Zayn: For the First Time in 6 Years (FBF)

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What is up, Daddy Gang?

It is your founding father, Alex Cooper, with Call Her Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.

Hey,

Zane, welcome to Caller Daddy.

I'm so happy that you're here.

We have to preface this with, my fans are watching this, like, where the fuck are you guys?

We are in my childhood home, daddy gang, okay?

Zane and I are in my living room that I grew up in.

Zane got here and has had to look at all the embarrassing childhood photos of me.

Thank you so much for coming.

I've never done an embarrassing.

What did you say?

I didn't see any embarrassing photos.

I think you hid them all.

Actually, there's a couple.

You'll see them on your way out, and then you'll never look at me the same.

I have never done a podcast in my childhood home.

So this feels like a little sentimental.

Also, you never really do interviews.

I don't.

When is the last time you did something like this?

I think I did an interview like six years ago.

Was the last time I did one?

So we're kind of like popping the cherry back off.

I think so, yeah.

You were good at it.

Something like that.

So you're living in Pennsylvania, and I obviously grew up here.

I loved it growing up.

It's very family-oriented, very suburban.

But I'm curious to know, like, of all the trendy spots that you could have picked, why Pennsylvania?

Yeah, it's interesting.

A lot of people ask me that, like, they always think it's super random that I live out here.

I ended up coming out here with my ex a bit, like, and I fell in love with it.

Like, it was just super, like, calm and chill, like you said, suburban.

Um, and I just wanted to, like, take a break from, like, the busy city because like i was living in new york for three years at the time and um it just got a bit overwhelming you know like going out of your door to like just craziness all the time so i just wanted a bit more like um of a surrounding that like i'm used to like where i grew up um in bradford like in in the uk it's it's a lot more this kind of pace and vibe so um i feel like i just fit in better around here than I do in the trendy spots as it as it is as it were

yeah you give trendy vibes but i think i totally relate to that of like sometimes when you get i'll take that yeah yeah i give trendy vibes you give trendy vibes like look at your outfit it's like pretty swaggy but then you're also like hanging with the amish folk so it's like a good little juxtaposition zane okay

but what i find interesting is I love that you said like you would be in New York City and I'm assuming you would be going out and there's paparazzi everywhere taking photos of you.

Pennsylvania, there ain't no paparazzi.

Yeah, that's a great thing.

Are they finding you or no?

No, no, there's none out here.

I think there's like laws and stuff.

They're not allowed to even take photos in certain places.

Oh, that's amazing.

Okay, the most important question: have you gone to Wawa yet?

I have.

Wawa is a nighttime life saver out here.

I was like, how am I going to get along with Sane if he hasn't had a love for Wawa yet?

Do you love it?

Yeah, like late-night studio sessions.

There's nothing else open.

You have to go to Wawa to get the meatball soap.

It is so fucking superior.

I remember growing up, and my excuse, whenever I would want to go like meet up with boys, would be like, Mom, like, I just want to go get a Wawa sub, and she'd be like, You're not using Wawa as your cover-up.

Yeah,

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Okay, so I feel like again, you're kind of this mysterious guy, Zane.

We don't really know too much about you.

You're kind of under the radar.

So can you take me through a typical day in the life of Zane in Pennsylvania?

Like, what are we doing?

Make us feel like we're a part of your life.

a typical day for me is uh, it kind of varies, it depends, you know, like what kind of mood I wake up in, but I take it pretty easy.

Like, I just um,

either now, because obviously I've got my daughter, like, 50% of the time, it's it's it's a balance between the two things.

But when I'm by myself, a typical day is um, I'll probably wake up around like midday, have a shower, eat some food, um, and then like figure out if I'm gonna go to the studio, do some writing, because I've been in like writing mode for a long time, just like working on my records and stuff.

So just yeah, just getting into the studio pretty much, and then I'll be there like all day until I got sleep.

Then you're going to Wawa?

And then I go to Wawa, yeah, that's it, yeah, and stop off for a sandwich.

Are you uh, are you someone that likes to be alone?

Um, I like my own space, um, I like to um collect my thoughts in like a more quiet environment.

Um, I feel like when there's a lot of people around, it kind of like just gets a bit hectic for me.

Yeah, I just, I like to chill by myself from time to time, but I don't mind hanging out with people now, like on occasion, you know what I'm saying?

Like it has to be the right kind of environment and I have to like

want to be there, you know?

No, I get that.

I feel like that's also growing up.

Like I was recently talking to some of my audience.

I was meeting them in person and we're like, it's kind of weird when you just start to grow up, you just get more specific with who you want to spend your time with.

I think that's a healthy thing.

Obviously, you're on an even bigger stage because you were around millions of people in stadiums and tours and everything.

But I also think that's kind of relatable of like, you know what, sometimes I want to be alone and then I'll still hang with people, but like, you got to be good company.

Yeah, I've always thought like

it would be, you know, a pretty normal reaction to feel that way around so many people.

I think anybody...

who's like overwhelmed in that manner would feel you know a certain type of way about it but um i'm definitely learning to manage it a lot better like as I'm getting older like it's it's more of a choice you know rather than a than a hindrance it's not like I can't do that it's like I'd I'd rather prefer not to yeah that makes sense I own it a bit more yeah you obviously love music but can you share with us like what are some of your other hobbies what are your passion about what's other than music

Like my main passion, I think, outside of music is art.

I love to paint and I love to draw.

I do a bit of cooking.

Okay, tell me one of your dishes.

Come on, I can't cook for shit.

I can cook a lot of different things,

but I like to cook meat, like specifically.

I have a smoker outside, and I like to smoke lamb.

And I cook like my, like, I'll do like grilled vegetables with it and stuff.

Is this like new, or were you always good at cooking?

I wasn't always good at cooking, unfortunately, for me.

My mum kind of spoiled me as a kid.

So when I was living by myself, like at 17, there were some botch jobs done for some meals.

Yeah, it wasn't great.

Some disgusting

stuff was going to offer mac and cheese, the rubber.

Yeah, horrible.

Yeah, just sandwiches, you know, out of like crisps.

That's kind of nice to be able to know.

Like, you can cook, you're over there painting, you can sing.

Okay, no big deal.

Don't keep bragging over there.

Wow, making us all look bad.

Do you have animals?

I do, yeah.

I've got a lot lot of animals.

I have three cats,

three dogs.

Do they get along?

They're kind of like in different places.

I have some dogs at one part of my house and the cats in the other.

We have three turtles, six chickens.

Do you name them all?

No, I haven't.

