Formed in late 2007, Zervas and Pepper was born out of singer/songwriters Paul Zervas and Kathryn Pepper’s shared love of harmony-heavy folk rock.
The couple discovered one another while performing in their home town clubs in Cardiff, Wales as solo artists, and began writing and recording together as Zervas and Pepper.
Their folk-rock, 1970s California sound has been compared to Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and, as Richard Lewis puts, “the gentle psychedelia of Buffalo Springfield”.
After two successful introductory EPs released on their own independent “Zerodeo Records” label in 2008 and 2009 respectively, Zervas and Pepper released their debut album “Somewhere in the City” in Spring 2011. The album gained strong radio support, receiving three playlisted singles from BBC Radio Wales, and further air play on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.
The singles “Cigar Store Indian”, “Buffalo Crow” and “Startin’ Over” led to appearances on the popular BBC 6 Radcliffe and Maconie show, BBC Radio 2’s Terry Wogan’s “Wake up to Wogan” and Janice Long. Zervas and Pepper were in Session for Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music, and the session was featured in BBC 6 Music’s “Best Bits of 2012”.
With the recent addition of their full band, Zervas and Pepper released the follow up album “Lifebringer” on 22 July 2013. This second LP gained critical acclaim from press and radio, with a 4 star review in The Times by Will Hodgkinson, who described it as “a gentle soundtrack to the modern experience”.
The album was also featured in The Guardian’s “Hidden Gems of 2013” end-of-year list “2013’s Hidden Gems; The ones that got away”. Zervas and Pepper’s “Lifebringer” received a nomination for the Welsh Music Prize in August 2013, and the band won the public vote for the Amazing Radio Audition Poll in Summer 2013.
Their Single Release “Sure Fire Bet” earned the band National Radio playlist inclusions on BBC Radio 2 and RTE One in Ireland.
Zervas and Pepper regularly appear live at Festivals and theatres as either a two or six piece outfit, playing at Glastonbury Festival on the Croissant Neuf stage in 2013, A full band main stage appearance at Green Man Festival and performing at BBC Radio 2’s “Live at Hyde Park Festival 2013” in London with a special introduction by DJ “Whispering” Bob Harris, further gigs and festivals performed later that year in 2013 included the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Delhi, India, November 2013.
In early 2014 the duo performed as part of Scotland’s annual Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, and were featured as part of the “Roaming Roots Revue” California Dreaming show at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall alongside artists such as Dawes, Roddy Hart, Lau and The Webb Sisters amongst others. The duo also performed two further live broadcast “In the round” acoustic performances as part of the festival for Mark Radcliffe’s BBC Radio 2 ‘Folk Show’, and Ricky Ross’s “Another Country” for BBC Radio Scotland.
UK Festival appearances by Zervas and Pepper in Summer 2014 included performances at the Secret Garden Partyin Cambridgeshire, Beautiful Days festival in Devon, a hometown show for the Welsh Proms at Cardiff’s prestigious St David’s Hall and a Main Stage performance at Moseley Folk Festival. Z&P also performed as an acoustic duo for SummerTyne Festival at The Sage Gateshead. Recording began for the duos forthcoming third album ‘Abstract Heart’ (due for release Spring 2015) in July/August 2014 at Giant Wafer studios, Powys.
Autumn 2014 saw the duo providing support for Folk singer/songwriter Seth Lakeman’s UK tour, and later in November and December as a five-piece band supporting Scottish pop legends Deacon Blue on their “A New House” Tour, performing at many prestigious music venues all over the UK and culminating at show at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
Also during this period, the duo released the singles “These Blurred Lines” and “We Are One”, both of which garnered much radio support and playlist inclusions from BBC Radio Wales and RTÉ Radio 1, and a live session for the Richard Madeley show on BBC Radio 2.
Discography
Abstract Heart
Zerodeo Records 2015
Tracks: Miller, Terraform, Foolish Dreamer, Reach Out, Here And Now, Abstract Heart, These Blurred Lines, Laika, Silver To Chrome, We Are One & Celestial Friend.
Musicians on the Abstract Heart album: Kathryn Pepper, Paul Zervas and others.
Lifebringer
Zerodeo Records 2013
Tracks: Buffalo Crow, Living in a Small Town, Jerome, Lookout Mountain, Water Meets Fire, Sure Fire Bet, Silk Road, Ghost Dancer, One Man Show, Hobos Ticket & All the World has Changed.
Musicians on the Lifebringer album: Kathryn Pepper, Paul Zervas and others.
Somewhere In The City
2011
Tracks:
Musicians on the Somewhere In The City album: Kathryn Pepper, Paul Zervas and others.