18 | March | 2019 | Burn The Pages

Originally from Wexford, Ireland, Robbie Zereka is continuing to break into the music scene with his second single, Bloodshot, released last Friday. Taking on a slightly more sombre tone than his previous single Favourite Feelings, Bloodshot continues to touch on another sensitive subject – this time being emotional manipulation, that sadly too many of us have or will encounter at some point in our lives. We caught up with him to learn more about it.

Aside from Bloodshot, obviously, which we’ll get onto in a minute, what’s your proudest musical achievement from the last year?

I would say performing at LoveBN1Fest in Brighton last August. We found out after we’d agreed to the slot that Nile Rodgers was also performing at the same event! We got to watch him close out the festival. It was an unreal day!

You’re one of six children, do you think this influenced your passion for music?

Absolutely. My oldest brother was hugely into music and introduced me to a wide variety of artists at a young age, ranging from David Bowie to Wu-Tang Clan. I also watched a lot of musicals and Michael Jackson music videos on VHS with my little brothers and sister! I would say my biggest childhood musical influence was my mother though. Aside from hearing loads of Dolly Parton, Elvis and Patsy Cline growing up, my mother was actually the first person to introduce me to Radiohead. She showed me the video for No Surprises when I was around 11 and I remember being fascinated by their sound and the image of the strange and beautiful Thom Yorke drowning. My obsession continues!

How would you describe Robbie Zereka for someone who’s never heard of you before?

Emotive yet rousing alternative pop/rock with a pinch of performance art.

How did Robbie Zereka come about/form conceptually?

Robbie Zereka is a stage name I created for myself. It is actually a phonetic version of my husband’s Lebanese surname, Zreika. I am actually quite shy, so I have now begun experimenting with using Robbie Zereka as an alter-ego on stage. The concept is an evolving work in progress but it is interesting how you can deliver ideas and emotions without inhibition when you remove your more critical “everyday self” from the equation.

So the music video for your song ‘Bloodshot’ was released on Friday – congratulations! This is quite a dark song. Was the inspiration for the song from any experience in particular?

This is a song I wrote about someone in my past who emotionally manipulated and bullied me over a long period of time. I was very close to this person and really looked up to them as they portrayed themselves as invincible to me. It was only in hindsight when this person fell apart that I realised the extent of their abuse. It’s not a triumphant realisation though. Ultimately, the experience taught me to empathise with people in general. I feel like there are always deeper reasons for people’s damaging behaviour and the one that they really feel the hate towards is themselves. Although this was a sad realisation it has allowed me to distance myself from people’s actions and try to understand the motivations behind their behaviour. I find this quite interesting and I spend a lot of time thinking about what drives people.

The idea for the blue heads in the video, where did that come from?

I first imagined the video concept and the blue boys a couple of years ago. I didn’t understand the relevance at the time really but the imagery came to me and I felt compelled to bring the idea to life so I didn’t question the meaning too much. It’s funny, sometimes I don’t really understand the meaning of my work until much later. I won’t elaborate too much as I will let people derive their own meaning from the video but I think it is probably my brain’s weird way of processing the experience that inspired the song itself. It makes sense to me in a strange way!

Are you allowed to reveal who was behind the other head in the video or are you sworn to secrecy?

The other blue boy is my good friend Sami. It’s not a secret and it was a shame to cover up his lovely face but it was important to conceal the blue boys and separate them from the scenes of me alone in the video. Again, I don’t know why but I just felt that there needed to be a distinction between these characters and myself. I wanted them to be otherworldly or non-human almost.

The location is beautiful, can you tell us any more about it?

We shot the video in my friend’s house in North London. He used to own an antique shop and when it closed down he kept his favourite pieces for himself, using them to decorate his house. It really was the perfect location for this story and I am very lucky to have such kind and supportive friends!

When are we next able to hear ‘Bloodshot’ live and what can we expect from a Robbie Zereka show?

I have an acoustic set on 3rd April at Amersham Arms in New Cross and our next full band set is on 17th April at The Lighthouse in Shoreditch! My new character based approach is giving me the confidence to play around visually on stage with costumes and the like so you might see the blue boys in real life if you’re lucky!

Check out the self-produced music video, directed and edited by William Pavli, below: