LOCUST GROVE – A CONVERSATION WITH ZAIN SMITH

Zain Smith is the dynamic vocalist and guitarist of the hard hitting ensemble, Locust Grove. The band hails from Oklahoma and they deliver a massive punch with their thunderous sound. Besides Smith, the band consists of Vincent Charles Lindstrom (Guitar), Quentin Williams (Bass) and Joey Mandigo (Drums). Locust Grove‘s music consists of heavy guitar riffs, formidable grooves and raw emotion. It’s impossible not to bang your head when you experience their powerful bombardment of aural intensity.

Locust Grove recently dropped two incendiary singles. Both “Sick of It All” and “The Battle of Locust” are explosive bangers that dole out high dosages of voracious fervor.The music is ferociously merciless and massive  They also released a new video for their 2021 hit, “Worth My Time”. All three tunes will be featured on the band’s upcoming full length, Battle of Locust.

Zain Smith sits down with AMP to discuss the band, their musical style and the future.

AMP: Can you give us a brief history of the band?

ZAIN: Locust Grove formed around 2015 when my last project disbanded. I wasn’t the vocalist in my last band being primarily a guitarist. Soon after I began writing songs with the intention of creating an exciting new sound. After experimenting with vocal ranges, I felt the magic flowing. I met Joey at a NAMM convection and found out he lived nearby in Oklahoma. Eventually, I gave him a call and he was really interested in starting something up. Quentin was a friend of Joey’s and fit right in. Our newest member is Vincent. The four of us are really stoked about our musical direction.

AMP: Your music is hard hitting. How would you describe your sound?

ZAIN: We want our sound to be huge. Huge in an arena sense. Fierce and full of driving riffs. We also want our music to be accessible in a melodic kind of way. Our new material is where we want to go… full of fire yet still reachable to everyone.

AMP: Can you describe your songwriting process?

ZAIN: It goes several different ways. I spend a lot of time in the studio working on new material. Either I come up with a lyric and work around that or the music comes first and I build the song from there. Then I bring it to the band and we work on the singular parts. There’s always a discussion as we are a band and we make modifications. We also create our songs organically by just riffing in the studio. Both ways work well.

AMP: Do you feel your new album, Battle of Locust, is an evolution in style from your previous material?

ZAIN: Most definitely. The music is harder with a new brazen force. The songs are more in line with our musical vision. But the biggest difference is my voice. As I stated, I was originally a guitarist. Singing wasn’t my forte. I put a lot of experimentation and time in finding the right tone and timbre for my vocalization. I’ve really feel that I’ve grown vocal wise. Yet, It’s still an ever going process. The new album exemplifies that.

AMP: If the band could collaborate with any artist past or present who would it be?

ZAIN:That’s a hard one. Most probably, it would be Dimebag. Not only was he a great guitarist but also someone I feel I could hang with. I’m sure our personalities would mesh well. Also, Zakk Wylde. Just jamming with him would be tremendous.

AMP: What advice would you give a young band just starting out?

ZAIN: Think about everything not just the music. Think about your social media presence, your publishing, etc. The business end of the music scene is something a lot of bands forget about. It’s important. But don’t forget to have fun. No fun equals no soul.

AMP: Is there a best gig ever?

ZAIN: A couple of shows easily come to mind. We opened for Papa Roach and Falling In Reverse at a local radio station’s holiday fete. There were tons of people and it was an awesome show. Also, we played Rocklahoma. Again, the crowd was monumental. Both gigs are etched deeply in our psyche.

AMP: Any plans for an extensive tour or upcoming festival date?

ZAIN: For now, we will be doing local shows. We have a ten date tour scheduled that will include Oklahoma, Texas and a few other states. We are still open for anything that may come our way. Once we release the new album, things may change. We can’t wait to bring our new music to our fans.

AMP: What’s next for Locust Grove?

ZAIN: We plan to shoot new videos. We are currently working on the storyboards. Also, as I said, we are looking to add more dates to our calendar. But most importantly, new music. We are always writing and working to create new material. This band doesn’t sit on its laurels. We are always looking to move forward and bring exciting music to the masses.

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To learn more about Locust Grove, Check out the Website!

Follow on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

Stream music:  Spotify / Apple Music /  Soundcloud

Purchase: Amazon

 

 

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