Zookraught is one of the most exciting bands in Seattle. With every show, they pull more people aboard the Zooktrain, luring curious onlookers in with their in-your-face punky, funky dance rock. Three songs into their two-night album release party in May, the Sunset’s walls started to drip with sweat from the relentless mess of moshing, dancing, and crowdsurfing for an hour straight. I love Zookraught! And I know you will, too. So, as Zookraught prepared to head out on a month-long European tour, we asked the band members—Stephanie Jones (bass/vocals), Sami Frederick (guitar/vocals), and Baylee Harper (drums/vocals)—to send us dispatches from the road while their tour manager, Jocelyn Crafts, documented the adventure with a handful of disposable cameras. See them for yourself at West Seattle Summer Fest July 10, and Baba Yaga July 11 and July 24. —Megan Seling
May 29
STEPHANIE: We woke up in Angoulême, in the world’s tiniest motel room. Tonight we play Relache Festival, in the beautiful city of Bordeaux, outdoors on a river. Unfortunately, we are on the tail end of a heat wave, and it’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit during our 3 p.m. sound check. We see a few Zookraught T-shirts in the crowd. That’s so CRAZY! We see some really cool bands, everything sounds incredible, and the temps finally drop to a bearable level. It’s kind of hard to focus on listening to the bands… the anticipation of our set is so exciting and nerve-wracking! This is going to be the biggest crowd we’ve ever played for outside of Seattle! We had an incredible lasagna dinner with access to our own artist keg, red wine, and a plate of desserts. I don’t know a single venue in the US that has ever given us access to our own artist keg, much less dinner.
SAMI: Since its inception, our band has operated as a semitruck rolling down the mountain with no brakes. We don’t want to stop, and at this point, I don’t think that we know how to. We play live ALL the time, and we tour constantly. I really hate it when well-intentioned coworkers tell me ahead of a tour to “have fun on your vacation.” Tour, for all the many splendid things she offers, rarely affords us the opportunity to feel like we are on a vacation. Case in point: Our van broke down the second week of this monthlong tour. We spent six glorious hours sitting on hot asphalt on the side of a dangerously busy UK freeway, waiting for a tow truck that was maybe coming, maybe not. It feels like each day, the road flips a coin for you. Some days are easy, almost magical. Some days it feels like everything is against you. Luckily, today in Bordeaux, the coin has seemed to flip in our favor. The atmosphere was electric. Even when my rental amp decided to kick the bucket during our set, our new friends in Bordeaux kept dancing, screaming, crowd-surfing, and giving us their energy.
STEPHANIE: We open with our usual combo of “Chew Tobacco, Spit” directly into “Roy Street,” and then we pause to introduce ourselves as Zookraught from Seattle. At this point in the set, it’s customary to introduce our song “Laughingstock” as the song about how much we hate Donald Trump and wish he would just die already. There is no bigger rush than 1,000 people from a different country screaming and empathizing with the unfortunate reality of having to exist in the same timeline as Donald Trump, much less having him destroy your country. At the end of the set, they wanted an encore! Truly one of those nights that made all the hardships worth it, and made me believe in us. Sometimes it’s easy to wonder why we’re doing everything we do to continue to tour, but we fucking DID THAT.
May 30
BAYLEE: Playing Clermont-Ferrand, France, on their Pride Day was a freakin’ PARTY! We got to play a lovely bar called Fermenté.e, and I met some of my favorite people on this whole tour. Being in queer spaces has always felt very comfortable and safe for us, and it was an honor to be able to provide such cool people with a fun experience for their Pride!
SAMI: It was probably the hottest, sweatiest show that I have ever played. And friends, I am a chronically sweaty person. I love France. People have attitude. They have energy and are expressive. Challenging, sometimes. But I love the brashness. The people working the show tonight were FANTASTIC company. One of the concertgoers really liked my mesh shirt, so we decided to swap shirts. I convinced the bartender to draw a self-portrait on the back of my new favorite shirt. A keepsake that I’m sure I will keep forever.
