Interview | Zilched

Rapid-fire Questions

1. What have you been listening to lately?

SSION!!! “O” is a masterpiece and “Dogs On Asphalt” is one of my favorite songs of the last few years.

2. Have you watched the new Kurt Vonnegut documentary??

I didn’t know that happened.. But I did actually just loan my high school copy of SlaughterHouse Five to my boyfriend and he’s loving it.

3. You know what’s crazy? Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007, which means he was around when Juggalos became a thing. There’s a chance that he knew what Juggalos were. I guess that’s not really a question.

Lol back on topic, my high school boyfriend’s cousin was an original member of ICP.

4. Can our cats be friends? (I’ll add a picture so you can see what he looks like)

My cats think they’re people and don’t make feline friends easily :(

5. How did they make those Flintstones vitamins look like they were made out of stone?

Black magic.

6. Who would win in a fight? Garfield (but he’s voiced by Bill Murray), or Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt)?

Murray, in a duel of wit?

7. What would you be doing right now if you weren’t answering these stupid quesitons?

Watching YouTube, maybe.

8.Are there any interview questions that you get asked the most, or any that you’re tired of answering?

Nope. I love to gab if someone’s interested.

9. (Insert that question here)

10. Any local Detroit bands that we should check out?

Ally Evenson, Greyhound, The Stools, Hala, 208, Minihorse, Toeheads, Shadow Show.. There’s always more

Isaac Gutierrez for Born Loser Mag: To start things off, can you introduce yourself and give us some background on the band?

Chloe Drallos of Zilched: My name is Chloe Drallos. I am 21 years old, a Capricorn and started the band Zilched when I was 17. It had a slow start of jamming with friends once in a while but mostly writing and demoing in my room. Since then It’s been shared with many friends and played many shows in many towns. I’m still just writing in my room though.

Do you remember the first album or artist that made you want to start making music?

Different people at different times. Bob Dylan’s greatest hits in middle school and then Cat Power and The Shins in early high school. Later it was Hole and The Jesus and Mary Chain (a first listen of PsychoCandy) in late HS.

I read in a previous interview that when you were younger you started a folk band with your cousin. What were you called, and is there anywhere that we can check out your music?

We were called Dame Lune, I believe it’s wiped off the internet… haha

You released your album, “Doompop”, last year. What were the inspirations behind the album and what was the writing/recording/production process like?

Since it was the final thing I would do as a Teen.. I wanted the album to feel like one of the albums that you get obsessed with in high school or whatever and then you cringe at later. Like what Nevermind or Unknown Pleasures is for a lot of people. (even though those albums hold up. Obviously.) Writing just happened when it happened. All within a year between 18 and 19. Recording/production took about 6 months(leisurely) with my friend Ben Collins. He’s got great taste and we get along well so it was always just a creative 8 hour hangout a few times a month.

You started writing some of the songs on your latest album, Doompop, while you were still in highschool. How would you describe your highschool self?

(High school Chloe)

I felt like Daria but have you ever seen My So Called Life? Well that show is probably the most accurate to my high school experience. To a weird degree… If Angela Chase sang and played guitar behind closed doors.

The first song of yours that I heard was Blue Doom. Can you give us some background on that song?

(We’re really taking the high school theme here) That song was written a month before graduation when the plans I had; Skip college, move to Detroit with friends and continue the band with them, fell through due to some falling outs, other people's college plans changing etc.. I had no idea what was going on and I got super depressed. I just went deeper into focusing on my heroes and how they got where they are. The song is like “I don’t know what I’m doing but I am just going to do what I think feels right. And that may make life good.”

The music video for “Knife” is sick. How did the idea for that video come about?

Thank you! Writing that song, the main idea for me was to handle something so tender with brutal imagery and sounds. I watch a lot of movies and I figured we could use different moments from film to further tell that story. The black metal church burnings, moments from Fire Walk With Me, the dance in Carnival of Souls. All very subversive takes on romantic imagery to me. Also Any scene of Drew Barrymore in Firestarter. She was the main inspiration for the dancer as well. So powerful but so sensitive. I adore Drew Barrymore, if i’m being honest.

You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that you see Zilched not only as a band, but also as a kind of art project. You’ve directed your own music videos and you’ve designed flyers and posters. Do you have long term plans or goals for Zilched?

Yeah it’s definitely like a multimedia project that just kinda lives and breathes as I do.. The only plan is for it to be an outlet that can grow with me as long as that works. Maybe a very long time, maybe just a couple more albums.

Is it ever difficult to collaborate with other people, or is that something that comes naturally?

It gets difficult. The right people are easy to include creatively but there are many times where someone just doesn’t “get it” or “get” you. At that point I don’t feel necessary to share(haha) But of course it’s subjective. I have lucked out with some talented angels and have also been burned, so that can cause one to be cautious.

I heard in a previous interview that when you first started playing, you’d practice with your mic turned off because you were nervous. Do you still get nervous before a show?

Yeah one hundred percent. I can barely talk on stage and say the dumbest shit between songs usually. It’s all adrenaline tho, as long as I can stay in the groove I have a great time and just go where it takes me.

Do you have any pre show rituals?

Panic? Lock myself in the bathroom. Sing “Blue Velvet” or “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison to myself as a warm up.

Was there a local venue that you always dreamed of playing? Have you played it, and if so what was that experience like?

I still have yet to play Magic Stick or The Shelter in Detroit. They’re not huge and they’ve changed a lot, but that’s where I saw my first punk/GA shows and they’ll always be special spots for that reason.

Everyone always talks about their favorite onstage/concert experience. Can you tell me about your worst concert experience?

I think just anytime I get too self aware or embarrassed of a mistake. I lose my groove and start to notice everything everywhere. Which causes me to mess up more and can make being on display a bit torturous.

What do you think has helped you grow the most as an artist?

Listening to, writing down, and taking advice from anyone that’s come before you seriously.

Any plans to play any shows in Texas anytime soon?

I love Texas! I’m there every year to visit family. Working on SXSW plans as we speak. Whether I do it solo or not, I’ll be there!

Is there anything that you’d like to share with our readers?

Uhhh be yourself? Read a book.

What can we expect to see/hear from Zilched in the near future?

I am hoping for album 2 to be done by spring.

To wrap things up, do you have any questions for me?

How does it feel to run a cool site and give great interviews???

It's honestly so much fun. Getting to talk to my favorite bands about their music never gets old!