world.



Half a Heart is a #scfirst release and will be available on all digital platforms from 28th August 2020

Half A Heart

We are continuing our monthly single drops with "Neon Heart" launching on all platforms from September 25th - with the track going live early as a special treat for our soundcloud fam!

Neon Heart

Our new single 'Tennessee' is a song we wrote after returning from finishing off our second record on Nashville's Music Row. When we returned we had a strange mix of feelings - we wanted to be a part of the Nashville scene but we knew we were never really from that world - and we saw loads of other UK artists that wanted so much to be a part of that scene that they built up a pastiche of it here in the UK. We've tried to reflect this conflict whilst staying true to our roots.

Tennessee

The Zoo Community Jazz Band take on John Denver's country classic 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' in their own unique style with OmniChord, Synth Bass, Chip Synth and ethereal multi-layered vocals

Take Me Home, Country Road

They've been asleep for 8 years. Now they’re waking up.

The Zoo Community Jazz Band are a totally anonymous collective that have laid dormant for some time now. 2020 sees this incognito outfit return to the music world, with a new track set for release every month for the rest of the year.

There's a saying in country music that all it takes is 'three chords and the truth' - but The Zoo Community Jazz Band use this as a spring-board for more complex and electronic instrumentation.  

Their first record; Monsieur Chevalier, was recorded in Kent, their second in Nashville & with upcoming releases having been recorded in a home-studio and self-produced, the 3 chapters of ZCJB are all distinct in their comparative sound. 

The Zoo Community Jazz Band vary their subject matter, veering from heartfelt messages to more socio-political commentary, with the songs themselves tending to run along themes of modern life.

They have previously experimented with other artistic mediums and have featured on BBC 6Music. The Zoo Community Jazz Band also released a poetry/photography iBook called ‘Poems and Prose, Pictures and Politics’ which is free to download on iBooks.

The Zoo Community Jazz Band are ingenious in their innovation, allowing the music to stand for itself outside of the parameters of convention.