Zipper Club

Zipper Club merges the tuneful approach of 1980s new wave pop with a modern edge of sophistication through the partnership of Mason James, previously the frontman of skatepunk revivalists Cerebral Ballzy, and Lissy Trullie, the indie rocker whose birth name is Elizabeth McChesney. The project originated in 2014 when James sought a break from Cerebral Ballzy following an extended stretch of road work. He began composing material in seclusion at his apartment, shifting away from punk roots toward synth-driven sounds that echoed the more accessible side of alternative music during that decade. Once enough tracks accumulated, he assembled a fresh ensemble to interpret the material and enlisted James Iha, the guitarist recognized for his contributions to Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle, to helm production. The pair recruited Lissy Trullie, frontwoman of her own identically named group, to handle vocals and additional instrumentation, while Damar Davis supplied the drumming to complete the lineup. Working under Iha’s guidance, the trio laid down a full album’s worth of recordings before securing a contract with Epic Records. Their first offering, the single “Going the Distance,” arrived in June 2016. Momentum built quickly among listeners and media outlets, prompting the September 2016 release of a follow-up, “Small Town.” While finishing their debut album, the band issued two further tracks in February 2017: “Tick-Tock” and “Breath.”