Liquid Zoo: ‘Meeting Keith Richards would be like meeting Jesus’

The Sydney music scene has gained some rambunctious new members in rock band Liquid Zoo, who have quickly made a name for themselves with their high-energy performances, infectious riffs, and a sound that blends 70’s glam rock with an Iggy Pop-esque stomp.

The band comprises Vanda Erich (lead vocals and guitar), Sam Lobban (guitar), Bailey Sykes (guitar), Angus Buhler (bass) and Harry Colhoun (drums). It all began in the small town of Tamworth, Australia; three years ago, they moved to Sydney and it wasn’t long before they found themselves playing gigs around the city’s local scene.

‘After a crazy week of gigs—11 shows in 10 days—we realised we had something special, so we brought it back to Sydney and kept going!’

‘It all started pretty casually,’ said Lobban. ‘We met the other guys just by playing shows around Sydney, and before we knew it, we had a band. Now, we’re kind of conquering forces!’ The band solidified its current lineup during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, an iconic event that holds a special place in Australian music culture. ‘It’s the Australian Nashville,’ Buhler said. ‘We weren’t even planning on joining the band full-time, but after a crazy week of gigs—11 shows in 10 days—we realised we had something special, so we brought it back to Sydney and kept going!’

The journey to finding the perfect band name was far from easy. The band admits they had some rough ideas along the way – “Cheap Thrills”, “Charisma with a K” and “Loose Threads” were among the candidates before they landed on Liquid Zoo. ‘We just saw it online and liked it,’ said Erich laughing. ‘It felt right but there were definitely some interesting options along the way!’ Colhoun tells me that, funnily enough, there is also a club in Canada called Liquid Zoo: ‘We have to play there some time!,’ he said.

Their latest single ‘Taste’ is the result of musical alchemy in the studio after a few revisions. The track, which is drenched in 70’s’ glam rock vibes and has a huge Stooges/Mick Jagger at his most salacious vibe, was originally written by Erich but was initially scrapped after an early recording. ‘We didn’t like the first version at all,’ Lobbhan admitted. ‘When we worked with some new producers, they told us: “You’ve got a great song here, you just need a new chorus.” And that was the game-changer.’

‘It was one of those songs that just clicked’

With a fresh chorus and a fast-paced vibe, ‘Taste’ became the anthemic track we know today, with its infectious energy and a hooky riff that you can’t help but stomp along to. The band recorded the song live at the legendary Grove Studios, an experience they describe as incredibly organic. ‘It was one of those songs that just clicked,’ said Colhoun. ‘We didn’t overthink it, we just went for it.’ Erich interjects: ‘The Grove Studios is quite a renowned spot but we only had one day between when we found the song again and decided “Let’s do it” to being in the studio. Bailey and Harry had never heard it before (laughs).’ Sykes looks at him: ‘We had to learn it in a day!’

Typically, their songs start from a killer riff and build it from there, according to Erich: ‘I spit out dummy lyrics, whatever comes to mind and just try to fit something that sounds cool. In the intro to ‘Taste’, I was trying to be Elvis (laughs). I’ll come to them with a bit of the song. They’ll add their parts and be: “Nah, that bit’s shit, this bit’s good” and then we finish the song together.’

At its core, ‘Taste’, much like the name suggests, is about lusting after a girl: ‘It’s a bit of a character but it’s based off real life as well,’ Erich said. ‘The chorus is kind of about my current girlfriend.’ Colhoun interjects: ‘Wasn’t it based on a future version of you guys? It’s basically talking about who they are in two years, that’s what they were saying in studio,’ he told me. Erich nods: ‘It’s easier writing about someone you know because you can describe it better. When you make it up, you can dramatise it but I feel like it’s always about something.’

‘I realised that I could scream like that, so I started doing that as none of the other boys could sing, so I had to!’

Erich got into singing as a teenager playing a lot of Jet: ‘I realised that I could scream like that (laughs), so I started doing that as none of the other boys could sing, so I had to! I was in the boy’s choir,’ he quipped. ‘No, I wasn’t (laughs). Sykes is laughing: ‘They were going to castrate him but they liked his deep voice!’ Sykes first picked up a guitar when he was 13, Buhler was 18 and Lobban was 15. ‘I was about 16 or so and Bailey asked me to start playing the drums,’ Colhoun said. He asked me: “You want to start a band?” We just started playing instantly together all the time. That’s how Bailey and I met. We were mates before we met these boys for a couple of years and then we joined them.’

