Zebrahead Looks Back, Charges Forward, and Counts Down to Zero

Zebrahead Looks Back, Charges Forward, and Counts Down to Zero

For three decades, Zebrahead has built a career by refusing to stand still. From their fusion of punk, rap, pop, ska, and alternative rock to their relentless touring schedule, the Orange County veterans have remained one of the most distinctive and energetic bands in modern rock. As the band prepares to release their new EP, 0 (Zero), Zebrahead finds itself celebrating not only new music, but also major milestones from throughout its storied career.

Highwire Daze caught up with founding vocalist Ali Tabatabaee and guitarist/vocalist Adrian Estrella to discuss the creative process behind Zero, the band’s enduring chemistry, memories of Warped Tour, anniversaries of classic albums such as Broadcast to the World and Playmate of the Year, and what keeps Zebrahead pushing forward after thirty years.

We’re here with two members of Zebrahead, one of the OGs and one of the newer members. Let’s start with Ali. Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in the band.
Ali Tabatabaee: What’s up? I’m Ali. I do vocals. I handle most of the yelling, rapping, and screaming in the band.

Adrian Estrella: Hi, I’m Adrian. I keep Ali company a lot. I sing and play guitar in Zebrahead.

Let’s talk about the new EP. It’s called 0 (Zero). Is there an overall story or concept behind the title?
Ali Tabatabaee: You actually got it right. The past few interviews we’ve done, we’ve had to correct people because they kept saying it wrong. It is Zero because the EPs have been a countdown: III, II, I, and now this one is Zero. It comes out August 12.

Let’s talk about some of the songs. I’d like to do a song-by-song rundown. Let’s start with “Burn Burn Burn.”
Ali Tabatabaee: You want to do this one, Adrian?

Adrian Estrella: Yeah, let’s go back and forth.

“Burn Burn Burn” is a song we’ve been working on for a while, which is a perfect example of the difference between making albums and EPs. One luxury of doing EPs is that you can really put a lot of effort into each individual song.

We had this song for a long time, and there was always something missing. Cracking the code came down to the guitar turnaround riff. We knew we loved the song, but it needed that extra piece. We worked on it for probably about a year. I don’t even know how many guitar riffs Dan and I wrote trying to solve that section.

Then, organically, we got in a room and that riff just came out. We immediately knew that was it.

I really love the song. It’s something a lot of people can relate to lyrically, and musically it’s super energetic. It almost has a techno-metal vibe in a weird way, which we thought was really fun.

“A Perfect Life Is Such a Bore” is a title I couldn’t agree with more. Tell me about that one.
Ali Tabatabaee: I think the concept behind that song is that everybody has an idea of what their life is going to be like, and often that’s not what ends up happening. The way you deal with hardships and overcome your problems often dictates how happy you are.

Unexpected things happen all the time, and it really depends on your perspective and how you choose to react. That’s the overall concept of the song.

It’s also one of those songs that everybody in the band was really happy with. We all loved how it turned out.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Tell me about that one.
Adrian Estrella: Ooh, that’s such a fun one because it has such a different vibe.

We’re fortunate to have a rapper like Ali. He’s so talented. We text each other all the time because we’re both night owls. Sometimes Ali will send me a lyric idea and I’ll be blown away. Other times I’ll send him something and ask, “How would you word this?” because he’s so great with wordplay and creative phrasing.

There was a lyric on the last EP that really stood out to me: “Picture perfect takeoff, crash and burn like a jet.” I thought that was such a clever line.

Having someone like Ali in the band makes it possible for us to really lean into that side of Zebrahead. We wanted to make something specifically rap-heavy while still having a huge, epic chorus.

I think the song turned out beautifully. Ali’s delivery and emotion are incredible. The whole thing has this eerie atmosphere that really sets it apart.

One of the cool things about Zebrahead is our ability to blend genres without it feeling forced. It still sounds like a Zebrahead song.

We actually came up with the concept while a few of us were hanging out in the back lounge of the tour bus watching a scary movie. Somebody said, “Let’s write something that feels like a horror movie or a thriller.” That’s where the idea came from.

I absolutely love that song. I’m really proud of everybody’s performance on it.

Let’s move on to “Smoke Signals From My Couch.”
Ali Tabatabaee: That’s another great song. We had some friends from Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger come in and play horns on it.

Originally the song didn’t have any horns. It was built more around a guitar lead. We liked it, but we felt it would be a perfect opportunity to bring in some horn players and let them put their fingerprint on it.

Once they sent us their horn arrangements, the song jumped about twenty levels in our eyes. We were like, “My God, now it’s done.“

They really elevated the quality of the track.

It’s also a ska song, and we haven’t written many ska songs lately. We were missing that creative outlet. We felt it was something our fans would really appreciate and dig into.

When we play it live, we can already feel the energy from the crowd. Honestly, I think a big part of that comes from the horn section.

“Happy Endings at the Movies.”
Adrian Estrella: We never really sit down and decide what kind of song we’re going to write. We just write whatever comes naturally, and then later we look at what we have.

At one point we were talking about how it would be cool to have a pop-punk song on the EP because the material was already so diverse. We happened to have this song, and it fit perfectly.

It’s a super fun song. The chorus hits really hard, and it has that classic summer pop-punk vibe.

Lyrically, it’s about realizing that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. There may be something better out there, but you have to keep searching for it. Time and patience hopefully pay off in the end.

It’s definitely one I enjoy and I’m really looking forward to playing it live.

We’ll go to the final song. “I Don’t Know How to Put This, But I’m Kinda a Big Deal.”
Ali Tabatabaee: Actually, Adrian brought that song in one of the first times we met. We went through several different versions of it over the years.

