Introducing Split Persona
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR US WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOU AND YOUR MUSIC AND TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
Hey there! My name is Zander and I play rhythm guitar and sing lead vocals in my hard rock band “Split Persona”. I started this band about two years ago with my bassist buddy Darren. I actually reached out to him a year prior with the demos for the EP trying to start the same project. However, he was in his own Ska-Punk band called “Sell The Sun” who I ended up playing lead guitar and backing vocals for the short time the band was alive. Being inspired by Dave Grohl, I had always wanted to start a band and write music and lyrics as the lead singer and guitar player, so when Darren suggested we finally put my music to use after Sell The Sun’s downfall, I was more than excited. We started auditioning guitar players and drummers who shared the vision of bringing rock and roll back into the mainstream. After the pandemic struck, it stopped our momentum from our first EP, but it gave us time for our hopefully permanent lineup to take shape, write and record our new full-length record, and reach out to a larger and more diverse audience.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM OR SINGLE?
Our newest album will come out sometime in fall (stay tuned for any announcements on our website!) which we plan on releasing a few singles to capture some hype. Currently, however, you can listen to our first EP containing 5 songs that we felt would be a great introduction to the band's sound, but the new record is where we really figure out our place and our true nature.
WHAT INSPIRED THE ALBUM OR SINGLE?
Lots of things inspired the music and lyrics on the first EP. Abusive relationships, Finding my true self, and fighting against my school were all things and emotions that went into writing the lyrics/music for this EP. I lived in Truckee with no one that really wanted to be a part of writing music like this. Everyone was mostly in big band or jazz, so hard rock wasn’t really a popular band idea. So I ended up writing and recording all the instruments for the demos that would make the first EP. Darren saw it as a head start for the band to start writing collectively and separately for those times I can’t lose inspiration or an idea. With the new record, it was a mixture of us writing collectively and me writing alone. But overall the band had input to change anything I wrote, but sometimes it’s just not needed. For example, the demo for “Strawberries” I wrote is the same structure and lyrics as the final mix because nothing really needed to be changed :).
CAN YOU SUM UP THE ALBUM IN A FEW WORDS?
First EP: Dark, Psychedelic, and Garage.
New Record: Progressive, Journey , Emotional
WHAT RECORD CHANGED YOUR LIFE AND WHY?
I’d have to say Van Halen 1 changed my life like it did most teenagers that hadn’t heard a shredder like Eddie before, but “One by One” by Foo Fighters really had the most impact which inspired me to write and sing my own music. It was just so different from everything I was listening to, it was so heavy yet so melodic. The lyrics cut through the hard rock sounds like knives, it was just so new and different. Plus the band was on the verge of breaking up over it, and you can hear that on the record.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE MUSIC VIDEO FILMED BY YOUR BAND OR ANOTHER ARTIST?
The “Looks That Kill” Motley Crue video is super cool. All the 80’s makeup and hair combined with the medieval hard rock overtones? Masterpiece. I also very much enjoy Dave Grohl playing EVERYONE in the “Learn to Fly” music video. That and the Tenacious D cameo ;).
WHAT WOULD WE FIND YOU DOING WHEN YOU'RE NOT MAKING MUSIC?
I can find myself getting into lots of new hobbies and ideas doing whatever keeps myself busy. Over the pandemic I’ve gotten into gardening, synths, and forcibly “cars” due to the short trouble mine went through after buying it LOL. But I’m always finding new things to do music and hobby-wise.
DO YOU GET NERVOUS PERFORMING LIVE, IF SO HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
Sometimes, but then I just remember that this is what I do. This is my job. I was born to entertain people, and I always remember before each show to make everyone in the audience feel involved. After we start our set and I’m able to see through the pre-show adrenaline, the experience on stage is better than any drug, or feeling in the world.
HOW DID YOU FORM THE BAND?
I contacted Darren through a friend at school with the demos for the songs that ended up on our first EP asking him if he wanted to start a band. He politely declined although he loved the music. However, he really wanted me to play lead guitar for his band Sell the Sun. After doing that for a few months the band ended up breaking up pre-maturely. After that Darren, Mike, and I still stayed very close friends, and when Darren noticed me writing more “Split Persona” aimed music, he suggested we form the band in time to play Reno’s annual battle of the bands which we ended up winning! The rest is rock and roll history.
HOW DO YOU WRITE? - DO YOU HAVE A KEY SONGWRITER, OR DO YOU ALL WORK TOGETHER?
Like I mentioned before, it’s a good mix of me writing songs alone when I find inspiration or someone
in the band presenting a riff or song idea to get us all started writing. So I’d say being the primary songwriter all the final changes go through me, but we all write stuff in the band :).
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
What inspires me is the future. There’s so much time to improve and get better and really make something we can all be proud of and want to share with the world. It took us about 2 years to figure out our place in the band and the industry, and now we’re ready to take over the world with our music getting heard by as many people as possible!
WHAT IS NEXT?
Touring arenas… (LMAO I wish!!)
PLEASE TELL US ANY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS SO WE CAN SHARE.
You can find all of our social links and any other media needed on our website at: www.splitpersona.com/ep