Not this time.

I got too attached last time and it made me really sad.

Did the chickens die?

Yeah.

Oh god.

I took my chicken to the vet

to get a scan because something was wrong with her and the vet laughed at me and said people don't bring chickens here

and and then they still charged me for an x-ray and then I took my chicken all the way home and cried and she died in my arms amazing I'm like not laughing because it's funny

it is kind of funny but not because the chicken died but it's just funny seeing me take a chicken to and when you say you're holding your chicken like are you holding your chicken like this yeah fully on my lap yeah

she died on my lap so you weren't crazy for going to vet no yeah she had something wrong with it we tried to rescue them they were going to be uh slaughtered i think um and uh they had all kinds of things wrong with them yeah but i've got new chickens now and they're all healthy and stuff but i didn't name them for that reason okay and what are the names of the cats salem uh dobby and vito Dobby, is that from Harry Potter?

It's from Harry Potter.

He's a Sphinx.

He's a pink Sphinx, yeah.

So he looks a little bit like Dobby.

Dobby?

Harry!

That's so good.

You're a Harry Potter fan.

I'm a big Harry Potter fan.

Zane, I didn't know that about you.

I wouldn't have pegged you as like a Harry Potter guy.

This is like really good vibes.

It was my thing as a kid, yeah.

That's really good.

Okay, and what are the dogs' names?

Um, Zion, Zeus, and Thumper.

Thumper?

With a F.

With an F, yeah.

Thumper.

Thumper.

Like Thumper, but with an F.

How did you come up with that?

Uh, Bambi.

Huh.

Thumper, the rabbit.

But you wanted an F.

Yeah, thumper thought sounded better.

Yeah.

It's better in my accent, thumper.

Yeah, it does sound pretty good.

Um, something I love to do on Call Her Daddy is like the reason we all are the way that we are is because of our childhood, where we came from, who we were raised by, our environment growing up.

Obviously, you living in Pennsylvania right now is so different from where you grew up in the UK in Bradford, like you described.

Can you explain to people that may not be familiar with Bradford like what was your upbringing like and what was that environment like?

Um where do you want me to start?

Just wherever it feels right.

Go ahead.

Yeah, Bradford's not obviously like Pennsylvania in terms of you know like the wealth and the way that it's like you know looked after and taken care of.

It's um it's uh impoverished community, you know, there's people below working class that

um

that have, you know, a hard environment that they're growing up in, you know, everyone's kind of got some issues going on at home, or something's happening, you know, even if it's on the street or whatever, wherever you go, there's there's a lot of um confliction, you know.

Um, so it was very different to um

to hear in that sense for sure.

But um, I'm very grateful for where I grew up because it it definitely, like you said, shaped and molded a lot of um identity for me.

Um, early on, I was questioned, you know, and like interrogated about my identity because of my environment like it's just the way it is like you have to have a good understanding of who you are

and I'm really grateful for that you know it helped cement my own identity myself I think when you talk about like people would question your identity I know your family is not from the UK your family is Pakistani

and I'm curious is that my father is my my mum's English okay so did are you saying like is that how that was influenced no not necessarily just in in every sense of the word.

Like even like your fashion, the clothes you want to wear, the way you want to cut your hair, it was always something was questioned, you know, if you weren't doing the norm that was like that everybody was doing or everyone was following, you know, everyone would wear a certain type of pant or a certain type of shoe.

And if you weren't dressed that way, you would get questioned about it, you know, like people would be very like in your face and be like, give you shit.

So you had to like have a bit about you so that you could.

you know, know who you were and have a conversation back.

Have a bit of wits about you as it is, you know, street smarts for sure.

You got to be able to like hold your own, exactly.

Yeah, and when you say people are coming at you, is it more like peer dynamics of or is it more like authoritative figures?

There's a yeah, there's a

balance, a mix, sorry, of everything.

It's um,

it depends, you know, there's there's the peer pressure in schools and stuff, but then it's on the street.

If you go out there and stuff, if you're just trying to have a good time, you know, like it's not

as

friendly, friendly, fun, you know, it's a bit more like

irate.

There's a bit of a bit of aggression going on, you know what I mean?

Talk to me about where you grew up.

Like, are you in an apartment?

Are you in a condo?

Oh, no, I grew up in a terraced house

in a rented property.

We never owned our own house.

So, yeah, it was a small house.

There was like three bedrooms, kitchen, living room.

But the streets are all like, every house is like stuck next to the one next to it.

You know what I'm saying?

There's no space.

You have a garden that's like

enough for maybe a dog to sit in.

So yeah, it's a bit different for sure.

Yeah.

So you have three sisters.

Okay, and so you are the one boy and three sisters.

What was it like growing up with all mostly women around you?

Like how do you think that shaped you?

I feel like I learned a lot of things like early on.

My sisters are very opinionated, you know, they're very

strong characters.

And

yeah, I love them.

They're great.

They were a lot of fun.

Yeah.

It was always entertaining in our house for sure.

I love...

I really love when I meet a guy and you can just tell that he has sisters because you can just tell the way they move around women.

You guys learned what a fucking tampon is earlier.

I had to go to the store and buy them.

Wow.

So you were like really supporting that time of the month.

month, terrified, but supportive for sure.

Okay,

were you reluctant to go to the store and buy them?

Definitely not.

It was just kind of weird, like when the shop people would ask me, like, why I was buying them, and I'm like, obviously, I'm not buying them for myself, you know?

Like, do you have to ask me that?

Like, just let me buy this.

You wouldn't stick like a couple extra like snacks around it.

You're just like, tampon.

We didn't have money for extra snacks.

It was just needs to amend.

Yeah.

Zane's like, I'll take the supers.

These bitches are

the other way around.

But yeah, exactly.

It was always an awkward conversation, but yeah, I didn't mind it.

I respect it.

I really love that for you, sisters.

Okay, to people obviously that weren't there in your childhood, how would you describe your personality as a kid?

My personality as a kid, I think I was

a bit of a

cheeky chappy.

Yeah, used to be mischievous, used to get into all kinds of just childish stuff, you know, like

climbing in places I shouldn't have been and falling out of trees and smashing windows and stupid things.

Yeah.

Oh.

With a football.

Accidentally, of course, you know.

Right, right, right, for sure, for sure.

So you were getting in trouble a little bit.

Just like childish stuff, though.

Nothing too serious.

Yeah, like climbing trees.

Exactly, yeah.

Exciting shit.

