May 1st, 2014 
Brian Leak 
Way back in 2012, we ran a feature introducing our friend Zach Zeller, a genuinely talented musician based out of Northern California. Over the past several years, Zach’s been balancing duties between multiple projects, most recently devoting his time to Belda Beast, a band that originally formed back in 2006 and has seen a boundless progression ever since. Impressively combining elements of folk, upbeat pop, dreamy shoegaze, and indie rock, the quartet’s new self-titled album fires on all cylinders and is sure to appeal to fans of any (or all) of the aforementioned genres.
UTG is honored to be premiering Belda Beast in its entirety today, and to coincide with the stream, Zach Zeller took the time to speak with us about the album, the band’s evolution since forming, and what’s on the horizon for his multiple creative vehicles. You can read our Q&A below and stream all eight tracks from Belda Beast’s self-titled album before it’s officially released tomorrow!
UTG: Belda Beast has been together for almost 8 years now. How would you describe the band’s evolution over time from your inception to the release of your brand new, self-titled album?
Zach Zeller: The band has definitely changed a lot over the years. We started out as a folk-rock band and have slowly developed our sound with changes in band members and personal interests. One key element that’s remained the same is bringing it during the live experience. We love putting on a good show and having fun with everyone involved. I feel like that spirit shines through on this new record.
UTG: What can you tell me about the sound and lyrical themes on Belda Beast? Any specific influences that played a major role in the writing on this one that differs from your previous work?
ZZ: I feel like this record, more so than any other in the past, reflects the music that’s been most influential in my life. The Ramones, Velvet Underground, disco and ’80s pop were what I grew up on. When writing the songs for the album, I tried to incorporate some of those influences into the vocal melodies and mood of the music. It’s been a fun experience because the guys in the band all have different musical tastes. The sound has really changed just over the last 6 months, but we are all really happy with what we have now. Lyrically, the songs deal with finding your place in society. I think it’s an issue everyone deals with on a day to day basis, questioning one’s role and purpose in life.
UTG: Can you walk me through the recording process a bit?
ZZ: We recorded the record in our practice space (The Dojo) in Redding, CA between January and April of this year. The basic tracks (drums, guitar, bass) were recorded live and we then overdubbed percussion, vocals and guitars. Our drummer (Kevin Berg) tracked, mixed and mastered the album. It was great working with Kevin because he encouraged us to record anything and everything. As a result, there are some really cool musical textures throughout the album. The tracks are a mix of material from the original incarnation of Belda Beast in 2006 and material from the current 2014 lineup. Some of the songs were written over 10 years ago and others within the past 6 months. Belda Beast has always been a rock band live, but our recordings have up to this time been electronic pop songs. We didn’t have the proper recording equipment in the past, so it’s exciting to finally release material that represents how we actually sound live.
UTG: And the album is released through ATC, right? Do you help manage that or are you involved in some other capacity?
ZZ: We will be releasing the record through the Around Town Collective. Kevin Berg and myself help manage the daily activities of the ATC, though many others are involved. We were fortunate enough to work with ATC visual artist Rickie Barnett in developing the album art. We discussed the album’s concept and Rickie came up with a real captivating image. Those type of artist connections and collaborations are what the ATC is all about promoting.
UTG: You have some shows coming up spanning northern Cali and heading all the way up to Seattle to coincide with the album’s release. Have you guys been to all of these areas before or will this be a new experience for you?
ZZ: We’ve individually toured up north in other projects, but this will be Belda Beast’s first time venturing north. In fact, this will be Belda Beast’s first time playing out of Northern California. We are excited not only to share our new album, but to play for a whole new crowd.
UTG: Are you still working on any solo/Crooked Timbers material or has Belda Beast kind of become a sole priority and focus for you?
ZZ: The Crooked Timbers are ninety percent finished with our first album. We just have a few drum parts to re-track and we’re done. That album has been a couple years in the making, but it’s been nice to take our time with it. I personally have been focusing more on Belda Beast, but the time will come when I start writing new solo material again. I’m having a lot of fun playing music with these dudes.
UTG: Besides the obvious difference of taking three other people’s contributions into consideration, do you approach writing for Belda Beast any differently than you do your solo work?
ZZ: The process is quite similar. I usually bring a loosely structured song to practice and we work from there. Belda Beast is a rhythmically driven band, so that’s something I pay more attention to when writing. My simplified version of the song is greatly improved once the full band gets a hold of it. Technically, the other members (Kevin Berg, Jeff Cole and Andrew Taylor) are amazing musicians. I usually have an idea of how the song will sound, but these guys surpass my expectations every time. They always have great ideas that progress the band and push myself as a musician.
UTG: Now that the album is set to drop tomorrow, after this brief tour you have lined up, what’s next for you and the band? Any big plans for the remainder of 2014?
ZZ: We have a few shows lined up for after tour. We hope to release a couple singles later this year and head down south in the near future. We put a lot of time and work into this record, so we’re all excited to share it with others and have a good time doing it.
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