One on One: Zoo Legacy

March 21 was the first night of many in the amazing showcase of raw talent that is Canadian Music Week and I hit up the Piston to see the Ottawa based band Zoo Legacy who opened the show for a long list of talented bands like Sound of Lions(another Ottawa based band representing up in Tdot) and Dream Jefferson, all of which rocked the house like no other. I could not have been more moved by the emotion and true untamed talent that performed.

Nick Pouponneau, lead vocals, a rapper by trade, started the show by forcing the crowd to move forward.

“We don’t bite” he said, as people moved up.

This was just the beginning of the engagement that Nick solicits from his audience. As the show continued, he constantly made reference to the crowd and had people making as much noise as he possibly could.

The band consists of 4 members, Nick, a rapper who twists lyrical rhymes with melodic hooks in such a way that even though he doesn’t have your typical front man vocals, his emotion comes through his voice making it completely discernible as his own, there is no other like it. Next we have the band members consisting of three gents of multi-instrumental talent, Mark Milloy, Dominic and Samuel Goss. The three instrumentalists pull together a collective talent for creating music that both moves and inspires the listener.

These guys are dedicated to their work to such an extent that they had their CD’s passed out during the show to all the audience. They put them in sleeves handmade with Z and L stamps done by none other than the boys themselves.

Lucky girl that I am, I got to sit/stand with these guys after the show for a quick and dirty interview on the here and now as well as the future:

When did you get together and start?

Nick: We started in the summer of 2010, Sam and I had been friends for a while, and Dom has been Sam’s brother for…ever?  We’d talked about it for a while and eventually just got together and became Zoo Legacy.

Sam: And then Mark came in in October 2011

So then, Mark, where are you on the tracks that are out there now?

Mark: Right, the tracks on the EP are not mine, however, any of the live tracks are…

Sam: Heavily Mark’s, HEAVILY Mark’s, on the new album, Marks played a big role

The NEW Album, when’s that coming out?

Dominic: End of May

Nick: Mid to End of May

(Can’t wait)

How excited are you for next week? You’ll be performing with Classified and Kardinal Offishal on Friday

Nick: Junofest is gonna be off the hook, to do a show like this in our own city means a lot and we’re going to rep hard

Dominic: Our momentum has been growing as-it -is in Ottawa, and to play with two Juno nominees, well I think it’s going to be a HUGE show for us

What are you plans while you’re in Toronto?

Sam: We are taking advantage of the festival, seeing some bands and attending some conferences, we’re also have a photoshoot on Saturday since we added a new member, our photos are all mostly of the three of us.

Mark: And continue the guerilla marketing, handing out CD’s and stuff like that, which we’re famous for

What’s the word for the future?

Nick: Make music forever….Should we add a bit more to that?

Sam: We’ve definitely built a following in Ottawa so we’re trying to expand, we’ve done a few shows in Montreal and this is our first show in Toronto so we’re definitely excited to move things east and west.

So be sure to look out for the boys of Zoo Legacy in the future as well as Friday, March 30 in Ottawa  at Ritual, tickets are $20 at the door and they’ll be performing with Classified and Kardinal Offishal, proving to be a great night!

Check the FACEBOOK EVENT HERE

Also, check out the boys WEBSITE HERE where you can read up on their bio as well as DOWNLOAD their album FREE

Peace,

Meaghan