Okay, so you were kind of just like doing your thing as a kid, but I also think the way that you're describing the environment that you grew up, was there...

a way that you could have gone down the wrong path easily because of that environment it it was easy to get wrapped up in the wrong crowd.

Oh, definitely.

Yeah, I think there was always an opportunity to go and do something that, you know, would have got you in like serious trouble.

I was really lucky in a sense that my mother and father

were super protective of that environment.

My dad was always aware of, you know, the things that were out there and he always explained stuff to me from a young age

and kind of kept me away from that, if I'm being honest.

And that's where like I developed into being a person that likes to be by myself and like in my room like singing recording writing I got into you know poetry and things like that because I was in my room a lot like

and I didn't like to be in them kind of environments it was just a bit too much you know I was always a bit more of a reserved kind of guy a bit you know artistic wanted to do my own thing I didn't really want to be in that so my parents did a good job of keeping me away from it.

I think.

Did you get along with kids in school?

Were you like the cool kid?

Were you bullied?

Like, what was the vibe?

Yeah, I think I got on with pretty much everyone, but I wasn't like, I was a type of person who only ever had like two, three close friends.

I didn't have like a big group.

Like, I knew people, people knew of me.

I don't think I was the cool kid, but I wasn't bullied either.

Yeah, like,

if people knew me, they were friendly with me.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I feel like a lot of kids, we always have that like memory.

Maybe it's financial, maybe it's something with the parents or the siblings or extended family like of like a childhood memory that you remember your family kind of just being like stressed or going throughing something difficult kind of like if you could remember kind of a childhood memory that you remember just being like stressed about something in your life like looking back at like childhood stresses like i i feel like a lot of them were so like finicky that it's just probably just some teenage shit you know i mean it wasn't anything important um so i don't really look back at things like that and in my personality the the way i am like i i've never really like looked back and been like oh yeah this is one thing that like kind of was you know a stressful thing i think life is interesting like that i think you know it depends on what you're going through at that time and how you feel and then you can reflect on it at a different point and feel completely differently about it it's so interesting I have a lot of respect even for you answering it like that because I know that you've been open about like at one point your family being on food stamps and I feel like a lot of people would sit here and that may have been the answer, right?

That would have been like, well, fuck.

Like, I couldn't even, I didn't know where my next meal was.

And you're like, oh, you know, maybe it was childish shit, like, no big deal.

And it's like, that's interesting if you.

Yeah, no, and obviously, there is, there were some serious things like that for sure, too.

But I don't look back at it in terms of a negative light.

You know, it all helped to like shape and mold who I am and make me grateful for the things that I have now, you know?

Yeah.

So we are here because you can sing.

When did you first realize you were passionate about singing and you could sing?

I think I was about 11, 12.

I'd sung a little bit before, like I'd done a bit in like school choir and stuff.

Funny story, I actually fancied like these three girls that were in choir and they were triplets and that's why I just was like, I'm going to be in choir just so I can hang around these girls.

And then it developed from there when I went into high school.

I went to a performing arts college, like specifically, like majored in sports and performing arts.

And

they were doing the school production that year for Greeks, and I auditioned.

And nobody could sing

at all, like in our whole school.

And I went and did this like singing audition.

Everyone was like, Whoa, you can sing.

And then my

music teacher recommended that I get like a couple couple of singing lessons and stuff.

And then she said, I think you should go on X Factor.

I think you've got a good chance.

And it just kind of went from there.

I love that the story started with, you know, there were these three triplets and it just felt right to join choir.

I was like eight as well, by the way.

So swaggy.

You're like, I got to get in that class.

To just, yeah, spend this time.

Right.

So like your natural, just like boy interest ended up, you realized something that you had a true talent from the triplets to X Factor you made

So it's so funny too because you say you wouldn't be where you are without your mom because You didn't want to get out of bed the morning that you had the X Factor audition and your mom made you go Why did you also not want to go initially?

Um, I think it was just nerves

I

built it up in my head and I was like, yo, this is a massive thing.

And yeah, I was like, I don't think I'm going to go today.

And my mom's like, you are going.

going, you're going right now, you're gonna go see what happens.

So, yeah, I definitely owe it to her for that, for sure.

Oh my god, and so did you like practice?

You were practicing for it, yeah.

Um, but I had no idea, no clue.

Like, they told us, like, we had to have like um a backing track, like a

karaoke version, and like I was so like inexperienced at that time that I didn't even know what that was.

So, like, I was just planning on singing a cappella, so I was just gonna do it like without anything.

Um, and it was so weird for me to adjust to singing on on a backing track.

I was like, this is such a weird experience.

I think even Simon looked at me a little bit weird, like when I did the a cappella, because everybody had backing tracks and stuff.

But, yeah, so that probably made you stand out, though.

I don't know, it could have worked either way.

Maybe it made me sound really bad, too.

No, well, obviously not.

Look where you're fucking sitting.

Yeah,

do you remember what you sang?

Yeah, I do, Mario.

Let me love you.

And the reason I said that is because I've seen that performance back a few times and cringed every time I've watched it.

So, yeah, it's not my best vocal performance.

So, there's a lot of nerves involved there for sure.

But clearly, there was something in there, Zane.

There's some talent.

Yeah, there's some potential.

Acapella, and he just nails it.

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When you look back at that moment, obviously, is it like surreal?

Like if you even had to like watch it back, like is it, does it even feel like a lifetime ago?

Yeah, it does.

It feels like so much longer than it actually was

because so much stuff's happened in that time.

Yeah, it's very interesting, very surreal.

And I feel all them nerves again, like when I watch it, like I...

I feel like I could give myself a hug, you know, and be like, it's okay, bro.

Because I literally am like holding onto the mic for dear life.

Please, nobody hurt me.

It's so good.

It's so good.

So obviously then, X Factor, everyone, Simon, everyone came to you guys and they had this idea to invent One Direction.

And then I think people don't, I don't even know, like, did you even meet anyone before they put you guys together?

Yeah, we knew each other like just...

from around

because we were like a similar age and stuff so naturally you speak to people who are like a similar age to you around there and stuff and we were at boot camp together and we'd i met harry that on my audition day because um we both auditioned in Manchester,

and we were literally sat next to each other in the audition.

Oh, so it was like fucking meant to be.

He was sat right next to me, we spoke, and I went in and did like a producing audition round, and then he went in straight after me, and we spoke a little bit there, yeah.

So, you weren't complete strangers, that's good to know because it, like, I didn't know if they like just threw you all together, and then you were like, hey, they said it very well, obviously, you know, you don't see all the behind the scenes and stuff, but yeah, you spend a lot of time with the contestants.

