Malo Zima are an atmospheric alt-rock group born in an artistically-inclined Brisbane share house. Their music rich is in thick sonic textures, free-flowing rhythms, and alternately tuned guitars.

Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?

Our sound is still in the development stages; we started with more folk-rock leanings, but over the years as our tastes have evolved and instrument collections expanded, we’ve begun to incorporate new sounds, textures and rhythms into our music. Amela recently bought a synthesiser which we’re all pretty excited about, and Declan’s just purchased a pedal steel guitar from Nashville which you can bet he'll be running through a myriad of effects on future recordings.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music?

Listening to great music, and seeing live bands that are able to take you on a journey is what makes us want to go home and write new songs.

What can punters expect from a Malo Zima live show?

Cathartic climaxes, swirling soundscapes, and awkward anecdotes.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?

"Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re going to be rewarded.” - Jimi Hendrix

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?

Eventually - Tame Impala

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?

Blood - The Middle East

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?

Shaolin Monk Motherfunk - Hiatus Kyote

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?

The last local gig we went to was Angharad Drake’s album launch, which was held in an intimate backyard setting. The music was awesome, and it was nice to see the crowd being so respectful and attentive.

Tell us about the bands or people in the Brisbane music community that inspire you.

Brisbane has a pretty tight knit community of musicians and artists; everyone seems to know everyone, and we’re all quite supportive of each others projects. In terms of bands, we’re big fans of Big Dead, Moses Gunn Collective, Angharad Drake, Gabriella Cohen, and Baskervillain to name a few.

What are your plans for the rest of 2015 and into 2016?

We’re launching our EP on the 6th of November at Black Bear Lodge and after that we’ll be playing a couple of shows along the east coast, with the possibility of touring interstate early next year. Once that’s done we’re planning to start work on our next release.