Ep550: Black Flag Vocalist Max Zanelly

Black Flag vocalist Max Zanelly shares how she went from waitressing to fronting one of punk's most legendary bands and how the new lineup is carving their own space in legacy of the band.
Australian tour tickets and info here.
Topics Include:
Max Zanelly checks in from Toronto, post-Canada tour
Black Flag heading to Australia: four cities in late May
One year ago, Max had just started rehearsing with Black Flag
Only prior music experience: saxophone in middle school band
A longtime fan, Max attended a Black Flag show in Vancouver
Greg Ginn noticed Max singing every word from the front row
Numbers exchanged; Greg said he wanted to make music someday
A month later: the vocalist left, Greg offered Max the role
Max sent vocal demos and flew to Texas to rehearse
Already knew the full catalog; My War was the gateway album
Side two's slow, sludgy tracks resonated the most deeply
Favourite songs to perform live
New recordings underway, still at early instrumental stages
Max currently writing lyrics for a potential new Black Flag record
Big age gap with Greg, but the band dynamic gels well
Lineup reveal photos triggered massive online backlash before any shows
Live shows quickly won skeptics over, including 80s-era veterans
Henry Rollins is Max's personal favourite past Black Flag vocalist
First rehearsals: nervous and shy about screaming into a mic
Fake-it-till-you-make-it; fully unleashed onstage by the fourth show
Voice conditioned gradually; 24-hour rest between shows is enough
Bassist David sparked Max's interest in record collecting on tour
Grew up religious; told mum she was just selling band merch
Mum eventually came around; Max now inspiring women to start bands
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