You’d be forgiven for thinking Zoe Fleury had multiple personalities. In interviews, the elfin-faced New Zealander is unassuming and sweet. Yet, add a searing synth and a drum beat and she’ll transform into her punk-pixie counterpart Zowie – who’s latest single Bite Back is a charging kiss off anthem to a potential foe. Ms Fleury swears that Zowie is a “character”, but as she tells OUTinPerth of her penchant for ‘smacking things’, we begin to believe that she may really be Fleury’s dark side – the Hyde to her Jekyll.

Can you describe your music for people who haven’t yet heard it? I’m really bad at today’s genres – because there are so many – but I would say industrial pop with bursts of hip hop and then bursts of J-Pop and little bits of electro-punk in there.
How did you first get into music? I was brought up in a music household, so I was around music all the time and always in studios with my dad. I was probably 4 and I remember sitting in studios watching and I was like “that’s what I want to do when I grow up.” When I was 10 or 11 I got my first drum kit because I always had this obsession with drumming and smacking things – not punching people – but smacking instruments! Then I went to music school and majored in drumming and I learnt all about the business side as well.

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Can you explain what fashion means to Zowie? I think the whole fashion side of Zowie helps me to get into character. The first show I ever remember is the Michael Jackson History Tour and that sort of imprinted something in my brain. I realised that [fashion] is really important to me. Most of [the pieces] are custom made… I design them with a really good friend of mine Serena. So we design them and then find the materials we want for them and then she sews them all up.

What can we expect from your live show? We’re a four-piece live, it’s quite aggressive and manic. We’ve got live drums and guitars… and then more drums and more guitars – lots of excess baggage (laughs). We have my outfits and the boys have custom things that we wear as well so they can get into character too. So it’s really fun on stage.
If you was a transformer, what would you transform into? Oh my goodness! You know what I think: this guy who was a fan of a punk band I was in drew this picture for me and it’s an AMAZING transformer who is a full-on drum kit – like his biceps are huge toms and snares… I think I’d be that one!

Zowie will appear at the Future Music Festival on March 6th www.futuremusicfestival.com.au

Andrew Searle

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