ZED

Don't worry, baby - Zed is about to reunite

Zed is reuniting to celebrate two decades of number one hits, arena tours, and a committed core of followers to whom they'd like to say, ‘thanks for over 20 years of loyal support.'

Their road from fledgling high school rock band, to multi-platinum success story, began inauspiciously in the basement of a quiet suburban home, during the winter of 1996. Nathan King (guitar/vocals), Ben Campbell (bass) and Adrian Palmer (drums) started crafting the songs that would form the foundation of their debut album in the lower levels of Campbell’s family home, during their final years at high school.

“Our first single, ‘Oh! Daisy’ was actually written as a sixth form music assignment. When that went on to become a Top 20 hit, we could feel things begin to change for us, even then,” recalls frontman Nathan King.

‘Oh! Daisy,’ an ode to unrequited love, was followed up by ‘I’m Cold’. After three years performing regularly at the legendary Dux De Lux in Christchurch and Wunderbar in Lyttelton, Zed got their first bona-fide hit. ‘Glorafilia’ crept slowly into New Zealand's consciousness through the summer of '99, becoming the soundtrack to beach holidays up and down the country, and stretching to a remarkable 36-week run in the Top 50.

Signing to Universal Records early the following year, Zed called on guitarist Andy Lynch, who had been living in Brazil, to complete the musical picture. With mounting pressure from their fanbase to produce a full-length album, Zed went into the studio in May of 2000 for a six-week stint with producer David Nicholas (INXS, Midnight Oil, Pulp, Ash).

For their fans, the wait was worth it. Zed’s debut album ‘Silencer’ went straight to #1, knocking Robbie Williams from the top spot, (an artist the band would subsequently tour with), before going on to sell 4x platinum, and spawning six Top 20 hits.

"Very much the priority that was being driven from management and ourselves and the label was to break into an international market,” King recalls.

Two arena tours through Australasia supporting Coldplay and Robbie Williams helped establish Zed across the Tasman; with Zed’s fourth single, ‘Renegade Fighter’, hitting the top spot on Australia’s Triple J, as well as back home in NZ.

"We didn't really know life any different as adults other than to step in this surreal environment between tour vans and studios and gigs and interviews. That lasted for several years,’ adds bassist Ben Campbell.

Interest from US labels soon followed. After a false start (and fabled ‘lost album’ recorded in Australia), Zed signed to Interscope in the US and began work on their second long-player ‘This Little Empire’ with renowned American producer Sylvia Massy (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, System Of A Down, Tool).

"We gave it everything," says King. "We gave it 100 per cent of our focus. For Zed, having had a lot of hype and a lot of excitement around that first record, going into release a second record we could feel the anticipation, the pressure..."

The first single, ‘Hard To Find Her’, a song written about King's future wife, went to #1 on NZ radio, and the band achieved platinum sales of their sophomore album within the first few weeks of release. Subsequent singles' Starlight' and ‘She Glows’, (featuring the most bread ever used in a music video), kept the momentum going, while a cover of the Beach Boys ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ lent a timeless element to the band’s enduring appeal.

Zed relocated to Berlin in 2004, touring ‘This Little Empire’ through Europe with Seal, Ash and The Calling, before returning home in November to prepare for summer tour dates in New Zealand.

Finally, in 2005, Zed decided to take an extended break - drawing to a close what had been for the band the adventure of a lifetime. Bassist Ben Campbell recalls it was a challenging time. His father had become ill and then passed away while they were working on the release.

"We'd been together for 8 or 9 years, working on it full time for six years," explains Campbell. "I think we felt like we'd given it a really good push. It just got to a point where we were ready for a change as individuals and as a band.”

Now in 2019, all four members of Zed are excited to announce their return - to celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of their debut album ‘Silencer’, and to reconnect with their loyal fans who’ve shown such ardent support.

"It’s nice to get back together, have a barbecue or two, reminisce a bit, and play some of the old songs," says Campbell. "It reaffirms how strong those relationships are and what the experiences we went through mean to all of us."

Signing to Universal Records early the following year, Zed called on guitarist Andy Lynch, who had been living in Brazil, to complete the musical picture.

With mounting pressure from their fanbase to produce a full-length album, Zed went into the studio in May of 2000 for a six-week stint with producer David Nicholas (INXS, Midnight Oil, Pulp, Ash).

For their fans, the wait was worth it. Zed’s debut album ‘Silencer’ went straight to #1, before going on to sell 4x platinum, and spawning six Top 20 hits.

The first single, ‘Hard To Find Her’, a song written about King’s future wife, went to #1 on NZ radio, and the band achieved platinum sales of their sophomore album within the first few weeks of release.

Subsequent singles' Starlight' and ‘She Glows’, (featuring the most bread ever used in a music video), kept the momentum going, while a cover of the Beach Boys ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ lent a timeless element to the band’s enduring appeal.

Zed relocated to Berlin in 2004, touring ‘This Little Empire’ through Europe with Seal, Ash and The Calling, before returning home in November to prepare for summer tour dates in New Zealand.

Finally, in 2005, Zed decided to take an extended break - drawing to a close what had been for the band the adventure of a lifetime.

In 2019 all four members of Zed are excited to announce their return - to celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of their debut album ‘Silencer’, and to thank their loyal fans for over two decades of support.