We’ve heard their official story: Three Cashmere High lads make music in a basement, take on another band member, and go on to global fame, playing with big names like Coldplay and Robbie Williams.
Christchurch pop rockers Zed, best known for hits like Renegade Fighter and Glorafilla, have just released their first album in nearly two decades. But where did their original inspiration come from? Seven Sharp’s Rachel Parkin investigates and takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
He had a bowl cut. I wore Mum’s billowy, floral skirt. We sang Just Hold Onto Me — with pitchy gusto — and rowed an imaginary boat.
In 1992, at Cashmere Primary School in Christchurch, Zed bassist Ben Campbell and this reporter co-starred in The Nutmeg Princess.
I caught up with the band in Akaroa last week — before Zed’s new album Future Memory dropped — and I mentioned Campbell’s very early work.
“Ben, would you say the duet you sang in Form Two in your primary school production kickstarted your career?”
Campbell nodded with a twinkle in his eye.
“Undoubtedly, it did.”
“Who was that with Ben?” vocalist Nathan King chipped in before hilarity ensued.
Christchurch is very small, if you don’t already know. I only waited 30 years to mention this.
“I remember having to pretend to be skipping down a hill, pick up a stone … throw a stone … and then there was a rowboat wasn’t there,” Campbell said.
Yes, yes, there was. My fabulous Mum found the footage.
Forty-three-year-old Campbell started singing, “I’ll hold on to you; I’ll be quite safe.”
“Until we reach the raft, a safe place,” I finished.
Only one of us went on to musical greatness. Zed’s first album Silencer topped the Kiwi charts and took them on a global journey.
“Our lives were crazy,” said Campbell.
“And it felt like the sky was the limit at that point,” said King.
When the band parted ways in 2002 for family reasons, none of them predicted a 15-year hiatus.
A reunion performance at Eden Park in 2017 inspired more gigs, and now, 20 years after the band’s last album, a new collection called Future Memory is out.
“So, what’s changed and what’s stayed the same?” I asked.
A pause.
“I feel like we’ve fallen into the healthy side of our roles,” said drummer Adrian Palmer, to laughter from the others.
“That’s deep,” said Andy Lynch.
“Someone else can define that, but that’s my kind of opening statement,” said Palmer.
‘Very good mates’
It’s true; middle-aged Zed isn’t out raging anymore. But some things never change. Their friendship.
“[We are] very good mates. I think we’re closer now than we’ve ever been,” said Campbell.
And their collective passion for music remains.
King said their new album was for them — a chance to make music they still had in them.
“What maybe spurred us on to make a record was that when we’ve played live shows in recent times, we’ve had this amazing experience where we felt a whole lot younger — as if we’re teenagers again, and you see it in the crowd as well,” he said.
“All of a sudden, you see them looking younger, joyous and having a great time.
“So we wanted to do that, capture that and give people that experience again.”
The new album was also much more collaborative — a real team effort.
“And Andy’s had way more involvement in the songwriting, which was not such a thing on the first two,” said King. “So, if it all goes pear-shaped, it’s his fault.”
“That’s how you bring him in?” I asked.
“Good interview, Andy,” quipped Palmer as Lynch pretended to leave.
The spark between these lads is contagious.
Minutes later, as the others fiddled, tweaked and tuned while setting up to rehearse, Lynch began to play. The opening chords of Renegade Fighter — deep and melodic — gave me goosebumps.
And that was when it all made sense. This music still needed to be played, and new music needed to be created.
It was no Nutmeg Princess. But gosh, it was good.
