Roll up! Roll up! Circus 66 are in town with their second long-player, unlimited energy and untamed classic/hard rock range. Oh, and a live date in Norwich on Saturday too. The greatest show on earth? Well if new release ‘Elements’ is anything to go by it’s gonna be a night to remember at any rate…
‘This album is the truest representation of the band’s current vibe and we couldn’t be more proud of it,’ says Annabelle Zaychenko – trainee conveyancer by day, lush-lunged Circus 66 singer by night. Blending the best of rock from across the decades, ‘Elements’ serves slick musicianship including grooves ranging from easy to fractious and rhythms that rage, rock and underpin the whole kaleidoscopic ride with relish. It’s a collection of infectious tunes with a sting in their tail. All fronted by Annabelle’s crystal clear vox that sounds like it’s soaked in a little hard liquor, a large helping of life experience and a lot of heart. Plus, she harnesses the power of her neurodiversity to really make everything pop.
‘My brain just doesn’t function the same way as a lot of people’s does, but as long as it’s working - as long as I’m doing stuff – it’s happy. If I have a well-functioning day I take it as a win!’ says Annabelle, speaking of her ADHD. ‘I have really, really good days and really, really bad days, but the trick is to identify it in a way, and try to function I guess, get through it and make sure every day is more or less a good day. But with the bad days, as long as I’ve got a good support system it improves them.’
‘I call myself neurospicy! You never know what you’re going to get!’ she laughs.
Singing and music help Annabelle manage her symptoms, along with being as positive as possible. ‘I try to use it as a super power rather than dwell on the negative side,’ she says. ‘And having the right people around you helps a massive amount.’
And her Circus 66 bandmates are some of the best people to have on her side. Tell us about your group, Annabelle. ‘Circus 66 is, like, the third name for the band. But that was before my time,’ she says. ‘That was when it was a three-piece. Our guitarist Matt (Pearce) is the original member and it was his project band.’
Annabelle explains, ‘Around 2016 they wanted to update the line-up so they looked for a singer. They were actually auditioning guys! I auditioned and somehow won them over with my roar!’ Circus 66 is completed by Leigh Holley on drums and bass player Luke Ward.
Annabelle’s voice really is beautiful beyond words, blending Halestorm, Heart, Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters, Beth Hart and there’s even a Jefferson Airplane twang in there. Annabelle is also heavily influenced by The Pretty Reckless rabble rouser in chief, the amazing Taylor Momsen.
‘I used to have singing lessons when I was little,’ she says. ‘I just develop my voice a lot myself. It’s something I hyper-fixate on in a good way! I think, ‘I can do this better!’ Rock is my domain but I do listen to a diverse variety of music. My library consists of RnB, hip hop and opera, for example. I find inspiration from everywhere. It’s interesting to hear different types of singing as well. Different vocalists have got different approaches in how they sing and what they do. It’s also interesting to hear something and then interpret it with my voice in my own way, learning from the original artist and adapting it to my style.’
Circus 66 started work on ‘Elements’ as soon as they finished their debut album ‘Follow the Black Crow’.
‘We wanted to go a bit more positive and make something more uplifting,’ Annabelle says. ‘There’s a couple of meanings behind the name ‘Elements’. With the songs themselves, there are some of them that reflect the elements of earth, wind and fire.’
She adds, ‘I find the second album more raw sounding compared to the first one. In the first album we were finding ourselves as a group of individuals. We’d just had our line-up solidify. The four of us come from different backgrounds when it comes to our music and our styles so it can take a little bit of time for us to understand each other!
‘The first album is more ‘showy’. It had more production. With ‘Elements’ I found that we’d gone back to our roots. Some of the tracks have old Circus 66 vibes – like when we first started, that Southern rock and heavy groove. It’s subtle but it’s definitely there.
‘’Elements’ has raw emotion. It’s literally what rock and roll was made on – that raw energy.’
Circus 66 pretty much shed blood, sweat and tears to make this latest album. It’s fair to say they literally gave it their all. ‘We were like, ‘Screw it! Let’s just go for it!’,’ explains Annabelle. ‘I even cried on one of the tracks while I was singing on it.’
Circus 66 are playing the B2 @ The Brickmakers in Norwich on Saturday, July 12.
