The London Leap: How Zuloh Went All In on Sound, Self Belief, and a New Scene
In an industry where the struggle to break through can be monumental for emerging artists, we are right to ask; where does new musical talent come from? Do new artists ever just appear? According to indie-electronica artist Zuloh, it’s all a gamble - or ‘betting on yourself’, as he puts it.
Just six months after relocating to London from Los Angeles, Zuloh is staking everything on this moment. Drawing on the festival indie and alternative rock of the 2010s that shaped his youth, his music blends pop-tinged nostalgia - reminiscent of Two Door Cinema Club and Phoenix - with sleek, modern electronic textures reminiscent of Porter Robinson and Aldn.
Jordan Rosen speaks to me the day after his single release gig at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in Shoreditch. Our conversation wanders from NYC vs London’s creative scenes, to meeting Jadu Heart in a pub, and the go-get-it ethos behind his new EP.
Photo by @hanbreeen
Growing up, what drew you into the world of music?
I grew up just outside New York City in Westchester. It’s a sleepy suburb, but I would take the train into Manhattan to be around people making music. Growing up, my mom and I would go to festivals like Firefly in Dover, Delaware, where I truly fell in love with festival culture and live electronic music. My first concert was U2 and Muse, and I still remember really clearly this moment when Matt from Muse flew into the rafters of the stadium with a piano.
In that moment, I was like fuck, I want to do that.
Tell me about moving to London. Have you always been drawn to cities?
I enjoy the process of figuring out a new place, and when I moved to London I experienced a big cultural shift in the general stress level of the population. I think of New York’s creative scene as somewhat a cold, hardworking, very grayscale place - not very vibrant. And in LA, it’s kind of every man for himself - albeit in a collaborative, colourful way.
But in London, something here just feels like everything is lighter. Like there’s less cortisol in the air. Everyone’s a little bit sarcastic. The absence of that hustle culture makes hustle feel better - like it’s not demanded, but earned.
What other cultural differences have you experienced in London’s music circuit?
It’s cool to analyse the differences in how live crowds interact with bands, and how people treat doortime and the space in between songs. Maybe it’s the drinking culture that lends itself to a lot of casual concert-going, which I love. The ability to casually or even accidentally stumble into independent, live music is my favourite part of London.
Photos by @moxitophotography
You’re about to release your debut EP, which you’ve mentioned has come about in relation to this idea of ‘betting on yourself’.
This summer was a huge step into ‘betting on myself’. Like I’ve been making music for about ten years and not really taking the step I knew I needed to. It’s a mindset - if I woke up tomorrow morning and was exactly where I wanted to be in terms of my career, how would I go about my life? How much longer will I wait to make it happen?
This reminds me of something Chappell Roan said about giving herself one year in the industry to make it, and going ‘all in’ for that time. And look where she’s ended up.
This summer, I set myself three goals: ‘I'm gonna play three shows, do the EP and do a single’.
Either I leave London and I have completed this, or I haven't, and it's up to me. But if I want to complete x, y, and z, then I need to start, and now!
Photo by @mizzlered
A lot of musicians get their start online these days. What do you think about the music industry’s model of self-promotion on social media? I feel this online culture very much reflects where we’re at as a whole with the industry.
Right before I started rolling out this EP, I met one of my favorite bands, Jadu Heart, in a pub by coincidence. And they said something to me that’s really stuck with me - which is that everything that they do as a band is curational. So each video they post, each photo, interview, album cover is a curational act. Right now I’m really trying to lean into that curational mindset, and only put out what I feel is art. I recently posted photos of my personal notebook, and the physical notes I was taking in the process of the creation of this project, which felt really rewarding.
Last night was your headline gig at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in Shoreditch, a hotspot for emerging creatives - a really fun venue, located under the Jaguar Shoes bar.
It was incredible! A ton of friends came - even some people from upstairs because the venue is in the basement of a bar.
It felt pretty full, which is so cool given that I arrived here six months ago not knowing a single human and now a room full of humans are singing my lyrics.For me, shows are the most important part of making music - I write music for the live experience. A big plan for me is to do a run of shows on the West Coast when I get back to the US. I just want to keep this momentum up because there's no greater experience for me than to perform. I want to be an artist who shines in the live realm.
When you’re performing live, what are you thinking about?
I always want my music to evoke a collective feeling. I really like bridges where everything slows down and builds up to an anthemic chorus. Phoenix have an interview where they call it a ‘pirate part’ - where it feels like they’re a bunch of pirates about to charge at a ship. While I’m writing, I’m envisioning the environment as if I’m in the audience, and I’m conducting the show based on how I’d want to be dancing to my music. I love to direct the crowd to experience the music in that way, and it's so much fun when we’re both in sync.
Zuloh’s 4-song EP ‘Confrontations’ was released on 20th August, and is available on all platforms.