It was an important song to us, so we didn’t want to release it until we felt it was the absolute best version it could be.

When we were working on the Zero EP, we revisited it and added a few new things. One was my bridge section, which takes the song in a completely unexpected direction. I think it’s a really cool surprise in the middle of the track.

That’s a good example of how we work as a band. We’ll keep revisiting songs until we feel we’ve gotten everything possible out of them.

This song took a few years to finish, but we finally had a breakthrough during the final weeks of writing for Zero.

And honestly, Adrian’s voice is incredible. He has so much emotion and energy in it. I think this song really showcases everything he brings to the band. It’s a very, very cool song.

Let’s talk about a few anniversaries for Zebrahead. One of them is the twentieth anniversary of Broadcast to the World. When you look back on that album, what comes to mind?
Ali Tabatabaee: I have a fondness for all of our albums. Looking back, they’re like yearbooks. You remember the recording sessions, the places you went, the tours that followed, and the people you met.

One particularly cool aspect of Broadcast to the World was that Shawn Harris from The Matches created the album artwork. We had just toured together on Warped Tour, and Shawn and I became good friends. Whenever I see that album now, it reminds me of that friendship.

Those are the things that stand out the most to me. The little memories from the writing, recording, touring, and artwork creation process all come flooding back.

Let’s go back even further and talk about Playmate of the Year from 2000.
Ali Tabatabaee: The most fun part of that album was the crossover promotion with Hugh Hefner and Playboy.

Honestly, when they first heard the song, we thought we might get sued. Instead, they wanted to sponsor us and invited us to shoot the video at the Mansion.

The experiences surrounding that record were incredible. We became friends with a lot of people there, they came out to shows, and it created a lot of unforgettable memories.

Musically, there are always things you can look back on and wish you had done differently, but the experiences connected to that album were amazing.

You guys got me into Warped Tour. Back in 1999, your label gave me tickets to come see Zebrahead, and I’ve been hooked on Warped ever since. Tell me about some of your favorite Warped Tour memories.
Adrian Estrella: Even before I came to the States from the Dominican Republic, Warped Tour was the dream.

My first full Warped Tour was done in a Dodge Caravan pulling a U-Haul trailer. Looking back, I don’t know if I could survive it the same way today.

But that’s what made it special. Three months of brutal weather, long drives, and incredible friendships. Kevin Lyman gave us opportunities year after year, and I’ll always be grateful for that.

Warped Tour was legendary, and even now it’s awesome seeing parents bring their kids to experience it.

Ali, what do you remember most about Warped Tour in 1999?
Ali Tabatabaee: Basketball.

There were a lot of bands on that tour that loved basketball, and we’d play pickup games after the shows.

I remember playing basketball with members of the Black Eyed Peas and even Eminem before any of us realized how massive he was about to become.

Blink-182 was there too. I still have old camcorder footage of us hanging out with the Blink guys on the bus.

Everyone was younger, making new friends, and experiencing something special together. The camaraderie was incredible.

Adrian, is anything happening with Assuming We Survive these days?
Adrian Estrella: Assuming We Survive is definitely a labor of love, but Zebrahead is my priority.

I’m a family man, and Zebrahead gives me an opportunity to do exactly what I always hoped to do: travel the world, make music, and make a living doing it.

A reunion show isn’t out of the question, but right now my focus is here.

I do have a little emo cover band on the side just to stay creative when I’m at home, but Zebrahead comes first.

Ali, do you have any projects outside of Zebrahead?
Ali Tabatabaee: Not right now.

The schedule has been so aggressive that there really isn’t time for much else. When we’re not touring, we’re writing. When we’re not writing, we’re rehearsing. Then we’re recording and heading right back out on the road.

If we ever took a long break, maybe I’d explore something else creatively, but right now all of my focus is on Zebrahead.

Zebrahead started in 1996, which means you’re celebrating thirty years as a band. How does that feel?
Ali Tabatabaee: It’s crazy because I’m only twenty-five years old.

(laughs)

Honestly, I don’t think any of us expected this to last thirty years. I don’t even think we expected it to last five years.

Every day I get to wake up, create music, be an artist, and travel the world with my best friends.

It’s been an incredible ride, and hopefully we’re just getting started.

Do you have any message for the fans?
Adrian Estrella: I just want to say thank you.

Thank you to the fans, and thank you to my bandmates. The experiences I’ve had with Zebrahead have been amazing, and I’m grateful every day that I get to do this.

I hope everybody enjoys the new Zero EP. Check out our YouTube page and social media because we’re always posting updates, videos, and tour announcements.

Hopefully we’ll see all of you out on the road very soon.

Ali Tabatabaee: The only thing I’d add is a sincere thank you to all the fans who’ve stuck with us over the last thirty years.

We love you guys, and we wouldn’t be able to do any of this without your support.

Thank you for standing by us all these years, and hopefully we’ll be coming to a town near you soon so we can all hang out together at a show.

In Conclusion

Three decades into their career, Zebrahead continues to operate with the same passion, humor, and creative energy that first put them on the map. Whether they’re revisiting cherished memories from Warped Tour, celebrating landmark albums from their catalog, or pushing themselves artistically with the genre-bending songs found on Zero, Ali Tabatabaee and Adrian Estrella make it clear that the band’s story is far from finished.

For longtime fans, Zero represents both the culmination of the band’s recent EP countdown and another chapter in Zebrahead’s ongoing evolution. For Zebrahead themselves, it is simply the next step in a journey that has now spanned thirty years and shows no signs of slowing down.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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