Biography
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Years Active
2013 – present (10 years)
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Founded In
London, England, United Kingdom
Hailing from around the UK but meeting in East London's Hackney Wick, Zola Blood are Matt West (vocals), Ed Smith (synths), Sam Cunnington (drums), and Paul Brown (guitars). They formed in 2013 and with some rough demos quickly caught the attention of Talk Talk manager and Label, Keith Aspden (Pond Life songs) and have been working together since.
Zola Blood’s first recordings emerged from their windowless rehearsal room in 2014. Their dark, rumbling debut 'Grace' garnered interest from blogs worldwide and was quickly followed by the minimal 'Meridian', which struck a more euphoric note. Both tracks reached the top of the Hype Machine chart. Reflecting the band's love of club music, 'Meridian' was remixed by Berlin producer Applescal, introducing the electronic pop act to a new audience, including the BBC's Lauren Laverne.
In 2015, Zola Blood teamed up with Richard Formby on the second EP, 'Play Out/Pieces of the Day'. They established a richer and more layered sound, experimenting with modular synths and outboard gear in an intense and lengthy studio session spanning south London and Leeds. The EP earned them a late night slot at Secret Garden Party in the summer of the same year. In 2016, they began work on their debut LP, 'Infinite Games'. Having decided to self-produce, the band spent months experimenting and honing their studio skills. They worked with upcoming engineers David Oversby-Powell and Loz Curran, as well as collaborating with Oli Bayston (Boxed In) and Duncan Toothill (Little Cub). 'Heartbeat' was the first single, released in July 2016, and blended pop sensibilities with a minimal techno influences. 'Islands' followed on New Years Eve and featured on a host of major Spotify playlists, including the US New Music Friday playlist. Infinite Games was released in May 2017, initially for download and later in limited edition deluxe 12".
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