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beyond the riff:
ZEUP on imperfection, overpopulation and desert visions
interview by fok ‘bs’
“When we play ‘Rising’ live, I almost slip into a trance. It stops being a song and becomes a state of mind.”
“Our next album would be a vast, empty desert – no people, just space and truth.”
“The ultimate rock band is a trio: raw, direct, cut to the bone.”
“The next album would be a stoic, proud creature – speaking through fire and water.”
“Success for us now means playing many more gigs. That’s where the magic really happens.”
As Zeup are newly introduced on Radio Highway Pirate’s homepage, it’s an opportune moment to spotlight their journey.
Emerging from Copenhagen’s vibrant rock underground, this trio channels the energy of 70s heavy rock, the dirt of stoner grooves, and the raw honesty of grunge – all while preserving an analog, no-frills sound.
With ‘Mammals‘, they proved they can write heavy riffs and introspective songs.
Now, as they continue to carve out their identity, we dive into their creative process, inspirations, and what makes Zeup distinctly themselves.
Your name, Zeup (‘soup‘), feels playful yet enigmatic. If your band were a flavor of soup, what ingredients would it have – and what unexpected spice would define it?
“Chilies lots of chillies and ginger as secret spice.”
You’ve mentioned an ‘analogue-sounding‘ approach. What’s the most ‘imperfect‘ moment in your studio recordings that you’re secretly proud of, because it sounds more human?
“The fact that ‘Rising’, rises in tempo through the song is a perfect example.”
Stoner rock often evokes vast, open landscapes, but your music also has intimacy. If your next album were a physical space, would it be a canyon, a bunker, a cabin – or something else?
“Our next album would be a vast desert with no people.”
Which personal or societal fear did you confront when writing ‘Mammals‘, and how did it shape the mood of the songs?
“The fear that we overpopulate the planet.”
If you could invite any rock legend – living or dead – to a rehearsal, who would it be and what would you play for them?
“Neil Peart from Rush and i would play ‘Escape’ to him.”
You are a trio, a tight unit. How do you navigate the tensions between being ‘three‘ – creatively, personally, musically – especially when writing together?
“Being a trio brings less tension in my opinion. I think the ultimate rock band is a trio. Cut to the bone. I write all music and lyrics and we arrange together, which is easier when you are only three people.”
Which song of yours feels like a secret ritual: when you play it live, it unlocks something inside you (or the audience)? Describe that feeling.
“‘Rising’ is an example where I almost go into a trance.”
If you could strip away one genre that influences Zeup (say, stoner rock or grunge), how would your sound change – and would you want to make that album?
“If you strip away the stoner rock, we would be more punkish which would be fine but boring in the long run.”
What was the most surprising lesson you learned from recording ‘Mammals‘ in Sweet Silence Studios (a legendary place with rock history)?
“It was a surprise to us how easy and smooth the process was.”
If Zeup were to score a movie scene, what kind of scene would it be – a desert drive, an inner monologue, a showdown – and how would your music serve it?
“A long desert drive with no monologue.”
What’s a misconception people often have about stoner rock (or rock in general), and how do you intentionally challenge or embrace that in Zeup?
“People often think that its the same riff going on for hours, that is certainly not the case.”
After ‘Mammals‘, how do you define ‘success‘ for Zeup now? Is it touring, artistic growth, a particular sound – or something else entirely?
“We would like to play a lot more gigs, thats where the magic happens.”
Picture your next album as a living creature: What would its personality be like? Would it be stoic, wild, dreamy, or haunted – and how would it communicate with you?
“That creature would be stoic and proud and it would communicate through fire and water.”
Zeup is more than just a stoner rock band – they’re architects of groove and emotion, crafting songs that feel both heavy and heartfelt.
As they continue to evolve from their early demos and EPs toward a more mature identity, they prove that the spirit of rock doesn’t need polish – just passion, honesty, and a little bit of fuzz.
With their analog ethos and deep-rooted chemistry, Zeup is shaping a sound that’s as much about the journey as the destination.
fok ‘bs’
ZEUP
stoner rock from Denmark
Zeup are:
Jakob Bach – guitar, lead vocals
Mikkel Birck – bass, backing vocals
Morten Barth – drums
discography:
EP
album
EP
The buzz around Zeup has been steadily growing in Denmark’s stoner underground – and for good reason.
The Copenhagen trio has carved out a niche with their heavy, groove-laden blend of stoner rock, grunge, and punk, all delivered with a stubborn dedication to warm, analog grit.
Their sound feels like a windswept collision of desert rock attitude and 70s-inspired heaviness, wrapped in fuzz and purposefully rough edges.
Formed in 2018, Zeup – pronounced ‘soup‘ – unites Jakob Bach (guitar, vocals), Morten Rold (bass, backing vocals), and Morten Barth (drums), three musicians bound by a shared love for honest, no-nonsense rock.
Their influences are clear:
the thunder of Black Sabbath, the swagger of Led Zeppelin, and the atmospheric sprawl of classic stoner greats.
But Zeup filter these inspirations through a modern, Copenhagen-born sense of urgency.
Although a relatively young band, Zeup’s roots run deep.
Drummer Morten Barth was pounding skins for Danish heavy metal outfit Wasted in the mid-80s, while bassist Morten Rold made his mark in the 90s as the guitarist of Beyond Serenity.
That history shows – their music is tight, instinctive, and built on decades of collective muscle memory.
In 2019, the band recorded their first 3-song demo EP at the legendary Sweet Silence Studios – the same room where Metallica cut ‘Ride the Lightning‘ and ‘Master of Puppets‘.
They returned a year later to craft the ‘Blind’ EP, a release that distilled Zeup’s essence:
thick riffs, rolling grooves, and a warm, organic production that feels refreshingly free of modern gloss.
January 2023 saw the release of their debut full-length, ‘Mammals’, on Sweden’s Ozium Records.
The album delivers everything fans had come to love – straight-ahead, punch-driven metal-rock – while also revealing a more exploratory side of the band, including two instrumental tracks.
Lyrically, Zeup dig into matters of existence, societal pressures, and the darkness within.
Barely ten months later, they returned with the ‘Roads’ EP:
four new songs recorded with Peter Brander at Media Sound.
On this release, Zeup push their sound into even more direct, hard-hitting territory – rawer, punchier, and produced entirely by the band for their own label.
One of Zeup’s defining principles is their insistence on recording live in the studio, relying as little as possible on click tracks, samples, or digital correction.
In an era of pristine perfection, their old-school approach stands out – and it’s exactly what gives their music its dirty, authentic character.
On stage, Zeup have proven just as relentless.
The trio has shared the bill with fellow Danish riff-dealers The Sledge and Sonic Moon, and supported international acts such as Unida (US) and Kira Mac (UK) – earning a reputation for sweaty, groove-soaked live shows that hit even harder than their studio work.
In a scene where many bands chase polish, Zeup chase pulse – and right now, that pulse is beating louder than ever.