‘Snakeskin Boots’, which they released as their debut single last July, perfects encapsulates their signature energy, driven by a heavy riff and a swagger that immediately makes you want to dance to it exuberantly wearing the aforementioned boots. ‘The idea for the song came from a love of Keith Richards, snakeskin boots, and, of course, Iggy Pop,’ Erich said.: ‘It started with the riff, like most of our songs. We’re all obsessed with Keith Richards (laughs) and I think I just ripped off a bit from The Stooges and put it together with the snakeskin boots idea. I pretty much wrote it in five minutes.’ Colhoun interjects: ‘We really are obsessed with Keith Richards and he wears snakeskin boots!’ Are the snakeskin boots inspired by real life ones? ‘Yeah, actually,’ Erich said. ‘They belong to my ex-girlfriend. I looked down at her and clocked her snakeskin boots. I was like:”Ah, nice!” It’s her boots on the artwork.’ Sykes is laughing: ‘It’s also his cat on the artwork – he lost it in the “divorce”!’

They would love to hear ‘Snakeskin Boots’ in a film: ‘After the opening scene, it just drops in,’ Buhler said enthusiastically. ‘A Tarantino film would be pretty cool.’ Sykes jumps in: ‘Or the new Gladiator. Or a Vietnam war movie. I don’t think they have so many snakeskin boots in Vietnam (laughs) but that aside, I could hear it going from a helicopter over the jungle or something. I’d love that.’

‘Seventies classic rock, we all love it, we all live by it‘

Collectively, they draw inspiration from a wide range of iconic bands, with everyone bringing their own influences to the table. ‘The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and The Doors,’ said Colhoun. ‘But we also love more modern acts like Queens of the Stone Age and early Kings of Leon. Seventies classic rock, we all love it, we all live by it and then from there it breaks out into its own little genre depending on who and what.’

Next year, they plan to release several singles, according to Erich: ‘I think we might also have an EP coming out but we’re just trying to get heaps of singles out.’ Next up will be their third single ‘Tell Me’, which they plan on releasing early in the new year: ‘It’s a bit different from ‘Taste’, it’s got a more hooky chorus and a more complex structure,’ said Sykes. ‘We’re experimenting with more parts.’ Lobban agrees: ‘It’s still got that stomp but we’re adding more layers, it’s got a vibe that’s all its own and more of a chorus.’ Lobban agrees: ‘It’s more of a song, if that makes sense? It’s a riffy one, it’s more complex, with more moving parts. You could play it on an acoustic guitar and it would work.’ Erich weighs in: ‘It’s still stompy but the chorus is more Beatlesey. It was originally two songs: we took the verse from one song, which is more of a rocky Velvet Underground, Queens of the Stone Age, hip hop combo and mixed it with a New York Dolls-style chorus.’ Colhoun interjects: ‘I’d describe it as a “don’t judge a book by its cover” sort of thing. It starts off as giving the guy in it advice on the way to live his life right now and then as it goes on, he’s asking the question: “Was I wrong? Tell me.”‘ Lobban nods: ‘It’s about unrequited love. That’s always a big topic in the song, isn’t it?!’

‘Meeting Keith Richards would be like meeting Jesus’

If they could put together their dream line up for a night, Lobban is quick to put The Rolling Stones on the line-up: ‘Because meeting Keith Richards would be like meeting Jesus.’ Sykes picks The Sex Pistols: ‘Because they’re crazy and it’d be awesome to have a night out with them!’ Would he survive it? ‘Yeah, I think we would, it would be worth the bet, we’d go!’ Colhoun looks at him: ‘We’d be left for dead!’ Buhler goes with The Velvet Underground: ‘Lou Reed was awesome. They made really cool rock ‘n’ roll songs and I think they would be awesome live.’ Colhoun picks Oasis: ‘That was the best show ever. That’d be dope – imagine playing and Oasis comes on! And if they had a massive bust up on stage, that’d be fun to watch (laughs). We’d hang out with them in the green room and get a bit wild and take it from there!’ Erich wants The Doors on the line up: ‘I’d want to see what Jim Morrison was like. I reckon he’d be unreal – he’d hypnotise me!’

However, for a night out on the town with a musician, some new names make it into the mix: ‘Bon Scott (the former second lead vocalist for AC/DC until his death in 1980) for me,’ Erich said. Sykes picks Keith Richards. Lobban is thinking: ‘I’m going to go Waylon Jennings, that would be very, very fun. He’s my idol, although I don’t actually think he drinks!’ Colhoun can’t decide: ‘Anyone, it’s like my bloody dogs! Queen Elizabeth, I’m serious! Probably Bon Scott because he’s the one we missed out on.’ Sykes jumps back in: ‘I don’t even know what I’d ask him. I’d probably just stare at him!” Erich interjects: ‘I’d ask him: “Who’s your favourite, Lil’ Richard or Chuck Berry? Yeah, you’d want to know who his favourite is! Or: “How’d you get all that swagger?!”‘