Despite a false start, Zoophyte are back and have returned stronger than ever.
Initially formed in 2004, the Melbourne based rockers released their debut album Another Point Of View in 2007. However, despite a warm critical reception and growing fanbase gained through a national tour, the band more or less dissolved just as it was beginning to take off.
“Pretty much every member of the band left. It was a bit of a set back at the time, I was a bit shattered about it because we’d gathered a lot of momentum and we’d had a lot of play on Triple J and had a tour plan to go to the US due to the people pulling out,” explains frontman Cam Lee of the band’s dissolution.
Speaking fondly of Zoophyte’s bass player, Andrew Gilpin, Lee attributes him to the continuation of the band. “With Gilps here, if he didn’t stick around, I don’t think we’d be still banging around today.”
However, with their latest incarnation, Lee handling vocals, Gilpin on bass, Rob Muinos lending his guitar skills and Elvis Aljus behind the kit, Zoophyte are reinvigorated and ready to take on the Melbourne music scene with their hook-laden pop rock.
When asked of the quartet’s latest incarnation and whether the dynamic of the group has changed Lee responds immediately, “dramatically I’d say”
“The new reincarnation gives us a massive boost and an appreciation of what we do and this thing can obviously be shut down pretty quickly,” he continues. “It’s a pretty cruel industry in that regard. All it takes is for one person to pull out and it sets you back a couple of years.”“We’ve grown up with a lot of the bands we’ve played with this year so to be able to share the stage and be able to rub shoulders with them has been a huge thing for us.”
Explaining the trouble that plagued the band, Lee says, “in the past we’ve had a lot of musicians who’ve had different influences coming into the band, which meant a lot of our music was quite a range of styles, as opposed to now which I think is a lot more refined and as a body of work it’s a lot more cohesive.”
“We’re forever sort of trying to reinvent ourselves in that regard,” Lee reasons, “but at the same we also have a lot of fun doing it.”
With a new LP entitled Somewhere Elsewhere building steam after its release in October, and a year of intensive touring under their belt, Zoophyte have never been tighter and more excited to be working together.
Embracing modern technology has been another key aspect of their resurrection, as studio updates, tour blogs, and even an iPhone app have been tools used by the band to strengthen the link between Zoophyte and its fans.
Detailing the importance of implementing such technology, Lee says, “I think it’s another outlet for fans to be able to sort of connect with the band… Social media and all the stuff on the web that we do obviously helps out fans connect with us a bit more and see a little bit about who we are outside of the music we play.”
Yet nothing can replace the raw energy of a band’s live show, something Zoophyte understand and embrace. Including their recent album launch at Ding Dong Lounge, for which Lee could barely contain his excitement.
“It’s been a long time coming this album so it’s good to be able to get it out and throw a big bash for it,” he says.
The launch was more than just a celebration for merely their latest album. Rather it is a culmination of a year back on the road and the return of a band that once held an uncertain future.
“Yeah look it’s been great and really overwhelming this year, just to be able to get back on the road again and finally have a product that we can sell and play all the songs off,” says Lee; “and yeah the response has been really great from new fans and old.”
Spreading their reach internationally, Zoophyte were handed the unique opportunity to venture off Australian shores to a country not typically renowned for its musical output; New Caledonia.
Playing a string of dates throughout Noumea’s Live en Août Festival, Lee was excitable and spoke fondly when asked of Zoophyte’s experiences abroad.
“It was a great experience for us!” Lee exclaims. “Most of the bands on the bill were brought over from Australia and we were the only rock outfit I suppose – a lot of them were more jazz oriented or tenor bands – so we didn’t really know how it was going to go down once we got there.”“The new reincarnation gives us a massive boost and an appreciation of what we do and this thing can obviously be shut down pretty quickly.”
“It’s a very small country and a very small peninsula in Noumea where we were in a very small town,” recalls the Zoophyte frontman. “They really just appreciated musicians and different types of music, especially coming over from Australia, and yeah it was really good fun.”
This venture overseas came just off the back of a bout of support slots for Aussie rock legends such as INXS, Eskimo Joe, and Grinspoon. An incredible opportunity, says Lee, who was absolutely wrapped with them, despite the intensive workload.
“It’s been a pretty bizarre year for the band as a whole and also individually for myself. We’ve grown up with a lot of the bands we’ve played with this year so to be able to share the stage and be able to rub shoulders with them has been a huge thing for us,” he explains.
“INXS for example… we did 10 shows with them in June/July. To be on stage and see how they construct a set and how they operate from a live point of view and also just dealing with big productions, big stages, big crews, was a huge learning curve for us and hopefully we’ve taken a lot from that.”
“I think from experiences this year,” continues Lee, “we’ve learned to hit the ground running, and learned to construct our set in a certain way that’s more engaging and hopefully a bit more pumped up.”
With a new LP on the shelves and momentum building, Zoophyte’s enormous 2012 is looking to set a solid foundation for an impressive 2013.
Taking notes from local rock legends, Zoophyte are set to unleash upon Melbourne venues in the coming months and prove themselves with energetic raw passion.
Read the live review of Zoophyte’s Somewhere Elsewhere album launch at Ding Dong Lounge here.
Keep an on eye on Zoophyte’s website for upcoming tour dates.
