TeenFX.com Interview with Cedric of Remy Zero

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Cedric of Remy Zero

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How did you guys meet and come to form the group?

Cinjun and I were in school together and we all grew up in the same town, where we met in Birmingham, Alabama. We were very much outsiders in Birmingham culture at the time and we sort of gravitated towards one another, by having the same interests, reading the same kind of books, and listening to the same type of music, so we all started hanging out with each other.

Shelby and Cinjuns’ mom had a house where she lived, and another house for the kids. It was a place where they could hangout, where they could go with their friends. We all ended up moving in there and started making music. From there we formed the band because people started perking up whenever we did the musical thing.

Who writes the lyrics for your songs and has anything in particular inspired any of your songs?

Cinjun, the singer for the band writes the lyrics to the songs, but we all have editorial capabilities or we give him ideas. Ultimately though he has the final the say because he has to sing the songs.

Almost all of our songs have been inspired by something in one, or all of our lives. One song that is particularly meaningful to all of is ‘Perfect Memory’. Cinjun wrote it about his father who died of cancer a few years ago, but I have had a recent death in the family as did Jeffrey and so in that way we all relate to that song and I knew Cinjun’s father. ‘Perfect Memory’ generally deals with the loss of any sort of thing that was important to you that gets consigned to the past, whether it be a relationship or the death of a person or the death of a time.

For the same sort of reasons the song called ‘Belong’ talks about when we were growing up in the south and the friends we had, sort of another nostalgia song. This album has a lot of sad songs dealing with death and heavy events, because we all have had a lot of change occurring in our lives over the past few years.

How did you come up with your name?

There are a few different theories; different members of the band have different ideas. Shelby, Cinjun’s brother says it is from this man that lived in the town where we grew up named Remy Bolegie who came from a rich family and one day he just disappeared and we bought some of the effects (sort of like at garage sale) from the estate. He was kind of like the crazy old man of the town.

Shelby claims that he was inspired by some of the tapes that we bought from the estate.

My theory is that we all became Kate Bush fans and there is this song called ‘Army Dreamers’. The song is about kids who go off to war and die. Kate Bush put the song out along time ago. When we were teenagers interpreting the lyrics we thought that she was saying ‘Remy Zero’ in one of the back up lyrics, when she was actually saying ‘Mammy’s Hero’. That is how Cinjun and I say we came up with the name.

How has it been having your song ‘Save Me’ as the theme song for Smallville?

It’s been great, it’s been a really useful thing to reach people that may not normally come to a band like us. We’re not involved in any sort of musical movement, we’re not part of any trends, we’ve been around for a while so we’re not like the young punk bands today, we’re just artists/musicians making music. As such we get consigned to the fringe or have operated in the fringe for a couple of years and it has been cool to have new people who would never happen upon our music listen to us because they watch T.V. We have gotten a whole other type of fan and a larger number of fans from it.

I think it is really important for anyone who might be starting a band now a days to explore any type of medium available to them to expose their music. Whether it is television, commercials or movies things that aren’t just in radio and video because it is so fragmented and so hard now a days. I think you really have to take advantage of every opportunity, every avenue to expose your music. It is definitely much harder these days, anyone will tell you to get your music on radio or MTV and we managed to do that also.

I think the fact that we have so much work on television and in other avenues it has really helped us. We have songs on other television shows and in several soundtracks.

Have you been influenced by any artists?

Yes, the most influential artist has been Brian Eno. He is an artist, but he is also a record producer, who produced David Bowie, U2, Talking Heads. He’s just this massive amazing musical mind. He is also a writer and he has written books and essays and he has had a huge influence in the way we approach and write music, in addition to My Buddy Valentine, Elliott Smith and Nirvana.

Where would you like to see the group in 10 years?

We’d like to continue to be able to make music that we are proud of. Every record that we have made has reached a wider audience and we would like to do some things that aren’t particularly based on being a rock band. We are starting to branch out into doing soundtracks, movies, television, and maybe producing other artists.

We would like to age gracefully and with integrity, that for musicians is sometimes hard to do.

Where do you see music going in the future?

It’s absolutely impossible to predict. It never occurs in the way that you think it will occur. I think something is going to happen soon, everyone has been very frustrated with the way things have been for the last little while, the type of music and the spirit of music has been uninspiring. I think that is going to change sometime soon, but in what specific way I could never say.

What advice would you give to a teen looking to get into the music business?

The most important thing is to listen to and have confidence in your own inner voice and in what you believe is the right way to make music.

As soon as you start to become good at what you do people will start to change you, we were lucky in the sense that we did not develop in Los Angeles or New York or a major music center. We were able to develop in Birmingham, Alabama, outside of the glare of things so we didn’t have to homogenize or conform ourselves to anyone’s notions, but as things go on that pressure is always on you.

Take whatever opportunity you can to show your work, because ultimately, that is the most important thing to share your work with as many people as possible.

Is there anything you would like to tell your fans on TeenFX.com?

Check us out on the TV show, "Smallville", and call the radio stations and request 'Perfect Memory' !

Post a Comment
	neja	06-21-05

Great interview! The only Remy Zero song I know is Save Me, but I'll try to listen to Perfect Memory, it seems a good song (from what they said about it). The part about the band's name and how each of them has a different version about where it comes from made me laugh . I liked their determination.


	Dallas	01-05-04

This is one real group. I luv ya!


	Rowena	11-07-03

I luv Remy Zero 100% tidy.Save me.


	Anne	11-06-03

I Remy Zero so much.Not only are their interviews always really juicy,but they're so sexy they always make me feel fruity


	Tessa	08-03-03

Your music is the best! Good Luck!!


	AEW	05-18-03

do what is right for you


	Elizabeth	05-08-03

I luv Smallville and you guys do a great job! Good Luck!!


	Amy	02-15-03

Good luck with your career because there are so many other boy bands out there that don't make it.


	tracy	01-28-03

All I have to say is they are .


	Heather	08-14-02

These guys r so !


	Ana	08-02-02

wasn't this guy already interviewed?


	Holly	07-12-02

gramarye is like my favorite remy zero song. i'm glad to see the band here so more kids can get to know them.


	Andrew	06-27-02

What's this....RemyZero on TeenFX. I happen to luv your music.


	Da®k LoTus™	06-24-02

I think you guy's are !


	Kelly	06-07-02

I 'Save Me'


	veronica	06-01-02

hihi


	Leelo	05-31-02

Hey Fellas... I just wanted to gratulate you guys for ya success...You´ve really made it and your music is fantastic! So I hope that everything will go such as it does now and not worse, just better...I wish ya all luck in tha future!! Yours Dc*


	barb	05-30-02

Hey delco remy , where in the heck did you so guys get that name for your so band?? I saw that name on my dads` distributer off his 1965 impala, wow I really your songs I get so worked up when i hear them I hump the dog. keep on churning out that excrement i it. signed your slave Hardgurl!!!


	Jessica	05-30-02

Hey, I just wanted to Congratulate you guys on your success in the music industry. It's a really competitive business, and the fact that you haven't "sold out", but are instead writing your own music, and sticking to the types of songs that you are inspired to produce, is amazing! I would to know the names of your other CD's so i could go check them out! Your an inspiration for musicians everywhere. Thanks again!


	Joseph	05-30-02

It must be having your song herd by millions of people every week.


	Kelly	05-29-02

Wow, this is so . I your song Save Me, I hear it every week on Smallville and I actually saw you guys playing in the last episode.