STEPHANIE: This stage is so small, my arm is sometimes pushing into one of the cymbals when I’m on the mic. I love a floor show. I love an intimate crowd. I love being able to get into people’s faces. But there is a moment of whiplash after a show like Bordeaux. Every night is just so damn different on tour. This was the hottest room I’ve ever played. At one point, I’m fighting the fainting demons. My dress is soaking wet, everyone in the room is glistening, it is just so very HOT.
SAMI: Our tour manager, Jocelyn, and I decided that we wanted to keep the party going, so we went out clubbing with a new friend after the show. Revelry, dancing, kissing, magic. I am sure I will regret all of it tomorrow. P.S. I asked someone to bum a cigarette tonight, and was promptly turned down explicitly because I am American. I can’t say that I don’t understand.
May 31
STEPHANIE: We woke with plans to hit the road early so we can head seven hours away to Kusel, Germany. We’re playing at Kinett, a really cool venue with a nearby band apartment. We’d arranged to get there a day early because we know we can do laundry there. The laundry situation on tour is dismal. I am literally on my last clean shirt and pair of underwear. We start the day much later, much more hungover, and much more hot than we’d like to. We didn’t get to Kusel until after midnight. I am fucking exhausted and still stressed about the damn laundry.
BAYLEE: We drove for hours and hours and made many stops, including a stop at Buffalo Grill. We only went there because we wanted mac and cheese, and then they DIDN’T EVEN HAVE IT. My entire life felt like a lie! I really wanted mac and cheese—it’s truly one of my favorite foods. We were the loudest people in the restaurant, and we think they probably hated us.
SAMI: These are the days when I feel most homesick. I miss my love, I miss my cat. I miss being a part of the hustle and bustle in Seattle. Reflecting today on what makes our city special. And the things I would choose to change. I love the rich tapestry of music and art in Seattle. I love that even though it’s a big city, there are times when the whole town feels quiet. I love that I can walk down to the bar on my street corner and be embraced by warm, familiar faces. I hate tech bros. I hate expensive, shitty, ugly condos. I hate Teslas, and I wish I could launch them all into outer space.
June 1
STEPHANIE: We wake up at 11 a.m. at the band apartment in Kusel, and I immediately get started on the laundry situation. I think I did seven or eight loads that day. Thank god the venue, Kinett, has not only a washer, but a dryer, too. We’ve got a good relationship with the folks who run the place. Andreas, the owner, helps us try to fix Sami’s amp because it’s still not working after Bordeaux. Unfortunately, it’s just broken.
SAMI: Being in new places is fantastic. But sometimes, it can feel lonely. Tonight was not lonely. It was familiar. And I am so grateful for that. Our friend Andreas saved our asses tonight. He took my broken amp and sent us off with one of his. Gave me a new power supply. Gave Baylee an adapter for her microphone. A very selfless and kind soul. A giver! If you’ve been on tour, you know that it is impossible to make things happen without people like Andreas. The entire world runs and operates on the backs of kind, selfless people.
STEPHANIE: After sound check, they make us the most delicious dinner on this circular flattop grill thing. I’ve never seen anything like it, and the food was amazing. German food kicks ass. Around 9:30 p.m. we go up to play our set. Towards the end of the set, my beer is empty, and the bartender, Aaron, who we met last year, is quick to bring me a fresh one. I didn’t even have to say anything. That’s just the kind of service you get at Kinett. It really makes you feel so welcomed and taken care of! So nice to sleep in a clean T-shirt, too.
BAYLEE: Our show was very silly and fun! The people in Kusel who saw us last year really showed up to support us on a Monday night. I got to play a very riveting game of foosball with our driver and friend Francesco against a couple friends. Unfortunately, we lost, but I can say with integrity that it was a CLOSE game!! These Europeans really know how to foos!!!
June 2
STEPHANIE: We’re playing at Cafe Glocksee in Hannover, and I can just tell the vibes are going to be wicked good. They do an event called Ruby Tuesdays, where the shows are free. When we arrive, there’s a huge snack spread, coffee, and tea.
