Popular music occasionally yields an act that is gifted with the ability to not only speak to the people of its generation but to relate to society as a whole: past, present and future. Led Zeppelin, The Doors and The Beatles just to name a few. The music, the message and the energy of these rare acts engage a timeless and universal appeal to the landscape of cultural consciousness. Such is the blessing apparent in Zen Rizing.
The recently formed quartet nostalgically breathes fresh air into the lungs of mainstream music with such anthems as “Heaven In Your Eyes†and “Prince Of Thieves†while touching on ideas and aspects regarding society with such songs as “Born Of The Sun†and “Requiem.†The topics of songs and the range with which the music is constructed are vast yet they all embody that mysterious and stylistic quality that is Zen Rizing.
Rock n’ roll anthems with sing-along choruses and culturally enticing songs are just part of the Zen Rizing experience, however. The real ride comes from experiencing them live where we find cosmically aware ringleader and unpredictable front man Scott Foster Harris, hypnotic and mesmerizing guitar virtuoso Steve Preach, tribally induced percussive rocker Buddy Iahn, and dictator of the seas of low end Cody Duke. Nothing less than the unexpected is destined to manifest at every show.
Zen Rizing began as a musical and artistic collaboration between Scott and Steve, writing songs together and creating the ideas that would all become part of the band. It wasn’t until Buddy joined that they began playing in and around Nashville at local music venues and parties. From the start their set lists consisted almost entirely of original material. “We’re a group of fellows who have very intense desires to share our musical ideas and directions with our audience,†says singer Scott. “It would be tragic to use someone else’s music to attempt to convey those ideas. This is why we’ve chosen to almost exclusively perform our own music at our shows with the exception of a gem thrown in the mix every now and then†he says with a smirk.
So the three of them continued to pursue their musical endeavors as a trio playing out and about with fill-in bass players until Cody Duke solidified the position as the fourth piece of the band. Shortly thereafter they relocated to Los Angeles with enthusiastic ambitions and revolutionary intentions. Dedication to spreading their musical insight with those fortunate enough to experience one of their early shows proved to be just the fuel they craved and they attacked the Hollywood music scene upon arrival in early 2009.
Now, having been in the scene for a few months the word is spreading and the buzz around Zen Rizing is growing. “I remember the first time we went out and were recognized as a group,†says Steve, “which wasn’t but a few months ago.†“Yeah,†continues Buddy, “to have people whom we don’t even know talk to us about what their favorite songs of ours’ are is incredibly flattering.†Grinning, Cody adds “One of the best parts about it for me is the fact that I can go into Hollywood at night and almost always run into somebody that wants to buy me a drink.â€
Indeed.
