The history of rock music is littered with backup bands. Some you’ve never heard of, but others, like The Band (Bob Dylan) and The Eagles (Linda Ronstadt), are at least as famous as the acts they supported.
While Zeus still have a while to go before they reach Hotel California status, they’ve already stepped out of their employer’s shadow.
For the last couple of years, the Toronto-based foursome has been Jason Collett’s backup band, providing the tight, indie pop spine to the singer’s Dylan-inspired tunes.
The partnership has been a fruitful one — Collett’s never sounded better, while Zeus was able to learn a few things without the pressure of releasing their own albums. “Jason was a real inspiration for arranging,” says Carlin Nicholson, the band’s bassist and co-founder. “He’s got this I don’t give a s— style that I love.”
Not only did the group play with Collett, they recorded with him too, acting as producers on his latest record Rat a Tat Tat. It was natural to work with him in that capacity too — they already know how the Broken Social Scene member ticks, so they didn’t do as much arranging as they normally do when they produce other musicians.
“A lot of trust has built up over the years with Jason,” Nicholson explains. “We’d just add harmonies and produce his esthetic. We know what he likes.”
It was inevitable that the group would record their own music — the members had released albums with other acts — and after Collett played some of their tunes to his label, Arts & Crafts, the stage was set for the band’s full-length debut.
Say Us is a retro pop album, taking cues mostly from classic Brit-rock. The album is replete with bouncy melodies, fuzzy distortion and ’60s sounds, packaged together to feel a lot like a slick Arts & Crafts act.
They’re already being hailed as the next big Canadian act, and that’s a good thing for Nicholson, who’s got no plan B if the music gig doesn’t pan out.
“I always assumed things would eventually happen,” he says. “Anything I do with my time that doesn’t have to do with I want to be doing in 10 years time — whether it’s playing or recording — is counter productive.”
Fortunately, it’s likely he’ll always be able to be a backup band. Even if they do make it big, the group has no plans to abandon their job with Collett.
“We’re going to continue to do that,” he says. “There are no conflicts there, even though Jay is our buddy, our manager and our boss.”
