“Everything ends up sounding like Zeus”

Canadian indie-rockers Zeus just released their new album, the aptly titled Classic Zeus. The Varsity sat down with band member Carlin Nicholas to chat about what’s changed in the bands newest effort, and what it was like to play a secret show at June Records.

TV: You guys recently released an album called Classic Zeus, how did your approach change with recording this album?

CN: The recording of the album was similar to Say Us. Robbie [Lackritz], who worked with Jamie Lidell, Feist, and Bahamas, helped us out. The recording of this album took over a year, just like Say Us which was a labour of love much like Classic Zeus. The recording studio also made a huge difference — before we recorded it up in the Feist ranch. This is an album that we created in house without having outside help other than Noah [Mintz] from Lacquer Channel. Sounds and arrangements were certainly different, not like a straight up rock’n’roll album. We try to see who can bring stuff in for example a funky riff and then catering to others strengths and so on. 

TV: It’s been said by fans and critics alike that you guys have a sound that spans different decades of music — did you ever struggle with keeping your oldies sound original?

CN: We hear that a lot, but we don’t really put a lot of thought into it. We think about our tone and adding like synth vibes, but never about what sound the album actually is. We don’t sit around thinking this sounds ’80s or ’70s. Something may come up and sound ’80s, but in the end, everything ends up sounding like Zeus.

TV: You guys performed a secret show at June Records a couple of weeks ago, how did that differ from your previous performances? 

CN: I don’t know if June Records will ever do it again, and I don’t know if we’ll do it again, but it was a lot of fun.

The audience was in good spirits and excited to be outside. Since no one had to pay, everyone was really happy to be there and it was more casual since you didn’t have to go through buying the tickets and entering etc. The show felt real mostly because of that.There were a lot of noise complaints and the cops came. There was no security ex-cept for about 25 cops who came. Gotta love Toronto, we wouldn’t have been able to do this in any other city. In New York the police would’ve shut it down. Here, they kind of stood around just to make sure the crowd wasn’t rowdy, which they weren’t. Everyone was out to have a good time, and if you’re able to give people something like that to enjoy, then there shouldn’t be a problem.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.