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Cape Town - Zebra & Giraffe's new EP Slow Motion will be released on Friday, 13 November.
Zebra & Giraffe is known as one of South Africa's finest rock acts, with two SAMA wins and more than 15 radio hits over the past 7 years.
Their passion to move beyond what they're known for musically is evident in the unpredictability of each new release.
The good news for fans who are curious to hear what Zebra & Giraffe has come up with on this new offering, is that the EP will be available for pre order on iTunes from Friday October 30th.
The first single It's All The Same will also be available to buy on iTunes (as a single or as an instant grat track when you pre order the EP).
The single will also be available for streaming on Apple Music, Deezer, TIDAL, Spotify, Google Play and Rdio. Zebra & Giraffe did the pre-production for the new album at Openroom in Greenside and then flew to San Francisco to record the EP with American producer Cian Riordan (HOLYCHILD, The Wombats).
Listen to the single here.
This is the first time that they have worked with a new producer after doing 4 albums with Darryl Torr. Greg Carlin says: "Working with a new producer for the first time in our career was really refreshing and a good step for us. We've worked with Darryl (Torr) on 4 albums now and he and the band agreed it was time to try something different.
Initially we were nervous working with someone else, but immediately after our first Skype call with Cian, we knew we'd found the right guy. I think the 2 main things he brought to the table was a fresh perspective on song choice, and a simplification of the production process.
We're so used to layering our sound in studio - we'd layer at least 5 to 10 guitars plus effects on any given part. That layering has in a sense become our signature sound, but it also allowed us to hide behind it. I think we got away with a lot. Cian stripped everything back to its core and made sure the hooks and the playing were all super strong. It's definitely given us a bolder and punchier sound."
Zebra & Giraffe spent 7 days recording at Panoramic House in Stinson Beach (20min from San Francisco) Carlin says that the band loved every minute of it.
"The studio (Panoramic House) had some of the best vintage gear in, so it was a real treat to be able to record there". They also got to record the vocals and piano for You Are live at Barefoot Studios in Hollywood.
"We got a really great piano player named Dan Martinez to come in and play live while I sang in the booth. It was a great experience to record in that room - The piano was the same one Stevie Wonder recorded Songs In The Key Of Life on and parked just next to it was Slash's cruiser bike that he was given by Conan O'Brien! Very Hollywood."
The EP really isn't focused on one specific type of song or genre. The sound across the 5 songs is diverse.
Carlin explains: "On this project we wanted to push ourselves in different directions and not play it safe by producing the same thing we have before."
The searing "Redefine" finds the bands exploring its heavier side with Carlin pushing his voice to new heights.
You Are and Slow Motion find Carlin and the band exploring more positive themes than on past releases, whilst It's All The Same and Won't Break Down blur the barriers between pop and rock and will be stuck in your head for days. You Are also features newcomer Ruby Gill on vocals.
The EP was mixed by Riordan and mastered by Emily Lazar at the Lodge, NYC (Vampire Weekend, Sia, Foo Fighters)
The music video for It's All The Same is a collaboration between director/DOP Trevor Calverly, photographer and Art Director Elsa Bleda and Greg Carlin. It follows a couple's brief "road-trip romance" but reimagined on trains rather than on the road. It stars Elsa and actor Adam Heyns and was filmed on the Shosholoza Meyl train from Johannesburg to Matjiesfontein, on train rides from Cape Town to Fish Hoek, in bars like Lefty's and the Laird's Arms (Matjiesfontein) and in the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Watch the music video below:
Upcoming Shows:
31st December - Arcade Empire (PTA) Halloween
2nd December - Pop Art Theatre (Maboneng, JHB) Acoustic (with Ruby Gill)
3rd December - Pop Art Theatre (Maboneng, JHB) Acoustic (with Ruby Gill)
4th December - Rumours (West Rand, JHB)
5th December - Sundowners (Alberton, JHB)
Make sure you pre-order the album here and/or the single here.
