BETTER TOGETHER

Coachella 2017: With Zipper Club, Lissy Trullie and Cerebral Ballzy’s Mason James Unite For Their Second Acts

With their band Zipper Club, Lissy Trullie and Mason James discover a new beginning, and a new pop sound.


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Roger Ho

When Zipper Club dropped their first single “Going the Distance” last year, it was a rather unexpected immediate hit. “It was a whirlwind,” said Mason James at Coachella last Saturday afternoon, the day after his band played on the Mojave stage at the festival. “We would get these texts like, ‘Guys, you’re climbing the charts,’ and we would just be like, ‘What the f—.’”

“We hadn’t even played a live show yet,” added Lissy Trullie, his bandmate. “They’re like, ‘You guys gotta start touring.’ What?”

If these names sound familiar, it’s because they are: Mason James was the founding member and former guitarist of Brooklyn punk rockers Cerebral Ballzy, and Lissy Trullie the one-time model and longtime “darling” of New York’s downtown scene. Together, along with drummer Damar Davis, they’ve formed Zipper Club, a name they’ve preferred to keep ambiguous in its meaning.

“This band has been so backwards,” James went on. “Other projects I’ve been in, we’ve hit the road for four years and nobody gives a s—. Nobody gives a s—, and you’ll play to like six people. This was instantly [that] we found success at the radio, and it’s been a f—ing dream.”

And here they were, fresh off playing Coachella. “A bucket list check off,” said Davis.

“And we get to do it again next weekend,” added James.

Lissie Trullie performing at Coachella 2017.

Roger Ho. Courtesy of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017

The project began as a “bedroom project” for James, who was exploring a different sound. He had left NYC for L.A.—“I needed to warm up. It got cold in New York. I’m a softy now.”—and met Trullie along the way. They started recording in North Hollywood with his friend, The Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha, who produced their upcoming album, a 12 song LP out later this year.

“That was also part of the move to L.A.,” he said. “I have space now, I have a studio. That was really where the project took shape, when we started working in the studio together. We were working out of my place in Venice and then would bring it in the studio with James. I love playing shows but writing music and just having that feeling of creating, there’s nothing better than that. And then I listen to it on repeat over and over again until my ears bleed.”

Trullie and James, who was often back and forth between coasts, finished the record together in Manhattan, in Union Square, with TV On the Radio’s Jahphet Landis on drums.

“In this shady rehearsal space that is probably Mafia-tied,” said James.

“I don’t think it’s exactly a rehearsal space,” added Trullie. “I think it’s a front.”

“A drug front.”

“But they were good to us.”

“They were great to us, so we’ll hold it down,” James said. “We’re not gonna name any names.”

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Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin attend Winter Bumbleland.

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Yara Shahidi and Aja Naomi King attend Popsugar and The Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) Brunch.

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Hailee Steinfeld performs during The Hyde Away, hosted by Republic Records & SBE.

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Daisy Smith, Pyper Smith, Lucky Blue Smith and Starlie Smith attends H&M Loves Coachella Tent.

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Sophie Turner and Hailee Steinfeld attend Midnight Garden After Dark at the NYLON Estate.

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Mackinley Hill, Chase Hill and Taylor Hill attend H&M Loves Coachella Tent.

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Emily Current, Steven Kolb, and Meritt Elliott attend Popsugar and The Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) Brunch

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Kylie Jenner attends the PrettyLittleThing x Paper Magazine Pretty Little Playground.

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Emma Roberts attends The Hyde Away, hosted by Republic Records & SBE.

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Martha Hunt, Stella Maxwell, Elsa Hosk and Josephine Skriver attend Victoria’s Secret Angels Celebrate the Sexy Little Things Launch at the Angel Oasis.

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Sophie Turner attends The Hyde Away, hosted by Republic Records & SBE.

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Troian Bellisario attends the #REVOLVEfestival.

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Jasmine Tookes and Elsa Hosk attend the #REVOLVEfestival.

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Taco, Tyga and Brooklyn Beckham attend the Interscope Coachella House.

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Joe Jonas, Cole Whittle, JinJoo Lee, and Jack Lawless of DNCE attends The Hyde Away, hosted by Republic Records & SBE.

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Drake and French Montana attend The Levi’s Brand Presents NEON CARNIVAL with Tequila Don Julio.

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Alessandra Ambrosio attends The Levi’s Brand Presents NEON CARNIVAL with Tequila Don Julio.

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Halsey at Three Olives Vodka Find Otherness at The Saguaro Hotel.

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Katie Perry and Jeremy Scott attend the Moschino Candy Crush Desert Party hosted by Jeremy Scott.

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Riz Ahmed and Travis Scott attend the Moschino Candy Crush Desert Party hosted by Jeremy Scott.

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Dilone attends the Moschino Candy Crush Desert Party hosted by Jeremy Scott.

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Katy Perry attends Katy Perry’s Footwear Easter Sunday Recovery Brunch.

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Sama and Haya Khadra attend the Galore x Grindr GBF Pool Party with Charli XCX.

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The duo became three with the addition of Davis, who took over on drums after they all met later on, in L.A. “We were fortunate to have my buddy Jahphet play drums on the record, but Damar took that and made it his own style and sound,” said James. “It all took shape about a year and a half ago, and we’ve hit the road ever since.”

