“NORMALLY I’M REALLY QUIET AND RESERVED, BUT ON STAGE I LET THE ANIMAL OUT.”
–CHRISTIAN ZUCCONI
W
alking into the quaint coffee shop in Silver Lake called Muddy Paw, I scour the back patio for a young man in an oversized T-shirt, skinny jeans and blue hair, or maybe pink hair … some vibrant color he is known for. But, to my surprise, I look up to the sound of my own name as a bearded gentleman with short, black hair peeking out beneath a green beanie approaches me. “Christian?” I reply, hesitantly. As he nods his head yes and we make our way to a table, I am shocked that the grunge-worthy digs of Grouplove’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Christian Zucconi, seems more normal folk than I had imagined. Since their debut album in 2011, I have been thoroughly intrigued by this American indie-rock band with a flair for the dramatic. The lyrics to their second hit single, “Tongue Tied” creep into my head as I fluster to form words to begin our interview. How ironic, I think. A New York Native who has been musically passionate and involved since a young age, Zucconi helped form the post-hardcore band Aloke in 2004. The
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band released one live album and three EPs. Having moderate success, but never quite breaking the barriers and achieving international notoriety, they disbanded in 2009, but Zucconi’s time finally came through a dedicated fan of Aloke, Hannah Hooper. Inviting Zucconi on a whimsical, spur of the moment trip to an island in Greece to attend an enigmatic musical commune, the trip would become a magical connection between not only her and now boyfriend Zucconi, but also between a group of talented musicians. Grouplove formed in 2009 by Christian, Hannah (vocals, keyboards), Sean Gadd (bass, vocals), Andrew Wessen (guitar, vocals) and Ryan Rabin (drums). Since then, Grouplove has gone on to achieve major acclaim in the music industry. Two albums, four intensive years of touring, a new band member and a continuously growing fan base, the catchy, cosmic tunes flowing out of Grouplove has everyone hooked. Their energy on stage is infectious, creating a freeing feeling to simply escape from yourself—moved by the power of music. Creating and performing from
a place of infinite dedication to their craft, we must wait patiently as the band takes a lengthy hiatus in preparation for greater things to come. I sat down with Zucconi to discuss his journey from a struggling musician to an integral part of the formation and success of Grouplove. Q: Before Grouplove, where did your musical background come from? Did you grow up in a family of musicians? Christian Zucconi: I did and I didn’t. My mom is a great singer and an incredible actress, but she had to bury those dreams to raise my brother and me as a single mom. I know my grandparents on both sides played instruments, and my dad’s mom sang on the radio when she first came to New York City from Italy, so it’s definitely in there. Q: Was there an “aha” moment when your parents realized music was the thing that you were really good at? CZ: When I was very young, like 2 or 3, I would make my mom and brother leave the living room. I’d shut the doors and blast Billy Joel. I had this Mickey Mouse