Heavy Petting Zoo

Heavy Petting Zoo

Heavy Petting Zoo is a garage rock group from Swansea, in the United Kingdom, active since 2010. The band plays short, direct pop songs built around powerful vocals, fuzzed-out guitars and a steady groove. It is made up of Amy Zachariah on vocals, Ben Rodway on guitar, Billy Horwood on drums, and Joe Rees on bass and synth.

Style and reception

The group is described as lo-fi garage rock with distorted guitar, rough-edged drums and strong female vocals. It is associated with comparisons to Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, alongside references to post-punk, garage rock and seventies stomp. Its recordings are noted for moving between messy hiss and controlled menace.

Early attention and performances

In 2012, the demo track “Deathproof” appears on Sweeping The Nation’s compilation Doesn’t Your Balloon Ever Land? and is played repeatedly by Adam Walton, including on a best-of-2012-so-far programme. That attention leads to the band headlining the BBC Introducing Stage at Wychwood Festival and appearing at Focus Wales Festival.

Commentary

The band is also associated with live shows and frequent gigging, and its music is described in press coverage as having a rough, atmospheric garage-rock sound with a strong sense of energy and presence.