Hailing from Nottingham, Zadkiel are a band reinvigorated and full of fire. If you haven’t made the acquaintance of this crew, you need to rectify that anomaly as soon as possible. With new songs in the pipeline, along with some key live shows, it’s looking like 2026 is going to be the year of Zadkiel, so buckle up tightly and check out our interview with Dan Heathcote:
Can you tell us about Zadkiel’s origins? Where did you meet, etc.
The band had been going for a while before the current line up joined (Going further back to the early 2000’s) having fizzled out in 2013, but the initial spark for the current iteration was finding our guitarist George Beedle on a website called joinmyband.com. After meeting with him he knew a drummer called Mark Duckers, who also knew a bass player called Josh Marsh both of whom joined in 2015. Mark left in 2019 and we got a new drummer Michael Bawldry through someone I knew and we have been together ever since.
What are the musical influences of each band member and how do you forge them into a cohesive whole
George is into Prog metal and stuff like Porcupine Tree / Steven Wilson, Muse, Opeth which we shared in common from day 1 writing some of the songs together. Josh likes that too but is also quite into Doom Metal, some of which I like such as Pallbearer but we bonded over Alt-Metal like Tool, Deftones and Nine Inch Nails. There is a bit of Tool influence on our most recent recordings for the 2nd album which is work in progress. Michael likes Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins which Josh is into so there is the rhythm section in sync with that.. But also newer stuff like Silversun Pickups. We are all into Radiohead so that is a main influence, and we get compared to them and Porcupine Tree most of the time. My vocals are influenced by Jeff Buckley which is also a common reference point. Somehow all of that works, but we are also very into sounding as original as possible. We are essentially an Alt-Rock / Modern Prog band.
Can you tell us about your local music scene. Is it supportive? Are there many places to play?
Nottingham used to be more supportive and have more grass roots venues but since Covid in 2020 there aren’t that many places to play anymore. We played at a really cool underground venue called The Mist Rolling Inn recently early this year and that is partly run by the sound guy who used to work at The Chameleon before it closed. I loved that place, we used to play there a quite a bit, but the new venue seems to be just as good if not better in terms of the sound. We know a few local bands we are friends with who are musically and socially compatible such as Noisemakers’ Guild (Post Punk) and Outposts (Garage Rock/Grunge) so we play with them when we can also.
What’s the best and worst thing about your local scene?
The best thing is we know some people and venues who we get on with and are cool, very down to earth and seem to care. The worst thing is the rest of the scene is either dead or impenetrable. To get on at big venues like Rock City and Rescue Rooms you have to know the right people and have a massive following. There’s not much of a focus on local talent at this moment in time. You’re more likely to get on there if you are American and are on a major record label.
Can you tell us about the band’s discography (demos, singles, albums)?
We have 4 EPs and 1 album. The early Eps Inverted Heaven (2003) and The Ethereal Fear (2007) are almost grunge/indie. The Saturn Return is the only album, and that was released in 2011 and is more fully realised experimental Alt Rock. They were released before the new band members joined. The most recent Ep Transient Resurrection was released post Covid in 2022 and is more Progressive, there’s a 12 minute song on that called Behemoth that takes you on a psychedelic journey. It also showcases the new members. Although Michael hadn’t joined in time and Mark Duckers played drums on that one. The forthcoming 2nd album is the first to feature Michael’s drumming on it and is moving in an exciting direction. It’s heavier and weirder whilst also before very melodic as well as discordant.
How do you feel you’ve evolved musically throughout your career?
There are some classic songs of ours which are still fresh because the new band members have also put their own spin on them whilst still being representative of the original essence of what was written, they sound emotional because they were written whilst I was younger and developing my craft. In terms of writing now we are including different time signatures more now such as 7/8 on new tracks like The Tumultuous Sea that makes them sound very prog and very original. 5/4 and 12/8 are also other places we go to.. So everyone in the band is now proficient with odd timings. Lyrically I write more poetic / abstract lyrics and George is more narrative story telling. That makes for a good contrast. I am the principal songwriter but everyone comes up with their own parts and there is a lot of freedom of expression. Once we commit to recording new songs they usually keep their shape and structure. We don’t tend to improvise on stage. That’s more of a creative thing in the writing process.
Any war stories you’d like to share from your favourite gigs over the years?
Recently I bled all over my white Fender Strat after I cut my finger having dropped a plectrum and had to carry on mid song strumming without it in the heat of the moment. I got through the entire set with the same guitar. I ended up wiping the blood on my face so as not to get it on my clothes or hands during the performance. It was a sign of being in a battle and owning that moment.
I guess it could be seen as a rock n’ roll thing, but stuff happens sometimes and you have to adapt. It didn’t affect the crowd that much, people were just vibing with the music. The staff were very kind to me after and they had plasters and it wasn’t that bad. It took me an hour to clean my guitar once I got back to the studio though!
Will we see you on the road anytime soon for a tour?
Zadkiel are concentrating on writing and rehearsing new material in the studio, and are not currently on tour. But we do have an upcoming gig with Noisemakers’ Guild and an excellent new Sheffield band called Blackwater Lightship (Alt-Indie Rock) at The Salutation Inn, in Nottingham on Friday 1st May 2026. We will be playing some of the 2nd album which we are about 3/4 of the way through recording. We have 7 tracks committed to tape, 2 of which have been mastered. We won’t be releasing anything until the whole thing is done though. Which i am hoping will see the light of day next year in early 2027
What’s next for the band? How do you plan to reach the next level?
We’re just focused on playing live more and writing and recording. Practically speaking, I would love us to tour the UK, at the moment all of our creative energies and our time and money is going into recording, releasing and promoting the next album the best we can. Hopefully the rest will take care of itself.
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