A highlight so far has been touring with Tears for Fears. “Can’t get over that one,” said James. “And that was our first tour ever. We were jumped from doing a residency in L.A. to maybe a hundred people to 3,000 people in vineyards in the Northwest.”

“Yeah, we had to catch up real quick,” said Trullie.

Another pinch-me moment was Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith joining them on the Coachella stage for a cover of “Mad World”.

“He was here with his kids,” James explained. “He wanted to show off for his youngsters.”

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In 2007, Björk took to the stage in a typically kooky ensemble, including a skeleton bustier.

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Zooey Deschanel performed with She & Him in 2010, wearing a prim light blue sundress.

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Beyoncé surprised concert-goers by popping out during Jay Z’s performance in 2010, wearing a graphic t-shirt and jorts.

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Despite the heat, Carrie Brownstein performed with Black Flag in 2012 wearing long black jeans.

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Feist played the 2012 festival in a tie-dyed tank top and shiny orange mini-skirt.

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In 2007, Amy Winehouse appeared with her signature bee-hive and cat-eye, along with a white tank and jean shorts.

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Charlotte Gainsbourg serenaded the 2010 crowd in a white tank and loose grey jeans with leather detailing.

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The same year, Beth Ditto appeared in a black shift dress with colorful stained glass-esque detailing.

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Emily Haines of Metric layered on the necklaces in 2013, along with a white blouse and leather shorts.

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Janelle Monae kept true to her affinity for black and white in this 2013 look.

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Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes belted it out in a caped dress in 2015.

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In one of her many Coachella performances, Karen O dressed in a yellow suit for the 2013 festival.

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Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, took to the stage in 2015 wearing a dress by Stella McCartney.

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Pre-Drake makeout, Madonna hit the 2015 stage in a patterned coat and thigh-high boots.

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Jenny Lewis matched her colorful romper with a pair of mirrored sunglasses in 2012.

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With a broken ankle, Florence Welch perched barefoot in a loose blouse and cropped jeans.

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Haim bassist Este Haim kept it prim and proper in a black dress with a white collar in 2014.

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FKA Twigs wore a complicated contraption featuring a harness bra at the 2015 festival.

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Neko Case performed in 2014 wearing a graphic t-shirt and novelty skeleton leggings.

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The ever-stylish Solange wore a orange skirt-suit with ankle boots in 2014.

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Lana Del Rey made a colorful impression in 2014, wearing this floral print dress.

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Ellie Goulding kept it all white for her 2016 performance, including a cropped shirt, shorts, and sneakers.

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Allison Mosshart of The Kills performed in thigh-high leather boots in 2016.

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Lorde performed at the 2016 festival in a black bra top and wide-legged striped pants.

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Rocker Courtney Barnett took the stage in black jeans and a striped t-shirt in 2016.

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Grimes climbed atop a rafter in striped jeans and a black tee at the 2016 festival.

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Still covering her face, Sia performed in 2016 wearing a white shirtdress and matching bow.

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Rihanna surprised fans during Calvin Harris’ set, wearing a custom Marc Jacobs jacket.

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It was hard to miss Trullie when she took the stage, statuesque in a head-to-toe red vinyl ensemble—despite the blazing desert heat, of course—designed by a friend and costume designer who goes by Kindall Almond.

“Lissy’s got hooks,” said James. “I think that was one of the really cool things when we started writing together, that I like to focus a lot on sound and texture, and she was able to come in with huge big choruses, and I think that’s what really complimented each other.”

“Absolutely,” said Trullie. “Mason is a synth maniac.”

“I nerd out,” he said, smiling.

“He really does nerd out on the synths, in an epic way,” she said. “And then Damar, mister do-it-all, he’s the man.”

“I come from a straight just-playing-drum background, not necessarily from a technical aspect,” said Davis. “Since [Mason] is a synth maniac, I have to learn how to do things on the fly. That’s what they both bring out in me.”

Damar Davis performing at Coachella 2017.

Roger Ho. Courtesy of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017

“That’s another thing,” added Trullie. “I think for all of us, this project has pushed us somewhere technically that’s, at least for me, beyond what I was doing before. I play the guitar and have since I was a kid, so I’m really comfortable on that, and then I taught myself piano somewhere along the line. But now, I’m playing bass for half our set, so that’s pushed me further, something that I didn’t think I was able to do well at all.”

“We’re making each other better players every day,” said Davis.

“It took a while to figure it out, but I think we’ve kind of got it dialed at this point, and it feels good,” said James.

Tears For Fears' Curt Smith performing with Zipper Club at Coachella 2017.

Roger Ho. Courtesy of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017

“Going the Distance” is undoubtedly catchy, but it’s also raw; and there’s an underlying punk to the song and to the band.

The day of their Coachella performance, they dropped “Regrets,” the B-side to a Record Store Day 7-inch release on April 22, along with A-side “Breath,” pressed on lavender-scented colored vinyl.

Like “Going the Distance,” “Regrets” is straightforward pop. “Had something on my mind that I didn’t want to say / Talking to you makes me second guess / Living my life with with no regrets,” James and Trullie sing in layered vocals.

What’s there to regret? I asked them.

“Nothing at the moment,” said James.

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Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
Photo by Emily Malan.
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