Zowie

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the fictional agency, see
Z.O.W.I.E. For the music producer, see David Zowie. For the computing term, see XAUI. For the computer peripherals brand, see BenQ § Acquiring Zowie Gear
.

Zowie
Birth nameZoe Fleury
Also known asBionic Pixie
Origin
Synthpop, new wave, alternative rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, drummer
Instrument(s)Vocals, drums, guitar
Years active2007—Present
LabelsSony

Zoe Fleury,

New Zealand Top 40 Album chart
. Fleury is also one half of the duo 'The Bengal Lights', playing the drums.

Biography

Early life and career beginnings

Auckland, New Zealand, where Zowie was raised

Zoe Fleury was born in

Sony
,

2010-present: Commercial success and Love Demolition

Following her decision to sign with

New Zealand Singles Chart.[8] "Broken Machine" spent a total of 12 weeks on the chart.[9] Following the success of the single, American blogger Perez Hilton named Zowie one of the Top 5 Artist to watch for in 2011.[10][11][12] Her second single, "Bite Back", was her first single to be released outside of New Zealand, receiving a digital release in both Australia and the United States. Though it failed to chart in the United States, it did have success in Australia, peaking at number 2 on the Australian Dance Chart and spending over 20 weeks on the chart.[13] Following the success of the single, Zowie toured with Mark Ronson in March 2011. In May 2011, Fleury toured with US pop star Katy Perry on her California Dreams Tour, performing 11 shows in Australia and New Zealand.[14]

Zowie released her first promotional single, "Smash It", on 16 September 2011.

New Zealand Albums Chart
.

Image

Based on her live performances and music videos, Zowie has received comparison to American dance singer Lady Gaga but artists like David Bowie, Trent Reznor and Prince are who have influenced her look. When asked about her style with music videos, Fleury commented "With videos, it’s kind of a mixture. I’m constantly thinking about the whole thing, my outfit, make up and sound, and how it will work well with my performance. Sometimes I design the outfits myself, or I collab with someone. It’s more like a mixture of things that when it comes to my style, I like mixing cute stuff with dark stuff."[20] When speaking on her choice of clothing during performances, Fleury said "I like fashion and I like to make a statement with it. "[21]

Characters

Fleury has listed the personas she performs under as "characters" and "alter egos", and each has a back story. She has stated that her first character, Bionic Pixie, was sent from the year 3000. Eventually, Fleury stated that she had morphed into a new character who was still 'A' Bionic Pixie but been given a name, Zowie. When asked about her "Zowie" character, Fleury stated "Zowie is another character. She is still Zoe Fleury but a little removed. I was once called Bionic Pixie, as well. So I was thinking that Zowie is an extension of Bionic Pixie." Fleury has also stated that the characters "transform" overtime, and that Zowie is quickly transforming.[22]

Musical style

Zowie's music has been classified as predominantly

electropop and new wave.[23] Fleury herself has described her debut album, Love Demolition, as having an "industrial, hip hop side, but still a light pop side".[6] When asked about her recording style and choosing songs, Fleury stated "Drumming & rhythm were really important elements to me to help shape this record. The beat has to be interesting to me. It's generally how I use to start my songs when writing, by humming a beat and recording it down. I listen to everything in a super rhythmic way - vocal lines, guitars, keys lines."[24] While speaking on musical tones she enjoys, Fleury commented "I like dark and pretty but not just one or the other. It's a mixture of heavy and pretty on the album for sure."[24] Fleury has stated that both of her alter egos have different musical styles. music.[22] On her musical style, Fleury has stated "I definitely embrace the pop side [of music]. For example, my favourite band is Nine Inch Nails, who are super industrial, super dark, but they mixed in, sometimes I think without people noticing, these really beautiful pop elements. And that's what I wanted to achieve with this album - having it dark and pretty."[21] The sound of her debut has been described as "a musical playground of industrial pop, electronic hip-hop, and punk, where eclectic beats dance to distorted guitars and slick chants."[25] "[26] Fleury's voice has been compared to that of Katie White, lead singer of the UK band The Ting Tings.[27] Fleury's vocal performance has also been compared to that of United States pop singer Kesha.[7] Zowie has listed Gary Numan, Michael Jackson, and Nine Inch Nails as some of her musical influences.[28]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
NZ
Love Demolition 31

Singles

Official singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions
sales threshold
) 		Album
AU Dance
NZ
"
Broken Machine
" 		2010 — 9
  • NZ
    : Gold
 Love Demolition
"Bite Back" 2011 2 —
"My Calculator" 2012 — —
"Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That)" Flight of the Conchords charity single — 1
  • NZ: platinum
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

  1. ^ a b "Zowie tickets, concerts, tour dates, upcoming gigs - NZ Herald Events". Events.nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Bionic Pixie you have been chosen to van Zowie op Myspace". Myspace.com. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Zowie unveils her split personality (+video)". The New Zealand Herald. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  4. ^ "auspOp: INTERVIEW : Zowie". Auspop.blogspot.com. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Playistnow". Playlistnow.fm. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  6. ^ a b Kirk, Ren (2 May 2012). "Interview: Zowie". Groove Guide. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Christchurch Life: press.co.nz - the-press". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  8. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Zowie - Broken Machine". charts.nz. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  9. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Zowie - Broken Machine". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  10. ^ "5 New Musical Acts YOU'VE GOT To Know In 2011!". PerezHilton.com. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  11. ^ Nerdy Frames (1 February 2011). "ZOWIE In Perez Hilton's Top 5 Artists To Watch in 2011!". Elbo.ws. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Smash hit in Zowie's 'Smash It': Behind the scenes". NZ Entertainment. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  13. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Forum - Artistry's Top 50 Singles Chart - 2012 (Personal Charts: Your Charts)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Katy Perry picks Zowie for shows". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  15. ^ "iTunes - Music - Smash It - Single by Zowie". Itunes.apple.com. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Super City - Shows". TV3.co.nz. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  17. ^ "Zowie". Facebook. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  18. ^ "Listen: Zowie - 'My Calculator'". Popjustice. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  19. ^ "Zowie: My Calculator - The Slab - NZ Music - The Slab - Music". The Edge. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  20. ^ "Zowie: Love Demolition". NZ Style Collective. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  21. ^ a b Jones, Bridget. "Zowie Releases Album Love Demolition". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  22. ^ a b "Zowie's altered ego". The New Zealand Herald. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  23. Stuff.co.nz. Stuff
    . Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  24. ^ a b Electrocutie (3 July 2012). "Electrocutie Music Blog - Electro, electro-pop, new-wave, and more!: Self Destruct: An Interview With Zowie". Electrocutieblog.blogspot.com. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  25. ^ "Zowie releases debut album". Stuff.co.nz. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  26. ^ "INTERVIEW: Zowie on Her New Album 'Love Demolition' | Zowie". ripitup.co.nz. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  27. ^ "Zowie - Smash It (HD Video)". Best in New Music. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  28. ^ "Zowie Speaks! (Interview)". The 13th Floor. Retrieved 15 September 2012.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zowie&oldid=1197541545"
This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article: Zowie. Articles is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.Privacy Policy