Okay, got it.

Once you started, obviously, one direction and you joined One Direction, like, how quickly did your actual life change?

Was it overnight, immediate, or was it a little bit gradual?

Um,

it was kind of strange.

The like visual evidence of life changing, like people being outside of the studio and stuff, was like

when we were on the live shows, um, we started to get like a fan base and an audience, and you could see that people were paying interest in us.

Um, so yeah, from that point on, like, it was kind of a bit crazy.

Like, what were you even able to comprehend it?

Not really.

I don't think I comprehended it at all.

Like, I think it's just a rush.

You know, it was like just fun.

And then

the repetitive fun over and over again eventually is going to take its toll.

You know what I mean?

So then you look at it a certain way when you're in that and like it feels overbearing.

Now I look back at it like it was a rush.

You know, it was fun.

It was and it was something that was amazing.

Like, so of course, I wasn't going to understand it, it's not something I expected in my life, but um, it was definitely fun for sure, yeah.

Because it is so interesting, I think people forget, like, you were 17 at the time, yeah, 17, yeah.

Like, my brother lived in this house at 17 and was like picking his nose and going to Wawa and like trying to fucking get girls to pay attention to him.

And you are like, all of a sudden, overnight, become one of the biggest stars in the world.

Can you help us, commoners over here, Zane?

Commoners, Commoners, can you help us understand like

what skyrocketing to that level of fame can do to you as an individual when you're like by yourself at night, laying in bed, trying to understand like what is happening to you in your life?

Yeah,

you can definitely get into, you know, deep places of thought if you really reflect on it in that kind of manner.

To be honest with you, I don't think I was even like intellectually capable to do that at that age, you know.

Like, I think it's took time for me to process them things.

I think I've had to like process it with an with an older um mind and and look at it backwards and be like, yo, this was

why this happened, and this is what happened, and you know, we took off at this point, and this interview made this happen, and then this song made this happen, and just decipher it, you know, as like facts rather than like in an emotional manner.

Because

emotion like just seems to just blur things, you know.

So, I try not to think about them things on that kind of level, like, oh, I'm super famous.

Like, I just make music, you know, I love singing, and people seem to have an interest in it.

Yeah, so yeah, a little bit, just a little bit.

No, I almost get what you're saying, like you kind of have to black it out and just be present because if you stop to think about all of it, then it's all gonna come exactly.

Yeah, that's how I deal with it.

I don't black it out so much, but I just don't overthink, you know.

Um,

it works for me that way, I think.

Yeah, you just almost have to stay present because it's like, what else in the moment, yeah, just enjoy it, and then, like, in you know, 10 years' time, you can look back and be like, This is what happened.

Like, now you can look at it in hindsight and be like, if you have 10 years' time, but right, if you have that luxury, yeah, but you've had time probably now to be like, whoa, in your quiet moments now in life, where you can actually sit and dissect things that at 17, 18 years old, again, like you said, I was just having fun.

I was just going with it.

And also, it's not like you were just on this solo tour, like you were a part of something.

So that also probably affected of like, be a good team player, like go with the flow, like do what you got to do.

Obviously, your guys' fans are insane.

They're obsessed.

They're still obsessed.

They're everywhere.

They love you guys.

Can you share any like memorable fan moments that you remember to this day that have stuck with you of just like anything that happened that you're like damn um i've i've probably said this a lot of times but honestly it was one of the craziest and and most bizarre moments ever um i remember coming out of a uh a studio once in sweden when we were recording what makes you beautiful and this is before even we dropped our first single and there was like a row of like maybe five six bins like trash cans like outside of the studio and I came out and like every single one of the trash cans opens and there's like three people inside

How did that not happen?

And they tried to like grab me and it was it was a very memorable moment.

That was for sure.

Yeah, I think I had a mini heart attack.

Humans popped out from garbage cans and tried to grab you.

It's like a fucking video game.

Like swallow you into the fucking trash can.

What?

Yes.

What?

Oh, wow.

Do you think that in any way?

But that's dedication, though, right?

Like to get into a trash can.

Zane, they were willing to get in the trash bucket for you.

Okay.

Motherfucker, they are loyal.

They are.

Do you think that those kind of moments, though, not that we don't love the fans, we're obsessed, but like people being so obsessed with you, like, is there any lingering

paranoia from people constantly staring at you and following you?

No.

No, not really.

I don't have paranoia in that sense.

No.

That's good.

You sleep well.

Yeah, I do.

I sleep in Pennsylvania.

Yeah, I know.

Look, it's raining.

I can hear the crickets.

It's amazing.

There's no crazy people out there.

No one crazy in Pennsylvania.

Oh, that's debatable.

You're performing in front of massive crowds, and

I know you're kind of saying like you were in the moment, but like, were you able to just easily get in front of all these people?

Was there no fear or anxiety that came with like standing in front of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people when you're on stage?

I think there was, but I don't think we had time for it.

Like, there was no like, you have time to have anxiety or be nervous.

You're just kind of going to go do it, you know, like get on with it.

So, yeah,

we just, we kind of, I think we just got thrown into the deep end and we kind of just had to swim, you know, like, um,

and I feel like we did a good job, like, in terms of like, you know, the

keeping it together and making the music that we were meant to make.

I think I got out at the right time.

I think if it had done it any longer, it might have affected me a bit more.

But I think

we did the right amount, you know.

I think it's interesting too, because when you look at bands or even just like any brand that has like multiple people attached to it, like everyone loves to put archetypes with people, like the Spice Girls, for example, perfect example.

You have to label everyone, and so for a boy band, it would be like the boy next door, like the bad boy, like the in like the brooding one, or the funny one.

Like, what persona do you think you played?

They submit to make out that I was like the brooding serious one.

Yeah.

But that wasn't necessarily my personality type.

Just, I think it's just a marketing scheme.

You know, you've got the teletubbies, you've got Spice Girls, you've got whatever.

Like, it's just a marketing scheme, you know, like, oh, this is this one.

So I get it,

but

I don't think you can define

an entire person to one personality trait.

You know, we're a little bit more complex than that.

Yeah, I don't know what my trip would have been if I'd have given myself one.

It might have took a long time to come up with one if I was going to do that.

So I could see why they just said, oh, yeah, you can be the mysterious one.

Yeah, it's interesting.

I love the teletubby reference.

You're like, the teletubbies, the spice girls, one direction.

I'm like, the fucking teletubbies.

Yeah.

I think Simon was behind the teletubbies, too.