We head to the band apartment, and while we’re eating, we get a text from Johnny Nails (our producer) that CHERYL WATERS JUST PLAYED “ROY STREET” ON THE MIDDAY SHOW ON KEXP!!! Baylee and I are freaking the hell out—both of us are avid KEXP listeners. It’s a random Tuesday, we’re playing a cool-ass punk bar in Hannover, Germany, with an incredible staff, and our album is charting on the best radio station in the world. What the actual fuck!
SAMI: I made quite a few amazing friends tonight. Talked to an audio engineer for 45 minutes about his prog-metal project. He had such light and excitement behind his eyes when he spoke about it, it almost made me cry.
STEPHANIE: Sometimes, it all comes together so nicely it feels almost magical. Everything has led to having a fucking awesome set. We’re happy, full of delicious healthy food, a little bit tipsy, ready to play to this beautiful room of punks. They danced, they moshed, they cheered, they ate our set UP. They bought so much of our merch. They wanted signatures. They wanted guitar picks. Ruby Tuesday at Cafe Glocksee in Hannover, you were one of my favorite sets. I hope you never stop existing. Absolutely the best show we’ve ever played on a Tuesday.
June 3
SAMI: Tonight, we are in Erfurt. Everyone is operating on sleepy mode. We played in a venue that felt very much like an old dungeon. There was something stiff about the atmosphere. People felt a bit shy and nervous. I am in my head. Just one of those nights. Gender dysphoria. Sometimes, it’s hard being perceived as a man in these spaces. I notice it more in places largely occupied by older men. It’s in the little ways that these people interact with you. The looks of people sizing you up. The handshakes that are noticeably firm. Swift and hard pats on the back. Things that you know people would feel uncomfortable with, if I wasn’t being perceived as a man. I may have to wear a dress and mascara every day of my life, in order to not have these things projected onto me. But, I don’t feel like that’s me, either. Everything’s “sounds great, man.” “Good set, man.” “Had a great time, man.” Man man man man. It feels like someone poking you in the forehead over and over again. Whatever. Tomorrow we’re in Berlin. Ready to feel extremely fabulous.
BAYLEE: At night, when we were settled in at the accommodation, there was a mommy long legs spider on the ceiling. Instead of being scared of her, I decided to name her Corengelica, and came up with some lore. I believe her to be at least 81 years old, living at that house for many, many years and watching over the people and the spirits that come and go. In the morning… she had left us. I hope she lives 81 more years and maybe that we left some sort of positive impression on her. Shout-out Corengelica.
June 4
SAMI: Berlin!! I’m in love with this city. The fashion. The dancing. I love staying out until the sun rises. I love that it’s so easy to meet people. The show was sweaty and fantastic. The people gave us all of their energy. My bandmates and I needed this release, I think. I saw some old friends. Met some new ones as well. I think before the end of my life, I’m going to live here.
BAYLEE: This show at Schokoladen was highly anticipated. The band who opened up for us, Restless, was so awesome! Guitar/drum femme-punk duo.
STEPHANIE: After the show, we proceed to hang out and drink a few at Schokoladen before our friend Nate takes us to his friend’s art opening techno night. When we arrive at the warehouse, it’s looking much more chill than we expected. We get inside, dance for approximately 30 seconds, and then 10 police officers come in. One of them literally shoves me out of the way before I realize what’s happening. Girl, what? Rude!
BAYLEE: As I am generally a private person, I’ll have to leave the happenings of the evening up to the reader’s imagination. 😉 But TRUST that we had a crazy night I’ll remember forever… I got less than two hours of sleep.
June 5
BAYLEE: Time to go to Jena, Germany!! We are all big Jena fans. There’s a lovely queer/punk community that we have found a home within. Although I was ~quite tired~ from the previous night’s activities, I was able to squeeze a nap in and play an epic set. It was one of those nights that reminded me that not drinking, even just one beer, before playing, is really nice. It’s something I find more difficult to do when we’re out here since everyone is so hospitable. Greetings are often followed with, “Can I get you a beer?” And, well, the beer is so good out here, how can you possibly say no?
STEPHANIE: The sleepies are definitely hitting me today, but it’s okay. I adore Jena. Our set is super fun, and we make some new friends and fans afterward. Everyone is so damn sweet! I take the opportunity to head to the accommodation and get to bed early that night. The end-of-tour exhaustion is really catching up to me. I miss my cat so much.
