Feature / One Question Interviews
ZEPHR

Words: Loren • February 8, 2024

ZEPHR
ZEPHR

Jim Fitzpatrick (ZEPHR)

SPB: What was the first band you were ever in? What style of music did you (try to) play? 

Fitzpatrick: My first ever band was called The Stone Giants. I was in 8th grade, and I started the band with my neighbors who lived a couple doors down. Our drummer was eight years old, and he was probably the best musician out of all of us. We definitely had a bit of a pop punk/sloppy metal streak to us. We covered "Dammit" by Blink 182, "When I Come Around" by Green Day, and we had a couple original tunes. Our best one was called "Lonely Nightmare," and it sounded kinda Black Sabbath-esque. I don't remember the name of the other one, but I wrote the lyrics, and I remember the chorus went something like "I saw you in the hall today, so far awayyyyyy."  We ran vocals through a karaoke machine, practiced in the basement for a couple of months, and never played any shows. There are no recordings, which I am kind of sad about. 

My other first band started in high school. We were called Subject to Evaporation. We had kind of an indie rock/pop punk/emo thing going on. And as time went on we got more inspired by angular post-punk/post-hardcore like Fugazi, Gang of Four, Mission of Burma. That kind of stuff. We were around for a few years, played some local venues/basements/community pools, and recorded a little bit of stuff that's available on Bandcamp. But college broke us up. When I think of my high school years, it's playing in that band that I think of the most. Good times. Real good times. My current band, ZEPHR, has a song I wrote about that band. It's called "STE".

— Loren • February 8, 2024

ZEPHR
ZEPHR

Related features

GØKHA

One Question Interviews • October 21, 2026

GØKHA SPB: The entire new record is solo. How did you decide to self record and self release? GØKHA: I’ve been writing music since I was 16. I’m 36 now, so that’s 20 years of dealing with the same problem: finding people to play with. And not just any musicians, … Read more

School Drugs

One Question Interviews • October 20, 2026

Josh Jurk (School Drugs) SPB: What do you remember of your first show with School Drugs? Jurk: We opened our set with the intro to “Crazy Train.” I don't really know why, seemed like a good idea at the time. We'll reprise it at our last show when we're all … Read more

Little A

One Question Interviews • October 19, 2026

Little A SPB: Is there an album or concert that inspired you to start to playing your own music? Bryan – drums: It may be a standard answer for folks my age, but Nirvana's Nevermind album changed everything. The rawness and energy made me want to be in a band, … Read more

Fest 24: Artist Interviews

Interviews / Fest 24 • October 16, 2026

It's almost FEST time, and you know what that means: SPB has dived in to speak to a bunch of bands and artists playing this year's event. Some are FEST veterans with tips and highlights for newcomers, and others are FEST newbies with their own plans for the week. Read … Read more

FEST LIBS 24 & Fest Survey Findings

Music / Fest 24 • October 16, 2026

Are you ready for The Fest!? While we’re pretty sure you’re already counting down days until your trek to Gainesville, FL, we’ve got some Fest games for you to play, including a few samples from this year’s performers. Click here to play FEST LIBS -- like a fill-in-the-blanks word game … Read more

Related reviews

ZEPHR

Past Lives
Dumb Ghost, Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

Sometimes you can just hear the passion in a voice. ZEPHR is one of those bands. They defy convention a little bit, in that I associate gravelly voices with harsher, heavier sounds, but ZEPHR use sore-throat vocals to great effect with midtempo, emotional and melodic 3-chord chugging punk rock and some DC sound. In few words, it's raw, both musically … Read more

ZEPHR

Don’t Worry About It
Snappy Little Numbers (2020)

It’s fantastic to still see label holding up the torch when it comes to being dedicated to the fine art of the analogue format, partly because of its sonic superiority, partly as a reminiscence to a time where it was de rigour.Snappy Little Numbers is a label that keeps pumping out quality releases, lovingly illustrated with attention to detail and … Read more

More from this section

GØKHA

One Question Interviews • October 21, 2026

GØKHA SPB: The entire new record is solo. How did you decide to self record and self release? GØKHA: I’ve been writing music since I was 16. I’m 36 now, so that’s 20 years of dealing with the same problem: finding people to play with. And not just any musicians, … Read more

School Drugs

One Question Interviews • October 20, 2026

Josh Jurk (School Drugs) SPB: What do you remember of your first show with School Drugs? Jurk: We opened our set with the intro to “Crazy Train.” I don't really know why, seemed like a good idea at the time. We'll reprise it at our last show when we're all … Read more

Little A

One Question Interviews • October 19, 2026

Little A SPB: Is there an album or concert that inspired you to start to playing your own music? Bryan – drums: It may be a standard answer for folks my age, but Nirvana's Nevermind album changed everything. The rawness and energy made me want to be in a band, … Read more