ZOE Music

A five-piece outfit from Mexico whose psychedelic rock approach yields catchy, infectious rock and pop material, Zoé have earned both a Grammy and multiple Latin Grammys while standing among the era’s foremost indie rock acts. Emerging atop the rock en español landscape by the close of the 2000s, the band secured their initial Premio Oye! victories along with numerous award nominations via the chart-topping breakthrough release Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea (2006). Three Latin Grammys arrived in 2011, honoring Best Alternative Album and Best Long Form Video for MTV Unplugged/Música de Fondo plus Rock Song of the Year for the concert rendition of “Labios Rotos.” Their next Grammy followed in 2018 for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album with Aztlán, a wide-ranging, richly textured set of romantic psychedelic pop tracks and songs addressing sociological themes.

Formed in Mexico City in 1994, Zoé experienced several years of personnel shifts before settling on the quintet of León Larregui (vocals/songwriting), Sergio Acosta (lead guitar), Jesús Báez (keyboards), Angel Mosqueda (bass), and Beto Cabrera (drums). Their self-titled debut album appeared in 2001 through Sony Music yet met with limited response despite multiple singles. Seeking a fresh direction for the follow-up, the group again enlisted Phil Vinall, whose mixing work on the first record complemented his broader résumé of productions for Placebo, Gene, the Auteurs, Radiohead, Elastica, and Pulp. That mid-’90s British-scene background aligned closely with Zoé’s alternative-rock roots, and the resulting Rocanlover (2003) displayed a more fully realized sound than its predecessor.

After parting from Sony Music without achieving widespread success, the band issued the independently released eight-track EP The Room in 2005, which contained the hit single “Dead.” Teaming once more with both EMI and Vinall, Zoé ascended to prominence across the rock en español field in 2006 through the widely praised third album Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea. The platinum-certified Reptilectric (2008) matched that stylistic achievement and commercial impact. Subsequent releases included the 2011 MTV Unplugged album Música de Fondo, the experimental fifth studio effort Prográmaton in 2013, and the live set 8.11.14 two years later. In 2017 the documentary film Zoé: Panoramas appeared alongside its companion soundtrack, after which the group paused while León Larregui delivered his third solo album, Metrópolis.

Following headline and festival tours spanning Spain, Mexico, and the U.S., Zoé returned to the studio and unveiled the single “Azul” on March 1, 2018. “Temor y Temblor” and “Clarividad” preceded the April 20 arrival of Aztlán, again produced by Vinall. The return to psychedelic textures drew strong approval from listeners and reviewers alike; the album earned gold certification and three Latin Grammy nominations for Best Alternative Song (“Azul”), Best Long Form Video (“Panoramas”), and Best Alternative Music Album before claiming the 2019 Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.