Name: Stuart Zender
Occupation: Bassist, songwriter
Nationality: British
Current release: Stuart Zender's new single “Happy Feelings”, featuring Omar and poetry by Ana Tijoux, is out via UIM. A full-length album release is in the pipeline.
Recommendations: I would recommend the book: The Secret Teachings Of All Ages by Manly P Hall; Music: Miles Davis Blue In Green

If you enjoyed this Stuart Zender interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and twitter.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

I am the same. Synesthesia. I often wonder if people see the same colours and shapes, or are they unique patterns and colours to the individual? Hmmmmmmm.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?  

I left home at sixteen to pursue music. I played in pubs and free festivals and also busked on the street. This was a great experience as it gave me what's called "gig legs".

I eventually ended up in a French revolutionary circus called Archaos. They were like the Mad Max version of Cirque De Soleil. It was a very big production with performers from all over the world. A very immersive experience for all involved, I would say life changing for those who experienced it. I learned a lot from the performers and musicians, many from Brazil.



The audience had no idea what they were in for. From performers juggling chainsaws to high wire acrobatics with no net. Although I was not in the circus band, I was in charge of the lights on the band truck and would sometimes soundcheck for the bass player. This experience showed me the power of people coming together to create a life changing occurrence that was unique to all.

I would say that all experiences, whether good or bad, are part of the journey. "We can only traverse an infinite path" Carlos Castaneda.

It's all "gains" to me. :)

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music meant to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

The great thing about science is that it is always changing with new discoveries. The years thirteen to sixteen are quite emotional as per chemical and physical changes. This would have put us into highly sensitive states. I discovered so much wonderful music like The Weather Report and Larry Graham during these times.



I was obsessed with the bass guitar. I would practice in my room for hours and hours not knowing where the time went. I didn't have all the resourses available these days, so I had to imagine what the bass players were doing.

I made some interesting interpretations which ended up being an asset later on. A simple scale was achieved by going all the way up to the top of the fretboard, rather than using all four strings. This gave me the skill to move up and down the fretboard very quickly ha ha ha.

When I create music now, I am waiting for those feelings of my thirteen to sixteen year old me ha ha. It is possible to achieve that, although it's a watered down version. Goosebumps, eyes swelling up ... this is the goal.

It's very tough being a teen and I wouldn't ever want to go back in time for that ha ha ha. It DOES get better and you will get through this!!!! You can take all that angst and turn it into beautiful art.

I discovered much more music that transformed me from eighteen until now.

Over the course of your development, what has been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

My first instrument was the drums, or banging on desks making beats ha. I grew up in Philadelphia USA and was in the junior high school marching band for a short spell. I moved to my mom's acoustic guitar which was laying around the house, and then on to the bass at sixteen when I moved back to the UK.

I would regard any instrument one can play as essential to connecting with source. I learned to create music on the computer in the late nineties as it was easier to communicate my ideas and production.  I can't read or write music so the use of computers to get the entirety of my ideas out has been absolutely essential.

I was always producing but had no idea what it actually was in real terms and indeed business terms. On the technical side, I learned a lot from the various engineers I worked with over the years.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?  

I am inspired by everything I see. Being in nature is a such beautiful inspiration and is a big part of how I create the music.

Any relationships, weather good or bad,  are also a motivating force.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?  

I would agree with Mr Simon. My personal sound is made up of the thousands and thousands of musical compositions I have had the joy of listening to. It goes into my head and get mixed all around and comes out with my energy/interpretation.

I would say that this is the way we all create.  

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

I listen to bird song and I'm sure I've heard  them sing "Happy Birthday" ha ha ha.

There are rhythms in the streams and melodies with the birds. We strive to create music from the feelings we get from nature. Many classical composers can attest to this.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?  

There is a time and space for all. It really depends on the day and mood you may be in, or indeed what is going on astrologically.

One day, I will listen to Ravel, the next day Sepultura, the day after that, Todd Rundgren.  

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

I have no set formula and always go with the feeling. The feeling is what makes things work for me.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?  

I don't think I have created that yet ... obviously ha ha. I used to start off with bass lines I hear in my head but that always changes. Sometimes it’s a chord sequence and full arrangement with just the chords, then the drums, percussion and guitar, then the bass last ha ha.

The first record I recorded on was called Emergency On Planet Earth. This was a big step from playing in pubs. This was a milestone for me as it thrust me onto a world stage. I am eternally grateful for chance I was given by Nick Van Gelder, Jason Kay and Toby G-Smith(Jamiroquai) to be on a world stage and to be able to inspire other musicians as I was.



Money and awards could never match the joy of that. I am grateful to all the support I have been shown over the years. That's my gold!!!!!!

All of what I have helped to create is dear to me. I could never single out one particular event. To me, it would be like saying "which of your children do you like the best" ha ha.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

Absolutely !!!!!

I am currently tuning to 432Hz instead of 440Hz as this is in harmony with nature and our bodies. I have seen geometric patters in water when hit with different frequencies.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

All is mental, in the mind. We can create our realty by the way we think. If my life feels uncertain, I will create certainty in the music. Music is the great healer as my mate Bluey from Incognito always says.

I make music for the unconditional love it creates between people. Music can bring so many together. It’s a very powerful tool and should be given the utmost respect.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I feel there is no difference. I will put the same care and passionate  attention into cleaning the toilet as I would creating music or making a cup of tea. I leaned this from Eastern philosophy.  

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

Miles Davis's Blue In Green



Words are limiting in expressing feelings. We can come close. Maybe there was a time when we didn't speak? We may have communicated on higher levels of consciousness.

If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?  

We will see more writers being developed and more connection with source rather than pie charts, board meetings about ratings, likes or anything to do with the material. This is the way the pendulum swings.

I look forward to a bright future. We have all been through quite a lot over the past few years and this will result in amazingly beautiful new creativity.  

"The real aim of music is to coordinate the minds of people into an intelligent reach for a better world and an intelligent approach to the living future." Sun Ra