It’s always amazing to see a group of talented musicians, artists and creative minds come together and create masterpieces. This is defined by the X Collective. In this new single, “Ladies” featuring Chole Agnew and Zapho, we experience women empowerment firsthand. We had the pleasure of interviewing Chole and Zapho, and here is what they had to say:
Q: What is the story behind “The X Collective”, the band and its members? How did your new release “Ladies” come about?
ZAPHO: The X Collective is a music supergroup made up of some of Ireland’s most talented singer-songwriters. This group was founded in 2020 with the aim of creating a powerful and meaningful music community that is self-sufficient in terms of writing, recording, and performing. There is something truly musically compelling about the album; perhaps it is the genuine chemistry and friendship the community has, evident in their live performances.
Ladies was written at our songwriting camp. It features me (Zapho) and Chloe Agnew (Celtic Woman). The songwriting camp had over 35 musicians, writers, producers and artists attending. There was so much talent under one roof. I really enjoyed the creative experience. The song came together in two days. With some of the finest talent in the country at the camp, this track was one of ten songs written and produced over the weekend. Each song was on par in terms of quality and musicianship that you would never know they were made in a cozy Airbnb bedroom in our Irish countryside. The creativity, love and genuine comradery created that weekend was next to indescribable.
Q: There are strong electro and aspiring elements in your songs and a women empowerment mood. Which are your influences music-wise and lyrics-wise?
ZAPHO: Chloe and I discussed where we wanted to take the song. We discussed what mood we were aiming for. Both of us being 90’s babies always gravitated towards girl power, strong complex harmony, soul vocal type of music. The production called for a more electronic nature because we recorded it in a bedroom at a songwriting camp. So we used simulated instruments and plugged in our guitars and made it work.
It was super fun and creative, and also you can create an entire universe using a midi keyboard. I’m more of an alt pop artist and Chloe, to be honest, can sing any genre so it was about finding what suited us. Lyrically, we just discussed things that bothered us about the workplace, or when we were in situations in the industry that were very “boys club”. Both Chloe and I are very strong characters so being able to connect that strength with all the other women that are strong and powerful in their own right is a really nice thing to be able to do.
Q: How are you hoping people respond to the song?
CHLOE: In the same way I do! Just turn it up, sing along and feel good, if only for a couple of minutes. I wasn’t trying to be Leonard Cohen or Collaborating with The X Collective has truly been one of the most rewarding musical experiences of my career to date. It has allowed me to explore a whole new side to songwriting and expressing myself through music in a way that has been so freeing and exciting. Every time I’m in a room with Zapho and our X Collective family a little piece of me comes alive and the process of creating our latest release “Ladies” was one of the most fun and empowering writing sessions I’ve been a part of.
We laughed, danced and had a great buzz throughout the whole session and knew we had a fun upbeat anthem for women all over the world. It’s so incredible to see all the musical layers that have been added since along with the finest playing & musicianship from our X Collective band. Our group is largely dominated by women. It’s been a real joy finding a safe space and a community to create with that promotes the power of what women can do when they join forces. I’m so proud that this song encapsulates that.
Q: How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how do you both carry yourselves in this group?
ZAPHO: What I love about The X Collective is that we challenge the notion of what Irish music is. Irish music is typically perceived as diddly diddly trad and violin and poetry etc. However, although this music is in our roots, we want to showcase a far more international sounding blend of genres. This blend spans across a plethora of genres in the R&B, Neo Soul, hip hop, funk and jazz genres. I firmly believe Irish music is Irish because of the people making it not the style. The writers, singers, and musicians who make it are Irish. It’s our lived experience and a melting pot of new culture that is true and relevant and reflective of our evolving society. So yes, we are inspired by everything around us at home and abroad.
Q: If you can only takWhat is the general process by which you all go about creating your music? Do you write together or separately?
ZAPHO: This song in particular had 5 songwriters on it. All of us sat down and discussed our brief which was “write an anthemic female hit.” Each person has a fantastic skill set to contribute to the room. Between Chloe and myself as topline writers our chemistry is on fire, so the ideas flow seamlessly. We pulled in players from other rooms to make a choir, because why not? And Liam Geddes, our producer and wizard of electronic production made our track sound huge. Mark Caplice – one of our songwriters, scrutinized every phrase, the grammar, the rhyme and Louis Younge our multi instrumentalist played several instruments over the song. It was truly an epic experience. I learned a lot working with so many people in one room.
Q: Would you like to tell our readers something more you would like us to know?
ZAPHO: We have a big year ahead of us, with several new collaborations coming out of The X Collective’s debut album. It has 10 tracks and over 40 creatives and artists are featured on it. We can’t wait to share it. We’ve been sitting on this album for a while. Make sure to keep up with us on social media and check out some of our live events to keep up with the latest.
Interviewed by Shertara Brazil
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FOLLOW CHOLE AGNEW:
FOLLOW ZAPHO