Yeah, and the power ranges.

Yeah.

It's so fucking crazy.

It's all coming close to the market.

I've got a marketing plan.

fuck no but it's interesting so I was gonna ask like I agree you kind of had this like brooding mysterious personality and that's why I'm excited to sit down with you today because again those stereotypes that were put onto people I'm curious if first of all who comes up with that marketing people I guess

yeah it's not like the fans it kind of just happens well yeah and maybe some some of the fans kind of like naturally say this too you know what I mean from like pictures and things like that like so you did you agree so you didn't agree with with it, but do you think you leaned into it more?

Or do you were thinking?

I had one face to pull, you know, in my I was doing the Zoolander, like that was it, you know what I mean?

I was only a young kid, I didn't know what else to do.

I get it, if anything, maybe it made it easier because you're like, This is just my lane, yeah, this is me.

Just stick with this, they won't ask me too many questions.

Do you think you're mysterious?

Um,

not really, I just uh, I just like to just like chill, you know, like to be in the back a little bit.

Um, yeah, I'm a bit more relaxed.

i'm not like trying to like be in your first you know you're not trying to jump in front yeah exactly okay well now you're solo so you got to jump in front zane okay we're gonna get there take the reins um i love how you kind of mentioned you know you got out at the right time and i think that you leaving the band obviously shook the fucking world and everyone was like Zane like no like keep it together but I think what again we forget is you're a human being and you clearly had to take care of your mental mental health and do what was best for you.

Can you, I know you've lightly talked about this, but just so we get a full circle moment, can you just take us back to that moment of like actually sitting with yourself and knowing it was time to leave?

Yeah, I think I'd known for a minute.

There was a lot of, look, I don't want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on.

Certain people were doing certain things.

Certain people didn't want to sign contracts.

So I knew something was happening.

So I just got ahead of the curve.

If I'm being honest with you, I was like, like, I'm just going to get out of here.

I think this is done.

And I just seen it.

And I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record.

If I'm being completely honest with you, I was like, I'm going to jump the gun here for the first time.

I'm a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I'm serious about it.

And I'm competitive.

So I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing.

That was the reason.

And then there was obviously underlying issues like within our friendships too.

We'd been together every day for five years and we'd got sick of each other, if we're being completely honest.

So we were close, you know, we'd done crazy things with each other and that nobody else in the world will ever understand or have them experiences that we've shared with each other.

And I look back on it now in a much fonder light than I would have, you know, as I just left.

There were great experiences, I had great times with them, but yeah, we just run our course.

I love that you're saying that too, because I think people can relate to that of like, if you're with the same people 24-7, no shit.

And I think I can imagine as you guys were younger, everyone was so idealizing this band that you couldn't say that back in the day of like, yeah, we got fucking sick of each other.

It was time to like do our own things.

And I think that's so okay.

But because there was this obsession, obviously, I get it.

There's the nostalgia.

Sure, yeah, it's an idea, isn't it?

When you watch Friends, you don't want...

Joey cussing off Chandler, you know what I mean?

You want these people to be best friends.

Like it's an idea.

Yeah, you want them to stay together forever.

But I also think it's so healthy because imagine if you hadn't ended it, then you really would have fucking hate each other and being able to go on your own way.

Also, someone always has to be the first one to leave, exactly, and maybe it's the best thing for it.

But in the time, I can imagine there's hurt feelings.

Um, were you afraid of what the world was going to think of you when you made that decision?

Um, I don't think I was afraid, no.

Um, I just, um, the first thing I wanted to do was uh call my mom,

as cheesy as that sounds, I I just wanted to call her and be like, Is it okay if I come home?

Like, is this

good?

Like, and she was like, Yeah, so as soon as she said that, I was like, Yeah, I'm good, like, I'm done.

Like, I'm over this.

I don't, I didn't really care about what anybody else thought.

That's that's the type of person I am.

Like, we were talking about earlier.

I try to close them opinions off.

I'm not really the type of person who defines myself on other people's opinions of myself.

If people know me and know me well, they know who I am.

Um, and I spend that time on them people and make sure that they're, you know, looked after and they get that time with me rather than the people that I'm never necessarily even going to see or, you know, have a conversation with, especially if it's a negative remark, you know, positive remarks are always nice.

I don't really pay attention to either of them, if I'm being completely honest with you.

Just don't let it get in my head.

I think that's so smart because I think social media, even if you're not famous, like everyone is feeding themselves and their worth by what other people are saying about them.

And it's like, you good with your family and like i don't mean family by blood like you may not yeah people that you have around you yeah your circle yeah and as long as they're good then that's all that matters to me but did you not tell your mom you were doing it uh did you not tell my mom i was leaving yeah no

it was like kind of spurred the moment like i i had not told her beforehand like oh i'm thinking of leaving um i just called her on that day and that i was leaving and said i'm coming home is it okay have you still got a bed for me she was like

stop yeah man so it's like like can't come back my dad wasn't so cool about it he was like no no you got to stay with simon simon's gonna stay you right like don't come home stay there uh but my mom was like yeah you can come home please son come home you know

oh my god that's actually really cute that the first person like mom do you have a bed for me she's like let's go because didn't you also buy your mom one of the first things you did with your success is you bought her a home when you

How cool was that to be able to buy your mom something after everything she's done?

Yeah, it's a great feeling.

Wild.

Okay, so you leave the band and take me to when you're laying in your mom's home, you're in bed.

What were those next couple weeks like for you, like mentally and emotionally?

It was interesting.

I was just trying to get stuff together.

Like I wanted to get like a plan of action, you know what I mean?

So I was like on a bit of a mission.

I wasn't there too long.

I went home for a little bit and then I went back to London and started working and stuff.

That must have been so stressful too, because I feel like, I guess we see it in various different forms but like if you make a jump even if someone like quits their job right they're like i need to prove to myself and other people that like i now can do it like and so did you put pressure on yourself when obviously you came out being solo like were you fucking nervous yeah for sure it's a very different experience sitting on stage by yourself too like

it's a whole different workload as well singing three and a half minutes of a song completely by yourself like when you've got a song divvy between five people you're singing a little bit of a verse, maybe some ad lips.

You know, I preferred the workload.

I'm going to be honest.

You're like taking a nap in the back.

Ding, it's your part.

Yeah, oh, yeah, nice one.

But yeah,

I just kind of had to like make an adjustment.

I started practicing a lot more, singing a lot more, and just like making sure I could sing for three minutes.

Right, you had to be like, I need to get back to my Let Me Love You days where I'm like back on X Factor.

