Zulu Pearls is the working name of singer-songwriter Zach Van Hoozer. Originally from Washington, DC, Hoover moved to Berlin in 2009, where he has spent the last several years as the solitary rock and roll act amid a sea of electro bands and DJs/producers. While other acts find isolation from community to be creatively numbing, Hoozer has flourished because of it. Like the eponymous gem, Hoozer’s work under Zulu Pearls has been forged by self-inflicted pressures. He seeks to be as DIY as possible, without being lo-fi; he hates modern rock, yet is obsessed with its sounds from the ’60s and ’70s; and though he claims to be pained with nostalgia, he’s anything but retro.
All that contradiction and lonely hours of writing and recording has yielded the project’s debut full-length, No Heroes No Honeymoons, which will be released later this fall by an unnamed New York City indie label. As a first listen, check out the track “Magic Tricks” below. In it, each of Van Hoozer’s sensibilities are represented equally: a base of frills-less garage rock is embellished by punk-meets-southern-rock vocals, some arena rock-quality guitar licks, and the hum and echo of random electronics. The end result is an example of the overwhelmingly positive benefits of creating in a bubble.
Zulu Pearls has several tour dates outlined for late July. Check out the full schedule below.
Zulu Pearls 2012 Tour Dates:
07/25 – New York, NY @ Bowery Electric *
07/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands #
07/28 – Baltimore, MD @ Golden West Cafe ^
07/29 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat (Backstage) ^$
08/05 – Washington, DC @ The Red Palace %
* = w/ Kuroma and the Echo Friendly
# = w/ Milagres and Indians
^ = w/ Tender Thrill
$ = w/ More Humans
% = w/ Bear Hands and Fort Lean
