Sydney-based alternative hip-hop artist ZEKIEL has just unveiled his striking new single ‘Skipping School’ – produced and engineered by DREXL (Robert Conley and Jack Gray) and mixed by Cam Bluff (Amy Shark, Allday).
Opening with modulated vocals and subtle splashes of swirling synths, ‘Skipping School’ gradually builds with its steadfast bass and beats, before the commanding cadences and mesmerising melodies of ZEKIEL soar effortlessly above. Dynamics and structure are harnessed with finesse, as a series of unexpected transitions keep the listener on the edge of their seat.
ZEKIEL describes the motivation behind ‘Skipping School’:
‘”Skipping School’ is a metaphor for when someone is too cool, or thinks they’re too cool, for you. It’s about me realising at the very last moment that the girl I thought I wanted to be with wasn’t at all what I wanted! This new girl started at our school in grade 8 and it wasn’t until two years later that I mustered up the courage to actually tell her that I liked her. She basically had a hold on me for those two years and I did a lot of dumb shit to try and impress her, when I finally told her, she shot me down in about 2 seconds flat!”
“I wrote the hook on the back veranda of my house in Brisbane. I was feeling pretty boss that day and the whole thing was just in this very low, deep tone. I brought that idea to Jack and Rob – we had a couple of quick passes at it, just adlibbing melodies back and forth, and quickly vibed out the chorus, the rest of the song fell into place super quickly.”
Growing up in the Queensland town of Mackay, 23-year-old ZEKIEL is one of six children. Moving to Brisbane at 18, ZEKIEL flexed his newfound passion for writing and performing, while working hard independently promoting his music, before the hustle saw him move to Sydney in 2019.
Quickly building a network of talented next-generation artists around him, ZEKIEL puts a particular emphasis on collaboration, and championing the success of those around him. It’s something he believes that makes this new generation of musicians unique. Instead of viewing each other as competition in this cut-throat industry, they work collaboratively on each other’s projects.
Since moving to Sydney he’s worked with the likes of Thelma Plum, Cosmo’s Midnight, Ned Houston, Jack Gray and Cyrus – as well as working as a topliner and guest writer.
In the coming weeks ZEKIEL will reveal an accompanying music video for ‘Skipping School’.
‘Skipping School’ is available now worldwide via Island Records
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