Zoophyte

Since their inception in 2004, Zoophyte have flirted with a variety of styles and sounds. Like most bands they have had members come and go. The music Zoophyte has created over the years has always been a reflection of the collective tastes and experiences of its members at any point in time. At the moment, Zoophyte is a four-piece roots/rock band… occasionally they delve in to the realms of funk and reggae. Of course they love to play live, they like an audience that smiles and are always stoked to see them dance. Zoophyte are learning to love the road and want their music to take them to every corner of Terra Australis and beyond. Zoophyte is Cam Lee (vocals, 6 & 12 string guitar, didge, percussion), James Johnson (guitar), Andrew Gilpin (bass) and James Majernik (drums).

For all the Zoophyte Contact Details and email form, click here.

Zoophyte History

2004 — The 4-Track Days

Zoophyte’s incarnation took place mid 2004. Armed with a 4-track demo, the lads cut their teeth in Melbourne’s burgeoning indie scene scoring gigs at events such as The Indie Initiative and Collage.

2005 — “This Simple Groove”

They stepped it up a notch in April 2005 with the release of their debut EP ‘This Simple Groove’. Recorded at Woodstock Studios in November 2004, it was launched to a capacity crowd of 700+ in The Gershwin Room at Melbourne’s Esplanade Hotel. The CD was released nationally through MGM and found regular airplay on stations including Triple J, Triple M, RRR and a host of community radio stations throughout the country. The album’s opening track ‘Watching Waves’ was included on the Sydney Sun Herald’s ‘Sunday Sounds’ CD, 400,000 copies of which were distributed throughout NSW in June 2005.

2005 saw prolific gigging from the band throughout Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and regional Victoria including capacity headline shows at The Moomba Waterfest, New Years Eve City celebrations at Alexander Gardens, The Daffodil Ball at Melbourne’s Forum theatre and The Prince of Wales. As well as standout shows at The Brunswick Music Festival, Folk Rhythm and Life Festival and Warburton Winter Fest.

In late 2005, Zoophyte were invited to play at the Sydney Superdome as part of the AustralAsian Music Buisness Conference, were one of 20 bands selected for a promotional DVD developed by Austrade to showcase Australian talent throughout the globe and topped off the year with a two month residency at the Melbourne music institution known as The Evelyn.

2006 — A Hectic Year

2006 was just as hectic with the band officially closing the Melbourne Commonwealth Games alongside Killing Heidi at the Last Lap athletes after party, headlining their own show to a packed crowd at The Hifi Bar, selling out of CD’s at the Apollo Bay Music Festival, and having their clip ‘Watching Waves’ featured on RAGE. To top it off, they played a set at Make Poverty History along side some the nation’s best bands.

Zoophyte spent every Thursday in November packing out the top bar at Velduos in Acland St St Kilda, they followed up their 2005 appearance at Folk Rhythm & Life with another stellar set in early December and rang in the New Year to an enormous crowd at the Docklands. Recently they have played shows as part of both St Kilda and Brunswick festival, showcased their talents at Adelaide’s Fuse Festival and hit up Apollo Bay Music Festival for the second year running.

2007 — “Another Point of View”

Late in 2006 they recruited producer Aram Cargill (The Offcutts) and commenced work on their next disk. Come April 2007, their new album ‘Another Point of View’ was finished and the first single ‘Believe’ was released to a sell-out crowd at The Evelyn on Saturday May 19th. The guys then hit the road for the next two months, spreading the Zoophyte gospel on a 28-date national tour from SA thru VIC and up the East Coast of OZ.

Friday the 20th of July saw the official launch of their new album at The Prince of Wales. Released by Melbourne label Dust Devil Records, ‘Another Point of View’ will be available in stores from 3rd August 2007.

Press Quotes

• Peter Merritt – PBSFM

  Here is a cd that demands to be heard with it’s straight ahead attitude driven Rock’N'Roll, all power wrapped up with great compositions and playing melding all that is good in Australian rock into a cd of rare quality in an age when technology has overtaken talent. Listen once and it will stay in your player and with every listen you will discover more about where Zoophyte want us to be taken. Laden with Didgeridoo to keep a ethereal sound to envelope us all. Listen and you too will feel Zoophyte in your soul.

  This cd chose itself for us as nothing beats quality music!

• Singles by Simone – Beat Magazine: about Zoophyte’s “Believe”

  Zoophyte know how to build a song in grandiose bits and parts, using every piece of their rhythm section, horns, guitars, voice and didgeridoo to make a complex swagger of orchestral roots.

• Inpress Magazine Melbourne

  With the buzz rapidly spreading to all stations and industry heavyweights, these super friendly lads could just be the freshest taste on the menu this year…

• Herald Sun Melbourne

  One of the more progressive, exciting bands to emerge from Melbourne’s burgeoning indie scene…

• Time Off Magazine Queensland

  The (album) impresses from start to finish” “Zoophyte blairingly stand out from their slew of contemporaries…

• Stepping Out by Kate Moore – Central Coast Express Advocate

  No matter if you’re a fan of funk, roots, groove or rock, Zoophyte has it all. The different musical backgrounds of the band’s members makes for an eclectic mix of upbeat party tunes and sounds…