EMQ’s With HOLLOW ZOO
EMQ’s With HOLLOW ZOO
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with USA Rockers, Hollow Zoo. Huge thanks to their guitarist and backing vocalist, Ninefinger Nate, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My name is Ninefinger Nate, I play guitar and sing back-up vocals for the band Hollow Zoo. I started what is now Hollow Zoo back in 2022 as a way to get back into music. At first it was just myself and a drummer writing songs. Over time it grew into the current line-up and we started to think of it as a band and not just a random musical project.
How did you come up with your band name?
Honestly that was the hardest part. We came up with literally dozens of names, but they were either taken or no one could agree on them. Eventually we settled on Hollow Zoo which was more of a concept rather than just a name. The idea being that society has kind of grown into this stage where we are all side show attractions in this weird digital zoo called the internet, and at the same time society has also grown Hollow, like a big fake façade.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We are from Las Vegas Nevada, in the U.S.A., the Metal scene here is good, there are a lot of great local bands here. We’d love to see more large Metal bands come through to Las Vegas on tour, there have been some big festivals that seem to do well but never seem to last more than a few years.
What can you tell us about your latest single ‘Until You Bleed’?
Our latest single ‘Until you Bleed’, is a song about how two normal people can be toxic together and how what started out as a love story can very quickly turn into something hateful. It was the first song that the singer (Azeron) and I collaborated on when he joined the band and the last one to be completed before going into the studio. We couldn’t get a chorus we were happy with until the last minute but despite that fact we really love the way this one turned out.
Who have been your greatest influences?
For me personally, Hunter S. Thompson, and my parents. Musically there are too many influences to list but Pantera and Tool are probably on top of that list.
What first got you into music?
Probably singing in the car with my mom when I was a little kid. We went on the road a lot for business and my mom would crank the tunes and we’d just belt them out all the way to wherever we were going.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
You know that is a tough question, there are a lot of bands that I think are killing it right now and I’d be stoked to work with any of them. For me personally it would be awesome to work with Chino Moreno as I was part of the music scene that Deftones emerged from back in the 90s. I’d also love to work with the guys from House of Protection or from your own backyard REN (UK rapper/musician).
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
I would say there are two that are top of my list, one is Aftershock in CA, they do it in my hometown every year and it’s a huge festival, so it would be amazing to play on the big stage in my hometown. The other one is Waken because that is like a Metal Mecca. That is the peak of the mountain for a Metal band as far as festivals in my opinion.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
You know I haven’t received any gifts from fans of Hollow Zoo yet, so nothing.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you, we sincerely appreciate every person who listens to our music, and we hope you are inspired by our music to go out in the world and live your life to the fullest.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Dimebag Darrel Abbot, without a doubt. He was taken from this world by a coward doing cowardly things and he was also one of the greatest to ever do it.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love creating music and the challenges which that entails. I love it when something we wrote as a band resonates with people. I hate the fake side of the industry. The smoke and mirrors and gatekeeping that goes on every day. Even in the age of the internet it is an uphill battle to get traction and be heard amongst the noise and minefield that is streaming.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I would get rid of the current streaming models and work to ensure that the bulk of the money went to the artists that create rather than to corporations which only exploit those artists and make millions off of their work. I think the founder or Patreon has a great model on how to fix that and we as musicians should all be paying attention and buying into his plan.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
We’d be here all day while I tired to pick one. I’ll try to name a few in no particular order:
Vulgar Display of Power, Supercharger, AEnima, King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime, Around the Fur, The Eminem Show, Jazzmatazz, La Sexorcisto.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I prefer to have a physical copy of media but I’m not one of those people who hates downloads. I think CD or Vinyl is best in my opinion.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Well, for Hollow Zoo we haven’t played any public shows yet, so you’ll have to check back with us later next year.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Well, I have been a studio engineer and a live sound engineer in my past so I might still be doing that. I am also a comic book creator, I have book about the band out now and a graphic novel coming out next year. I also direct and edit the music videos for the band, so I’d most likely still be in the entertainment industry in some capacity.
What’s next for the band?
Well our full album releases on August 9th, 2025 and we will be playing some shows starting in September. Anyone who is attending Wasteland Weekend can find us performing at the Road Rash Camp this year. We are also working on some new tracks and a couple of supporting slots on tours in 2026. With a little luck we will hopefully be playing some early slots for some really cool bands and festivals.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://hollow-zoo.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/49JwK2x2H7JEVy6wqentHs
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEllCS3O6DI7uH-TsT0CJFw
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
You know I’m not up on British slang, but I know enough to know that is a trick question. I have enough friends in the UK to know not to get tangled up in regional language disputes… haha!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you for taking the time to interview me about my band. The only thing I’d like to add is that Hollow Zoo is more than just the music. We have a lot of other media and we intend to keep producing things like comics, merch, music videos and other media for our fans to enjoy along with the music.
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