Zed

Zed came together in 1996 as New Zealand’s leading rock act of 2000, with Nathan King, Ben Campbell, and Adrian Palmer still enrolled at Christchurch’s Cashmere High School. Drawing on their parents’ Beatles collection while absorbing the sound of Crowded House, Supergrass, Blur, and Radiohead, the three began rehearsing hook-driven pop in their bedrooms.

Impressed by early recordings, Campbell’s father forwarded the demos to family acquaintance and kiwi rock icon Ray Columbus. Columbus responded by becoming the group’s manager, urging them to compose original songs and arranging a publishing agreement. The teenagers, whose average age was sixteen, also began performing publicly and traveled to Auckland for their initial studio session.

Their first two self-produced singles reached the Top 20, earning Zed a nomination for Most Promising Group at the 1998 New Zealand Music Awards. In July 1999 the band formalized its label arrangement by signing with Universal Music New Zealand. The following May they returned to Auckland’s Revolver Studios to track their debut album.

Guitarist Andy Lynch had already joined for live dates and contributed to the recording and mixing of the earlier singles. During the sessions that produced the Silencer album, the band responded to Lynch’s distinctive influences and invited him to become a permanent member. The resulting album, “Silence,” which featured re-recorded versions of the band’s first three singles, entered the chart at number one and achieved double-platinum status in New Zealand.