Emerging psychedelic artist Zpextre has a positive message to spread. His unique ability to create infectious yet original sounding songs has captured the attention of a growing fan base. Through working with producers such as Kojak, Zpextre is crafting a legacy of enjoyable tunes with important messages at their core. Music has always been a big part of his life and he revels in the opportunity to share his gift with the world.
Hi Zpextre, thank you for your time. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi there, thank you for this opportunity to be be with you. I’m first generation Chinese living in California. Normally I’m a private person. I believe in humanity and do my best not to let fear and negativism rule my life.
Zpextre is my most recent musical project which combines riffs that I’ve written on the guitar and lyrics that convey my unique perspective on life. In addition to being a musician, I’m a visual artist with hundreds of pieces, most of which I’ve never shown in public.
Has music always been a big part of your life?
Yes, music is huge for me. Let’s just say that when I was a child, my father would put Dvorak’s New World Symphony on the turntable and turn it up to eleven. As a child I played piano and violin. And as I teen I discovered the safety of a punk rock community. From there on out, I would listen to anything on the radio, ethnic music, jazz, and all types of rock and roll. I can make most instruments sound OK, but more recently I’ve been concentrating on the guitar.
When did you decide to pursue a music career?
I consider a career in music as far back as I can remember, but life lead me down another path for a while. Because of the events of the last several years, I felt a need to affect the world in a positive way. I wanted to offer some guidance to anyone willing to listen to me. And I realized that it was my duty to put something back into the music community that had gotten me through so many tough times.
What kind of music do you make?
Technically it’s considered Indie or Alternative, but I try to mix up the feel. Like Laidback Air has a Disco’esque feel, and Souvenir is more Psychpostpunk. Sonically, I go wherever the music and lyrics take me.
Can you tell us about your artistic process? What inspires you when you are creating your song?
On any given moment, I’m usually carrying my guitar with me, making up riffs and licks, and writing lyrics. I might not always know exactly how the song is going to come together, but I have a general idea of what I’d like. Then in the studio we’ll chill out, go through ideas, hang out and jam a little and then suddenly it all comes together.
Inspiration comes to me in many ways. Primarily my songs are a response to the world around me – at times it’s small moments with friends, other times it’s big reactions to world events.
What is the key message that you hope is delivered through your music?
Seek happiness and maintain responsibility in your actions. You should enjoy your life but with the constraints of empathy and kindness to others.
Can you tell us about your latest hit ‘Save It for the Kids’? What is the song about?
It’s a plea to anyone with power to Save It for the Kids. Children need art, music and nature to feed their imagination. They need to live with innocence and to dream about possibilities. Not to fear a society out of moral control. During the last administration there was no room for these building blocks. Their innocence was stolen from them. Their futures were hijacked by thieves in plain sight. To the next leaders I ask them to Save It for the Kids! Save their innocence for it fades with time. Save the environment, for it is not the giving tree. Save democracy because it is delicate and a worthy path.
Finally, what’s next for Zpextre? Can we expect anything exciting in the future?
I’m working on the videos for Save It for the Kids and Electrify. After they’re done, I’ll be releasing a few more songs. Mirror Mirror is a psychoanalysis of the 45th president; and Flash Back is a dream state of how we distract our psyche with false narratives.
Thank you Zpextre for your time!
You can follow up with Zpextre at https://zpextre.com
Listen to the single on Spotify
Follow ZPEXTRE on Instagram
