Zulu Panda- Sad Bastard Music
By Maddy Cristall
Vancouver’s own Wesley Scott AKA Zulu Panda never ceases to reinvent himself. The perpetually evolving musician navigates a different persona on all material while remaining true to himself. Scott is very much an artist in addition to being an impressive musician. He tangles a creative tapestry that envelopes imaginative details in his music. He also makes hilarious prayer candles, is a wizard with digital media and rocks a Star Wars suit quite regularly. Scott doesn’t just make art, he is art, moving through this life that is often void of the creativity he generously expresses.
Zulu Panda is just about to release his latest album titled-Sad Bastard Music. The name is inspired by his music being described by a producer as ‘moody lyrics with a candy coating’ and paraphrases one of his favourite films- High Fidelity. Much like the film (and book), the record takes listeners on a scenic walk through heartache, internal-discovery and self-deprecating hilarity. Zulu Panda’s previous work includes- Power On, 13 Canadian Love Letters, Live at Junction City Hall and Two Way Street (EP). Each body of work explores a different audacious concept that he executes in a relatable manor. His work pulls from all kinds of interesting ideas yet he remains consistently-vulnerable, enticing and clever. His musical execution is complex and evokes a sentimental and emotional response that isn’t corny. Scott’s influence from Jeff Tweedy, A.C Newman and Neko Case is palpable but not overbearing in his work.
The songs on the record intentionally explore very different genres. The track ‘When I Get Home’ is an homage to his love for grunge and psych rock, ‘Amy’ is a heartfelt groovy disco tune while ‘On My Own’ is a bonafide EDM track. The record isn’t whimsically diverse, it sharply explores different genres at no expense. Scott shares- I’d rather be weird and dynamic with my music than worry about fitting into any suggested standards. As the saying goes, ‘variety is the spice of life,’ and I’ve decided on a cross-genre approach to this rock album. It’s been an exciting, diverse, fun and emotional experience I believe listeners will share. The beauty of this idea is that he pulls it off and the results are worth it. Scott worked with talented producers Andrew Conroy and Winston Hauschild in developing the record.
Scott approaches music like a travelling troubadour, albeit one with a contemporary-indie flair. Much like his music, he ventures on wildly extensive tours in his car with his partner in crime and his dog-Bogart. When Scott isn’t busy making complex music he works as a social worker. Scott explains that ‘I’m fortunate enough that I can utilize my vacation time for touring purposes. I manage to balance things because I wear two imaginary hats - two mental suits of armour in a sense - that gives me confidence and protect me from emotional harm when I need them to as either a social worker or as a singer-songwriter.”
Balance is difficult but he does it, expressing yourself is challenging but he does it, cultivating new ideas is rare but he does it. Wesley Scott manages to accomplish his courageous concepts and visions. Much like Devendra Banhart or Beck, he is a new person with each album which makes more sense than not. Scott will be sharing his sad bastard-ness across Canada for the next two months. Witty nihilism is a wonderful facet to explore and he does it more than well. We all have that person inside of us, he will help you find it.
Zulu Panda is performing at Our Town on November 15 to celebrate the release of his album.