LOYAL LOCALS
BY LEN SOUSA
An Interview with Eli Miller of Zox
Zox has been a household name throughout much of Rhode Island since shortly after forming at Brown University in 1999—their infamous yellow stickers still a ubiquitous presence on buildings and street signs across the city of Providence. (“Flagrant vandalism always helps,” admits lead singer and guitarist Eli Miller.)
A self-described college rock band for much of their career, the group has recently signed their first record deal with west coast label SideOneDummy and re-released their second album, The Wait, this past June to a mass audience for the first time. A cross between Sublime, Weezer, and Guster, Zox plays an unconventional blend of ska-inspired fiddle rock with bouncy reggae beats.
Surely, with so much success at the local level and at last an album with mass distribution, the quartet must have considered moving out of the smallest state in the union and on to bigger cities like New York or L.A.
“Never,” Miller says flatly. “I’ve basically been to every state in the country traveling around with the band and there’s no city I like better than Providence. Rhode Island is just so accessible, it’s beautiful, the people are great—and it’s real. I feel like those [big cities] are so full of transplants that you don’t get a real sense of people who are really from there. Whereas in RI, it feels like the people who live there have lived there forever. Plus it’s cheaper, which helps.”
When asked if finally signing with a label has made the do-it-yourself band work any less, Miller replies with a laugh, “I think we work more to be honest. Being signed to an indie label, it’s not like your whole world changes overnight.” Though he admits one big change was finding an audience in Europe, where the group hopes to tour again soon. “The primary driver for us still is getting out there, being on the road, meeting people, and hopefully turning them into fans when we play.”
This Zox work ethic has paid off in fan sentiment over the years. “Our fans seem to come from all walks of life. Most of them are really loyal and I think especially because we’ve made so much of our short career on the road and we’ve met a lot of them, it makes for a real loyal and enthusiastic connection.”
Loyalties aside for the moment, is there any chance the singer is as sick of hearing the phrase “Zox Rocks!” as much as the rest of RI? “I’m pretty sick of it, too,” the Zoxer admits. “Basically, every night, someone says that to me. Like they’re discovering it for the first time. I guess if you’re going to name your band something that rhymes with ‘rocks’ then you’re asking for it.”
“But it’s just such an honor to be able to have fans,” Miller says slightly flustered, as if he still can’t believe it. “And it’s really fun to get to see a little bit of a community that you’ve had a part in creating. I think that’s the coolest experience about being in a band.”
Originally Published:
Skope Magazine (Mar/Apr 2007)
