Ziggy Lebon Channels His Angst into His EP ‘FOOA (Fear of Old Age)’ [Premiere]

For many, the struggle is real, and it’s something that Ziggy Lebon is very much tapped into. The struggle we’re referring to is the one you see and observe each day. It’s a constant hustle out there for young people and they’re not too pleased about it. Having lived it himself, Lebon can relate. So he poured all of this inspiration into his songwriting, with his new EP FOOA (Fear of Old Age) being the result.

The EP is a musical interpretation of the uncertainties and insecurities facing the Millennial generation. You hear about it a lot in the news, with the cost of living crisis, the unaffordability of homes and having children. Add in career demands and the negative effects of digital isolation and these are not ideal circumstances for young people.

Discussing the roots of the inspiration behind the EP, Lebon states:

“The idea of writing songs about the ‘Fear Of Old Age’ (abbreviated: ‘FOOA’) first struck me during a solo trip while wandering the streets of an iconic city in the UK. I hardly ever travel alone so I was not sure what to expect. Solo travel to me turned out to be a somewhat introductory and retrospective journey, during which I had to accept that the days of my youth are mostly gone and I was in a transition to enter the next phase of my life. While blasting some of my favourite Lower Than Atlantis and For The Fallen Dreams records, I was shocked to realize that these records came out more than a decade ago, and I started wondering where all this time went.

“In my inner dialogue, I remembered the author Napoleon Hill describing the seven basic fears of mankind, one of them being the ‘Fear Of Old Age.’ Surely this was the kind of fear I tried to battle and come to terms with during my trip. The first few lyric lines for the song ‘FOOA’ randomly popped into my head while scrambling around town, and once I returned home I started writing the music to it. I couldn’t decide which lead riff to keep for the intro, so I ended up using both riffs in unison which gives an interesting contrast between a more traditional dad-rock vibe lead riff, and a more modern prog metal-inspired riff.”

He concludes, saying:

“My favourite part of the song is the bridge, where all my chaotic thoughts about the ‘Fear Of Old Age’ are projected with unstructured lyrics and a punchy 7/8 rhythm. The whole song is a mirror of the struggles of the Millennial and Gen Z generations which greatly feeds into the theme of FOOA.”

FOOA aligns very well with Lebon’s purpose as an artist. He strives to create raw, authentic music that runs contrary to the polished, formulaic songs that you hear ad nauseam on the radio. It feels like everyone is striving for a “perfect” sound and that’s just not him. He tries to write songs that are reminiscent of an era where the spirit of self-expression was paramount. His music might not sound like it’s from the ’60s, but Lebon takes a very ’60s approach to how he conducts himself as a musician. Depth and honesty are favoured over glitz and glamour. It’s music with a purpose that has no time to pay attention to the trends. Promoting authenticity over pageantry is ultimately a worthy cause and it’s one that will continue to serve Ziggy Lebon well.

Ziggy Lebon ‘FOOA (Fear of Old Age)’ [EP] album artwork