It's just me.

I'm curious, and I don't know, because I know you were saying it, I totally respect it, of like you were kind of just in this phase of going, going, going, and you didn't have time to stop.

But when you did go solo and you left, did you have to take any moment to be like, who the fuck am I independent of now not being a part of something that I was identified as in media?

Yeah, definitely.

I think that's why I've took the time I have to like

not even necessarily do interviews and do too much like press exposure because I feel like we were so overexposed in the band that like it takes a bit of time for you naturally to progress as a human and give something else that is interesting that you have to say you don't want to be sat there just saying the same shit on repeat you know I mean day in and day out like I think there should be a good healthy break in between and that was my approach to it for sure so

I feel like in terms of you know figuring out what your identity is as an artist the only way you're going to do that is by living you know you can't just be on the conveyor belt and expect to have any sort of experience that's new that you're going to give people i love that too because i feel like people especially creators there's such a

stress

about taking a break and it doesn't mean you're actually taking a break you could be working still working yeah you're just but like popping out of not doing it in the spotlight yeah and you did were you able to just not have anxiety about it because you're like i know i'm coming back but it's like i got to just be good on my own and not be fulfilling the tabloids in everyone else like how am i on my own right exactly yeah

that was the old thought behind it for sure so you start doing your own solo music and i remember when you came out pillow talk all the good stuff you popped off and it's like really dope to see you coming out with your own sound and creative and it's you and that's exciting to know like you are producing this and it's not obviously a no shade to one direction but like you're one of five Like you can't really have a full say in shit.

Now this is you.

When you started on your solo

career, like was there anything that you really wanted to make sure that you could bring to life that maybe you weren't able to when you were in a band?

Like creatively?

Creatively, I just wanted to talk about things, you know, that were a bit more real, like and authentic

to situations I was going through in my life.

Like obviously certain things that we would talk about in the band was always very, you know, clean, cut, like, just glazing over the top, not really any depth or any stories to what's going on.

And that was always a big thing for me.

Obviously, I understand again from a marketing scheme that like the audience and the fan base we were appealing to at that point was that kind of vibe.

So it was never going to work

for that kind of audience.

But yeah, I just wanted to show people that I had a bit more depth.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I get that because like even earlier you said like you like to write poetry and I'm like I can only imagine how much the writing process is therapeutic and you get to infuse parts of yourself and your identity whereas that just like wasn't in the past which it shouldn't have been like it was a band it was great whatever but now you can actually artistically exercise that part of yourself which must be

I think it's difficult for people to write songs even from one one perspective, you know, like there was five of us in the room when we used to write sometimes and it was so hard to get us all to like have the same viewpoint and and want to talk about the same thing.

So, in that sense, from a creative point, it is a lot more freeing for me.

Like, I can fully get to grips with every part of it, you know, the melody, the story, the production, the emotion, the feeling that I'm trying to convey in each song.

So, in that sense, it's super liberating.

It's cool because I think you're getting now, we're getting to know you a little bit better now that you are doing solo music.

But, do you think,

do you think think that the world even like slightly knows Zane yet?

Um, I don't know.

Um, I

try to uh like move in a certain way that you know, hopefully, I will still have some juice.

You know, I don't want to give everything all in one go.

So, um, if they don't know everything yet, that's okay, but hopefully, they're getting to know me a bit better in this interview, you know.

See, they're getting to see my thought patterns, still a little mysterious.

I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm trying to be an open book.

Okay, how about this?

Uh-huh, describe yourself in three words.

Describe myself in three words.

Well, I'm definitely not going to use mysterious as one of them.

I would say

I'm a chill,

funny,

loving guy.

All the girls watching this are like, ah, so nice.

That's so nice.

What's your favorite thing about yourself?

I don't know.

I think I like the fact that I'm pretty witty.

Like, I'm pretty smart.

And I enjoy that about myself, I think.

You're good company with yourself.

Yeah, yeah.

I enjoy that I'm pretty smart.

I have little laughs to myself you know about that

um what's your least favorite thing about yourself

um

i'm a bit sensitive sometimes

yeah

not in a bad way yeah yeah i can like take things the wrong way sometimes i can i'm definitely working on that like give me an example like i just like tend to like if somebody says something to me like i'll take it the wrong way if i really care about their opinion what they're saying to me got it yeah then you'll get upset yeah i think that's good though that means you care

Right?

Yeah.

Like I said, with the people that are close to me.

Right.

Do you think you at times can be too caring in moments that you need to learn to like?

I'm learning to

be a bit more tame with it.

Yeah, for sure.

Well, boundaries.

Yeah.

No, not boundaries, just like I'm just learning not to

get in my head about certain things, you know, across the board.

Like I exercise that well in terms of like dealing with the media and things like that, but I don't necessarily do that too well in my personal life.

Sometimes I take things out.

Yeah.

That's good, though.

Again, it does mean you care.

But I get then you're like, yeah, but then I'm over here like dying inside.

I gotta like muster up the courage to.

Then I go write a song.

Yeah, yeah.

Put that into a song, okay?

Give us one that's like really sad so we can.

Oh, I've got a few.

I've got a few.

Oh, really?

A few really sad ones.

Yeah.

See, this is what we need.

We need some criers.

We've got some cry moments.

What do you think is the biggest misunderstanding about you?

That I'm like super serious.

Like that I like just I'm like

super stern and serious all the time when I'm not like

I'm just chill.

I know that like a lot of people have like

high energy personalities and it's just not the way I am.

You know what I'm saying?

I'm just a bit more relaxed about things.

It's actually nice to be in person with you because I could see in media it could come off.

I get it, like serious.

You're literally just chilling.

Yeah.

You're relaxed.

I'm just relaxed.

You're cozy in your sweater.

There's thunder.

There's rain.

We're just.

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Didn't even want to drive too far.

Came to your mom's house.

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Let's talk about anxiety.

I know that you have lightly talked about it in times, and I just want to talk to you about like how anxiety affects your life.

What has it

done in terms of playing a part in your personal life and your career?

Like, just talk to me about what you're comfortable with.

Yeah, so I think we kind of touched on it a bit earlier.

Like when we're talking about, you know, like the

nature of our job, you know, like what we were doing in the band and the situation being on stage in front of thousands of people.

I think it's a really normal place to experience anxiety, you know, like you're going to go and perform in front of you know a lot of different people that you don't know who they are.

And it's not a natural thing to do, you know, in terms of everyday life.

You don't just talk to thousands of people, you know.

