Zebrahead’s upcoming “greatest hits” album, The Early Years – Revisited features re-recorded versions of many fan favorite songs, as well as an infectious new track, “Devil On My Shoulder.” With the album dropping soon (April 21st, via Rude Records) we had the chance to chat with vocalist Ali Tabatabaee about the album, the new track and the band’s big plans for 2015. Check out the full interview, as well as the video for “Devil On My Shoulder” below!
Interview by Shannon Shumaker
The Early Years – Revisited is dropping soon, how exciting! What are you most excited for fans to hear on the re-recorded versions of their favorite songs?
Ali Tabatabaee: I think the fans will be stoked to hear some of the older songs re-recorded with both Matty and Dan on them. I think they did a great job keeping the feel of the original versions but at the same time adding their twist on the songs.
What was it like being able to go back and revisit and re-record songs that you guys wrote years ago?
Well, we play a lot of the songs at shows so it wasn’t too weird when we went in to record them. It was very nostalgic remembering when and where we recorded them originally though.
Are there any songs that ended up feeling different or taking on a new meaning after revisiting them again?
Only in that Matty and Dan are here with us now. We have so many tour experiences and when we re-recorded these songs, I associated new memories from recent tours to the songs rather than ones when we recorded the songs originally.
The Early Years – Revisited also includes a new song, “Devil On My Shoulder” – can you tell us a little bit about this new track?
We recorded that song with John Ken Johnny from Man With A Mission. We made a video for that track recently and spent a week shooting in many locations in Southern California. Also, listening to the song will most likely get you pregnant.
Why was it important to you guys to include this song alongside some of your older and fan favorite tracks?
We have been writing a lot of new songs for our next album and were really happy how Devil on my Shoulder turned out. We wanted to give the fans a new song to check out along with the re-recorded songs.
The video for “Devil On My Shoulder” is so much fun to watch, too! How was filming the video?
It was fun to film. It was actually the longest continuous video shoot we’ve done. We recorded in multiple locations and the filming took a week.
When Zebrahead first started out, did you guys think that you’d ever end up releasing a “greatest hits” album? What’s it like looking back on things from where you started to where you are now?
I think we all appreciate how fortunate we are to have such a lengthy career. Our fans have supported us for a long time and we really owe all of our success to them.
After The Early Years – Revisited, what is the next step musically for Zebrahead?
We are releasing a split EP in the summer and playing some festivals. We are focusing on recording a new album that should be out early next fall.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for the interview and please check out Zebrahead.com for tour dates and come party with us when we are in town!
STAY CONNECTED WITH ZEBRAHEAD: Facebook | Twitter | Website