We spoke with rock artist Zen Juddhism – the new music project from Jude Ωne Eight, a guitarist and songwriter based in Southampton, best known locally as the guitarist in HYBRID 6.0 and Le Lizard Royale. Read the full interview below.
What inspires you to create music and write songs?
The enjoyment I’ve received from music I’ve listened to over the course of my life has inspired me to create music and write songs. Even if I was the only person to hear my compositions, it would still be something I would like to do. We’re all unique and it’s one way we can express that individuality in a world that doesn’t necessarily encourage or reward such a thing. If the music I make can reach others and be enjoyed by them too, that’s a bonus. You might have heard the saying before: music isn’t something you do, it’s something you are.
What are your thoughts on the current states of music consumption? For example, the shift away from well-thought out albums to the rapid consumption of singles. Has it effected how you make or release music?
Recorded music is a relatively recent phenomenon in the grand scheme of human history and it is driven by the technology available. This affects the way music is purchased or accessed now and I don’t think it’s objectively better or worse, aside from artists being underpaid as per usual. When vinyl albums were the norm, it would be a collection of songs divided into two halves – and they could be themed. CDs took away theming of two halves and now with downloads and streaming you don’t even have to skip tracks you’re not interested in anymore. Sheryl Crow recently said she will continue to make music but won’t make albums anymore and I can understand that. In fact I think the next (third) Zen Juddhism album will also be the last. After that I think it will be more worthwhile and more fun to only release singles rather than albums that take a longer time to make and may stylistically limit you because of the cohesion of songs which might be irrelevant anyway due to the way music is consumed. I’m aware some critics have said Zen Juddhism albums are too diverse so maybe the cohesion argument doesn’t apply here!
What projects do you currently have in the works?
Aside from writing and planning for “ZJ3” I am playing guitar and making music as a member of Jimmy B and the Death Rattles, an art rock/glam punk six piece that I joined in 2018 and we released an album in 2019. We’ve been taken on by a small label so that’s going well and aim to record some new material soon. Also, I host a radio show on a local station, Fiesta FM, called “SO:Late with Jude One Eight.” I play tunes from bands and artists from the local area i.e. Southampton and nearby. It’s on at Thursdays at 10pm, 95.0FM or online. I think every A&R person worth their salt should be tuning in!
What can we expect from your music on the horizon? What do you hope people take away from it?
There were some songs I wrote some time ago when I was obsessed with trying to make songs people could remember after just one listen. Some of those are going to be revisited and will be included in the next release. I hope that works for people but I’ll settle for it to take two or three listens for them to be etched into their brains! Musically there might be a touch more cohesion with more of a general straightforward rock sensibility. The songs will generally either sum up life experiences I hope can be relatable or signpost to ideas about life I would like people to consider.
Has the COVID pandemic effected you at all as an artist?
Totally, I mean if something affects your entire life then it will affect your artistry. Certainly, it’s put the kibosh on performing live for now. I guess it’s not all bad because the time freed up away from that has been useful for composing and coming up with new ideas in a more relaxed way compared to pre-Covid life.
What can fans do to support you?
Fans can share the Zen Juddhism YouTube videos or Spotify tracks that they like with friends on social media or show them in real life to those that don’t have an online life. It helps and won’t cost anything!
If anyone wants to spend money they can buy a CD from the official website or get in touch about merch. There are hats and t-shirts that’ve been shown on social media and they can be replicated for anyone interested.
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