To be honest, it’s kind of rare that I jump onto a support act when I go to a gig, but The Belligerents Sydney leg of their ‘Looking at You’ tour featured one band I just could not ignore. Mount Zamia. In a short break between sets at Brighton Up Bar on Saturday the 30th I managed to pull Jai aside to get the low down on where and how these legends have popped up.
Like swimming in an ocean of psych synths, Lazamia is a masterclass in all things trippy and a promising new track from Mount Zamia
The Sydney newcomers are a tight little collective of misfits from all-over. Jai Cougle lead vocal and guitar, Brenton Penner on drums, Charlie Finn and Caleb Tasker on guitar, Nahshon Beckett on keys and Jonny Blackwell strumming that bass, all hailing from a little bit of everywhere; Sydney, Coffs Harbour, USA and Canada. The boys bring together the best of bush, beach and the busy city.
Having already performed along side Jai Wolf, Bin Juice, Basenji and at some sick venues including headlining at Oxford Arts Factory, I was super surprised that they hadn’t come up on my radar sooner. But fucking oath, I’m glad they did. The juicy combination of seriously legit guitar and reverb that will make your nipples tingle, Mount Zamia shouts Led Zeppelin, King Gizzard and Nirvana all in the same breath.
But they’re not just reworking the classics, these boys have talent and with the right equipment they know how to work it. Their live set supporting with Foreign/National for The Belligerents, was one of the tightest supports I’ve seen in a long time.
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And the respect for their peers was totally evident, these boys aren’t cocky, they’re ready to learn and lend a helping hand, as was evident in the handing over of one of the boys’ guitars when Belligerents front man Lowis tragically broke a string mid sesh.
Having already released their EP Pavlova in 2015, a creamy mix of funk and sultry drawl, Mount Zamia is set to release their second EP LaZamia on SoundCloud tomorrow, and not a moment too soon. The boys don’t steer clear of keeping it real and, as Jai revealed, both tracks are inspired by the same girl, with Jai and Caleb working together on lyrics. Whoever this chick is, she certainly left an impact and it’s providing all the goods for us.
LaZamia is a soaring, ultra-trippy track. if you’re a Babe Rainbow fan, then definitely chuck this bad boy on. Twang and funk don’t even cut it, the marriage of the multiple vocals punctuated with these delicious four note guitar hooks make for a really clear sound with just the right amount of dirty garage band flavour.
Listening to that instrumental interval at around 3:15 took me to Rudi, discovering the new sound in the desert in possibly the best Mighty Boosh episode of all time. These guys certainly know how to transport and it’s a testament to their undeniable instrumental and songwriting capabilities.
They are definitely one to watch and I can bet that they will not be supporting for much longer. So if you want to go on a four and a half minute vacay to a sexy desert in your mind, then give LaZamia a spin, I can assure you, you will not be the alone in frothing on this one.
You can check them out next at:
May 27th – The White Horse Hotel
June 3rd at Soundscape – The Factory Theatre in Marrickville
June 24th – Oxford Art Factory (Rare Finds)
