Introducing: Petting Zoo

Based in Norwalk, Connecticut, Petting Zoo have firmly established themselves as purveyors of bright, chart-friendly indie-pop. They have a serious side though, as you can hear on Voices, which the band recently spoke to us about.

Could you tell us a bit about the members of Petting Zoo?

Bennett’s the crowd favorite, Joe and Deegan have the best style/showmanship, and Colin’s jealous of Zack’s hair.

What inspires you to write?

A cool chord or riff.

Who would you say has had the most influence on your sound?

We grew up on Coldplay, Maroon 5, Green Day, the Beatles, Bob Marley, the Police, U2, etc. We’re also suckers for contemporary top 40 pop/hip hop.

What has been the biggest highlight so far when it comes to being in Petting Zoo?

This blog feature! The shows as well – we just like bringing fans and friends together as we whale on our instruments. Hopefully they enjoy the cacophony all the while.

What song can you not resist singing along to?

The Girls Want Girls x Goofy Goober mashup.

What artist would you love to work with?

Bob Marley, even though that’d be a bit tricky to pull off!

What other bands or musicians are you listening to right now?

Big fans of Doja Cat’s and Lil Nas X’s recent releases. On the indie side we’re digging artists like Dominic Fike, Tai Verdes, Peach Tree Rascals, Still Woozy right now. The new Kendrick and Harry Styles albums have some good tracks as well.

Do you have one piece of advice for anyone starting to make music?

Give it a rip! We’re excited to hear.

Was there a moment of inspiration that led to the lyrics of Voices?

Zack: Not really a moment – more a looming personal perception of social network strata these days. Felt like it was a good time to put those thoughts on paper. I kind of set the song’s lyrical trajectory once I scatted “the highlight reel” over the verse riff.

What’s up next for Petting Zoo in terms of gigs, new music…?

Bowery Ballroom 6/10! Opening for the 502s at Bayley Beach on 7/31! Tix on our Instagram! We also have more songs releasing later this year, including one called Food. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the new noise!

Be sure to head over to Petting Zoo’s Instagram and Facebook pages for further info on how to stream or download Voices, as well as getting ticket details of upcoming gigs.