So it was something that I had to, you know, learn to adjust.

Anxiety for me, I've learned is a feeling that now has a word, you know.

And I feel like for

generations human beings have felt it and not really even been able to put you know their finger on what it is

but we overcome it you know and certain things in in life can change your perspective on them things and I think for me like since I've had my daughter and since she was born like the main thing in my mind is like trying to be a good example to her like in terms of you know I can do things and I can achieve things and I can overcome things and you can do this too

And to let things like, you know, a feeling stop you from doing that after having a child feels like a really small thing.

Like I feel like I've like had to step up, you know, as

a man or just, you know, as a person

and be this example to her that doesn't succumb to these feelings.

That's why I'm even doing this interview, you know, like I've I used to get a lot of anxiety around like having a conversation like this, just in this kind of environment.

And I want her to be able to look at me and be like, yo, my dad's doing this.

You know, he's, he's the man.

He's cool.

Yeah.

He is cool.

He's a cool guy.

Yeah.

So

that's helped me a lot for sure.

That is

so fucking cool to.

Obviously, my mom's a psychologist.

So I grew up in, I think mental health was not a conversation for most families.

And hopefully it will be.

But like, I've watched so my mom talk to so many people and talk them through how to get over a panic attack, how to get over anxiety, how to not get over it, but like manage it, live with it, be okay to go about your everyday life.

I think sometimes if you don't have anxiety, people look at people with anxiety like, just get the fuck over it.

And I think it shows up in everyone's lives in such different ways.

And you.

I don't think that's the way you can look at it.

You know, I think everybody's situation is individual.

I think it takes an individual.

experience then to happen for somebody to overcome that too, you know?

Totally.

If you think about the first time you can recall in your life experiencing anxiety, did you experience anxiety prior to fame?

For sure.

Like, take me to a moment in your life where you remember being like, wow, I didn't know that was anxiety, but now I do.

I enjoyed it.

That was a thing.

Yeah.

Like, I enjoyed being in that feeling.

And they got to a certain point, I think, where it just became too much.

Like, I just was weighing on me, that feeling of

like anticipation and then getting the adrenaline and then the

after feeling of that, you know.

As a young kid, I loved it.

Like I loved being on stage and I loved performing.

It was like a free space for me to go and be a character because it was, you know, I was playing a role in some little school performance.

It was nothing serious.

When it became a thing that had a lot of weight behind it in terms of, you know, people watching and stuff, then you're going to have.

You're going to have natural feelings of anxiety.

Yeah, people staring at you, judging you, writing about you, following you, taking pictures of you.

That's a lot.

Can you share with us, like,

in the heyday of paparazzi and insanity, like, what would be something that would really trigger your anxiety in those days?

Just the idea of, like,

like, not being able to just do normal things, like to just go outside and, like, walk out onto the street, you know, like, because where we lived, it was kind of a bit crazy.

and there's just people always there, like waiting to take a photo and stuff.

And obviously, thinking about having a child and like raising her in that environment, it was just very claustrophobic for me.

I didn't want her to have to be like exposed to that because she didn't choose it, you know, like it was a choice that I made.

So, I was like, we need to get out of here so that she can have some chance of like a normal childhood, you know, where there's not cameras flashing in her face constantly.

Let's talk about you being a father

because

it's really cool to see you talk about anxiety, which again, I have so much respect for even you being able to talk about it because I know it's like you're not that public about your life and that's something that you live with every day.

And to say like having a child has helped you overcome something that is like in your day-to-day, that's like pretty debilitating in moments.

Yeah, but you being famous and having a child, like deciding to move here, I can imagine you're trying to

her from this life that you also are still trying to figure out like is it a lot

um

I feel like um

there's there's a there's a healthy way to do it you know um I'm not necessarily trying to shield her from it'cause she's she's gonna know, you know, she's gonna get to a certain point, she's gonna have a certain level of awareness, she doesn't know what's going on.

Um, I'm just trying to give her an option, you know, so it's like a choice for her.

Like, if she wants to be away from it, she can be out here.

Like, because

I am a famous person and I get sanctuary here, you know what I'm saying?

So, I feel like she

is going to have a lot of options, and whatever she wants to do in her life, obviously I'll support her for sure.

Okay, how has becoming a dad shifted your priorities in life?

The crazy thing is, obviously, I have a 50% of the time.

So

that time I have with her is so important because I feel like she's growing up so fast.

So when I'm with her, I don't work at all.

I just

spend a full day with her doing the things that she wants to do.

Like painting, Play-Doh, this, that, go to the park, go to the theme park, go to the zoo.

Like, we just have fun.

Like, and I feel like I've

rekindled my own childhood through her, you know what I'm saying?

Like, I feel like we get to a certain point in adult life where everything's kind of vague and grey and boring, and she's brought that color back for me for sure.

Yeah, insane.

Um, what is a dad quality that you've proudly taken on that makes you laugh a little when you think about it?

Of like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm doing this.

I keep being told I'm telling dad jokes and I'm leaning into it.

I'm just like, it's okay, it's cool.

Like, I'm using like Christmas cracker jokes and stuff, and it's really funny.

Like, people just look at me like I'm a weirdo, and I'm like, Yeah, I'm a dad, and I'm allowed to tell these jokes, so you have to give me a pass.

Wow, Jane, I didn't expect that, I'm not gonna lie.

I love a dad joke, you're like full dad vibe.

That's it, yeah.

I'm going full dad.

I love how you're like, I'm fully leaning in, there is no stopping me.

Okay, well, you haven't cracked one here, so if you want to, you can always give us your best.

But you know, when it we'll say, we'll say that for another time.

What is your favorite thing to do with your daughter?

My favourite thing to do with her is

she shows a lot of signs of

musical

intelligence already.

So I just love playing instruments with her and singing with her.

Like I'll sing and she sings along and she can do like good harmonies and stuff already.

And she's only two and a half.

And she harmonizes with me well and like finishes notes and she can hold them for a long time.

I'm like, I think you might have a bit of ability you.

I'm picturing the two of you playing with Play-Doh, and you start singing, and then your daughter starts singing.

You can hit these high notes, like false settles.

Yeah, it's crazy.

I'm like, yo.

Like, whoa, you're good.

I could do this.

I didn't speak till I was three.

How the fuck do you sing?

Oh,

wow.

And she remembers like full lyrics to songs as well, like every word.

It's mud.

Wow.

We got a superstar in our hands.

Okay, okay.

It's interesting to hear you say like you're singing to her, which, like, I would have loved if my dad could have sang.

He can't.

