Zero Shift

On Monday, June 28th at around 9 p.m., I pulled up to a small building in Falls Church, Virginia where popular local band Zero Shift practices every week. Walking down the somewhat "dingy" looking hallway, you definitely got the vibe of an "up and coming" band. It definitely had that dimly lit back alley feel to it, where you just know as soon as widespread fame hits Zero Shift, they will be taking E! Behind the Music there to show them where it all started.  

Actually, thinking back on it, I believe it was the multi-colored Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling that solidified that..."vibe."  Although the practice space is located in Falls Church, the band is located out of Springfield, Virginia, home to its four members: Chris "Chaos" Baella (lead guitar), J.T. Gray (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Jared Hornaday (drums), and Zach Bonner (bass and backing vocals). 

Once the band settled in and set up for their "heads" and "amps" and lots of other equipment, half of which I didn't totally have a clue what it was, I was able to sit own with the guys and cover a number of topics. Our interview ranged from who their personal musical influences are to what their ultimate goals are as a band.

To break the ice and get the interview rolling, I first asked them about the meaning of the band's name Zero Shift. The story behind the band's name was not exactly epic in nature, but it definitely made me laugh.  Apparently the name was "discovered" while Chris and Zach were randomly throwing words around.  When they stumbled across the combination of "Zero Shift," they both thought it sounded cool and presented the name to the rest of the band who all agreed that the "cool obscurity" of the name would represent the band perfectly. Once the basis of the name was discussed we were able to move on to how Zero Shift got off the ground.  

J.T., Chris, and Zach had all been members of another local band known as Sonic Defiance, which decided to disband since some of its members were moving. Not wanting to leave the music scene the three decided to search for a drummer and form a new group. Enters, Jared, a co-worker of J.T.'s at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (yes, for now, they still need day jobs).  After only one try-out the four musicians officially became Zero Shift on July 17, 2009.

My next question of how they would classify their style of music, resulted in a resounding "ehhh" from all group members, so I knew the answer to this question was going to be interesting.   However, their hesitation turned out to not be from a lack of direction of what they wanted as a band. But in fact, their hesitation may very well be one of their greatest assets. As all members agreed, if you don't tie yourself down to one specific style you appeal to a larger audience.   Explaining further, J.T. stated that "this will benefit the band in the long run because we are not narrowing or excluding our audience." Chris agreed stating, "that it is nearly impossible for someone to leave the show saying they dislike the band because there is literally something for everyone." They do make it clear, however, that they stay in the "hard-rock" genre, but "in the broadest sense of the word."   

 I found it somewhat unique that Zero Shift's writing process is something that involves every member.  It starts with one person bringing in a riff (which is defined as "a short rhythmic phrase, especially one that is repeated in improvisation," for those reading this who had to use this definition to understand, don't worry, I had to ask too), and presenting it to the others. From there each guitarist and bassist works on shaping his own instrument's part until collectively they agree on how the song sounds. Jared lays down the drums last. 

Once the music has been tweaked to everyone's satisfaction, J.T. writes the lyrics. The band also wanted me to point out that obviously with writing music the process isn't 100% set in stone. If one band member comes in with a complete song and everyone agrees on it, they will go ahead and use his song.  

Learning about Zero Shift's writing process led me to question their decision-making process. I asked the group about how they handle disagreements about their music choices and their answer was quick and in unison..."Everybody or Nobody." Each band member may bring in individual ideas, but ultimately if all don't agree, and no compromise is reached, then the idea is thrown out. For Zero Shift, respecting each other is by far the most important method for ensuring the longevity of the band.   

Speaking of the longevity of the band, we discussed what steps they are taking to promote the band and expand their following.  Despite the demands of their day jobs, Zero Shift is diligent about getting the band's name out there. Recently, they've set up a band store to promote and sell Zero Shift merchandise, booked more shows in their local area while actively seeking venues in a wider geographical area in which to perform, and completed a press kit and demo for distribution.  Zero Shift also utilizes all social networking sites, such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, give up-and-coming bands a chance to be found and heard by their potential fans.   

Once we finished discussing Zero Shift as a whole, I wanted to take some time to learn more about who the four members of the band were as individuals.  Asking each member the same two questions, why do you play the instrument you do, and who influenced your music the most, I got quite an assortment of answers. This part of the interview was definitely my favorite as it really highlighted their individual personalities.