This week meet the solo funk project from Zachary Leo, a fusion artist who takes “influence from the likes of Prince, Funkadelic, Parliament and Red Hot Chilli Peppers”.
Channelling his thoughts and feelings into the smoothest music imaginable, Zachary Leo keeps things colourful but vulnerable, all while busting out the wah-est of wah guitar licks. I sat down the Zachary Leo to get the lowdown on his “wildest” gig and the music that gives him life.
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened at one of your gigs?
“So I played a show in Bendigo and we were told there was going to be 300 people there: It’s going to be the best gig ever. You won’t get paid, but the exposure will be amazing. I was like “Yeah, cool”. I was young and naive.”
But things were not as they seemed for Zachary and his band. “It was 20 minutes before the show and no one was there. We thought, maybe people will come in 20 minutes… No one came. It was just my dad and the bartender. And then, during the sound check, a dog came on stage and started sniffing our pedals. The owner came and whistled him off stage.”
This weird night got weirder. “And then this guy came up and he had a goat. An actual goat. It was an upstairs, indoor venue too. The goat was on the stage, walking everywhere. The bartender was like, “Oh yeah, that’s that goat”. Everyone knew this goat. What the hell is going on here? Then the guy left and he left the goat behind. The goat was chilling.”
“So I played to my dad, the bartender, a dog and a goat. The animal-to-person ratio was equal.”
What are your most unlikely inspirations?
“Often when I say two of my biggest inspirations are Daniel Johns and Neil Finn, people are surprised because they’re not so much funk,” says Zachary. “But musically and lyrically they inspired me to want to write music. They made me understand what music can do to people.”
“A lot of my music’s about mental health. It’s kind of like my emotions are bleeding into the music. If a part is really full on it’s usually about anxiety and if there’s a lull it’s a release. Often my emotions shape musically what comes out.”
A question from the artist…
I gave Zachary the opportunity to ask his own question. Stating that he loves it when band interviews delve into what artists do outside of art, he wanted to pose the same question: What do you do outside of music?
“Sport is a big part of my life,” says Zachary. “It was always going to be play footy or play music. I was always a little too short for AFL. Footy is such a good release for me from music. I support Richmond and it’s a huge part of my life.”
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What albums have to be in your band’s record collection?
“Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers,” is Zachary’s choice. “I talk about it too much. It is the record, as a kid, that I connected with straight away. It is musically stimulating for me.”
“I always describe it as this – they were given a blank canvas and they were all throwing paint at the canvas and whatever stuck stuck. Chaotic creation of art. There’s so much going on, but it’s simple. That would be the one for me.”
Lastly, why should people who don’t know you come and see your gig?
“When we play we put on a show for the people watching: it’s all for them,” says Zachary. “It’s a bit more like theatre than a random gig. It’s big and it’s got a bit of rock, a bit of funk, a bit of soul. Even if you don’t like the music, you’ll dig the spectacle of it.”
You can listen to Zachary Leo’s on Spotify and follow him on Instagram here.