What are you singing to her?

And, like, what are her favorite songs that you sing?

She loves Disney movies, so we sing a lot of Disney songs together.

Sing like, You've Got a Friend in Me and stuff.

She sings it really cute.

Honestly, that's really cute thinking about you guys singing that.

What qualities of yourself, aside from having that musical aspect, more like personality, like what qualities do you see from yourself and your daughter?

I I think

she's funny.

Like she's she's a bit of a cheeky one.

Yeah, she likes having a bit of a joke and stuff and like laugh a lot.

She's chill though, but she loves reading as well,

which is something I think she definitely took from me.

Like she just has an affinity for words.

Like she remembers everything.

Has becoming a parent changed your relationship with your parents?

Definitely.

Yeah,

in a respect way, you know, like you, you just have so much respect for the things that they've put aside for you.

You know, like when you realize all the sacrifices that you make as a parent, like just to be there and be present with your child, like you can't have nothing but respect for that, for sure.

I know you said, like, obviously, you have her 50% of the time, you want to make the most of these moments.

Like, what's something that you guys have done together recently that made you so happy and you had like such a great time?

We went to Nickelodeon in New Jersey, which was

really good.

I enjoyed it.

I know it's like super childish, but like I had a lot of fun.

Yeah, I think I had more fun than it was good.

That is so good.

How is co-parenting going?

Co-parenting is good.

Yeah,

we

have a really good relationship for Kai.

She's the

main importance.

So, yeah, it's going well.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

I think.

Seems like from

me, yeah.

Okay, so I want to ask you if I can ask one question

just about,

like, as delicately as I can go about it, I feel like I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask about the 2021 incident.

I know you can't really speak on it.

I think, obviously, as a man,

you like there was a lot out there said about you and you basically took the high road and didn't say anything.

And you kind of put out that like blanket statement of just like, I want to respect my daughter and not say anything.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And I can imagine how difficult it is, kind of like almost a culmination of everything we're talking about today: of like,

how do you balance when something is

out there about you, about your character, that

people are reading and speculating and saying things about you?

And how do you decide when you when to speak up and when to like be silent and like chill on it and not really go there.

Yeah, so for me, like we were talking about earlier, I don't tend to get involved when people

say things online, whether it's got something to do with me or whether it doesn't.

Because for me, my most valuable thing that I have in life is time.

And that takes so much time in a toxic environment to like explain yourself to people and justify this.

And so I just kind of keep to myself.

I knew what the situation was, I knew what happened,

and the people involved knew what happened too.

And that's all I really cared about.

If anybody,

you know, of a same mind would look at the situation, I believe that you could respect that.

Like, I just didn't want to bring attention to anything, you know, I just wasn't trying to get into a negative back and forth with her, any sort of narrative online where my daughter was going to look back and read that and be able to read into it and it would just be something that was there was no point um

i i believe i dealt with it in in the best way like um in an amicable respectful way and that's all that needs to be said you know um yeah i just i feel like it's a lot of negativity you know i can only imagine like first of all no fucking family is perfect and so to be on the stage that you guys are on i and like you said you're family issues you know like if something happens in the family, like I'd rather keep that between the family, you know, you don't need a whole audience of people and opinions because it's hard enough to manage between two.

I more so just also wanted to give you the chance because I think you obviously handled it so amicably.

I also think in doing my job, like this is a podcast where I'm trying to support women, right?

And like reading headlines, like I wanted to hear from you, obviously, because hearing you even today,

I don't know if, like, I'm just going to say what it is.

Like, you have said you have 50% custody.

And so, anything that has we've all read online, like, well, if that was true, then that would have affected that.

Exactly.

So, I think it's important to just say, like,

me doing my job, I just wanted to clarify, like, it's not like, unless you can correct me, like, you don't have to have people with you while you're with your daughter and, like, visitation rights.

Like,

you have custody of your child.

So, I think it's just important to say because people are reading this shit being like, oh my God.

Yeah, no, for sure.

Yeah.

And I'm super full on.

Yeah.

Like, hands-on with my child

Every chance I can, but if I could get 60%, I would have it.

Okay, let's talk about your music.

You're coming back.

We're getting a song.

Tell me what inspired the song.

What can we expect?

Give it to us.

Yeah, so I'm working.

Well, I've been working on my record for a minute.

And I have a single for the summer coming out called Love Like This that's like a standalone song.

Just a summer jam.

It's a good vibe.

Like, yeah, yeah, it just feels like summer.

That's what I think we need.

We do need a good summer jam.

Like, we just need a bop.

Like, someone asked me recently, like, oh, like, what's the song of summer?

And I actually said, you know what?

Like, I'm interviewing someone and I know they have a single coming out.

I have a feeling that could be the song of summer.

Are you nervous to go on stage, like, alone?

I was, yeah.

Like, when I first started like performing by myself, I was nervous.

And I'm still nervous now because it's been a few years that I've been on stage.

But I have this energy too.

I feel like I have something to give, and I want to get on stage and be there again and feel that.

That's one thing I can say, you know.

Like, my fan base has always been supportive in that manner.

They're always just like, we're here, we've got you.

Like, when you're ready, we've got you, you know, like, come,

we're gonna come and listen to your tune.

So, yeah, no, I gotta be

super thankful for that.

And I'm super grateful.

Um, and I feel that love for sure.

So, I'm ready to to prove these people right you know can we expect any music inspired by your daughter on your records

yeah definitely yeah I'm I'm doing a I think I'm doing a record I don't think people are really gonna expect like it's a different sound for me and it's got some

like more

narrative going on like real life experiences and stuff so yeah my daughter's mentioned in there a couple of times wow I think that's gonna be so fucking dope to actually hear from you in long form, essentially, because an album is in long form.

Like, we're going to get to know you more, which is exciting, again, because Mr.

Mysterious over there, we're still trying to understand things.

Okay, what is something that you want your fans to take away from this interview?

I'd like my fans to feel like they got to know me a bit because you keep saying I'm Mr.

Mysterious.

Keep it open.

I do.

Yeah, no, so I'm hoping they got to know me a little bit and they feel like they've seen me and caught up with me a bit and you know, they're going to see me a lot more.

Like, and I want them to know that, like,

across the board, like, I've kind of had a full mental re-haul and in the best way, thanks to my child and you know, being able to see things in a different light.

And I'm going to be a lot more present, and hopefully, people are going to see me a lot more.

I love it.

Zane, thank you so much for coming on Call Her Daddy.

This was truly a pleasure.

Thank you for having me.

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