SAMI: I will always sacrifice sleep for connection with new places. Maybe it’s silly. But some of my favorite and most cherished memories were made in the wee hours of the morning, and because I made “bad decisions.” We hung out with our friend Jay, who is one of my favorite people that I’ve met in our travels. A truly free spirit. They feel like someone I have known for my whole life. Again, I am out until the sun rises. It’s a special feeling having these friendships out here.
June 6
SAMI: Today, we drive to the Czech Republic! The drive is very long. We are tired. I miss my partner, they miss me. We cry about it over the phone. But it feels good to miss someone so much.
BAYLEE: Honestly, it felt like a fever dream to go and have just one day in the Czech Republic. We played Plzeň, home of the famous pilsner.
STEPHANIE: None of us have ever been to the Czech Republic. I’m going to drink SO MANY PILSNERS!
BAYLEE: I did drink one pilsner, and it was quite yummy! We played with a band from somewhere else in Czechia, and they were very fun and very sweet. Crazy prog-metal music, which I really like. I was feeling very fatigued and spent a lot of our downtime just resting—I think we were all feeling the effects of four weeks touring out here. That was a particularly hard set to get through—I tore down my drums and climbed into bed as soon as the set was over. Uh-oh. I’m not feeling so good… hopefully a good night of sleep kicks the nasty physical feeling out of my body.
STEPHANIE: After the set, my stomach wanted to kill me. I have been drinking so much beer this whole tour, and it felt like my stomach was going to explode. I immediately go to the band apartment and get into comfy clothes and lay down. I’m feeling awful, but confident I’ll be fine in the morning. Eventually, we take to our bunk beds and go to sleep. First bunk beds of the tour!
SAMI: The show is one of the more scarcely attended shows on the tour. These types of shows are grounding to me. A chance for me to play out a bit more, take risks, explore the music in ways that I normally wouldn’t. We walk after the show to get some of the best fried chicken that I have ever tasted in my whole life. Would tour even be worth it if it wasn’t for trying amazing new foods? I truly do not know.
June 7
BAYLEE: Today I woke up and felt awful. Body aches, fever, sore throat. No show today, thank god. Once we arrived at where we were staying for the night, Francesco took me to a hospital to get a test and some medicine. It was one of many moments where I found myself so thankful to be touring with someone who’s from the EU, tours with American bands often, and speaks French. I would’ve been in shambles without him! I was able to get all the medicine I needed to treat a bacterial throat infection. Big bummer to get that, but at least we sorted it out, and I had a path to treating it ahead of me.
STEPHANIE: We have a kitchen tonight, and everyone wants my partner, Sawyer (a trained chef, shout-out Cornelly!), to make mac and cheese. We find one nearby grocery store that is open late to grab the stuff we need. It’s LATE when we get into Reims.
SAMI: I can feel the road burn, majorly. So tired! Very emotional! Things that normally wouldn’t upset me get to me. I keep quiet and try to process things quietly and internally. When we get to our hotel, I take a shower that quite literally saves me. Sawyer makes us absolutely delicious mac and cheese and salad, and I scarf two big servings. All is well with the world again. Sometimes, nourishing your body makes all of the difference.
June 8
SAMI: Today, we drive back into Paris. It is 2,200 years old, and that is exactly how old I feel today. We go to the Louvre and see some of the most ancient and precious art to ever have existed. The Mona Lisa is much smaller than I thought it would be. Me and Jocelyn walk to a tattoo shop, I get a piercing, and she gets a tattoo. To commemorate the trip. I like marking my body with stories. We spend our night drinking, laughing, and sharing stories with our host, Julie. Julie operates the venue that we are playing at tomorrow. Another kind soul. Such incredible conversation. The world truly is held up on the backs of kind people.
June 9
BAYLEE: Today I woke up finally starting to feel genuinely better. Everyone went to the catacombs, but I decided to sit it out and preserve my energy since we had a show.
STEPHANIE: The catacombs are insane… the bones… the depth of the tunnels. The craftsmanship of the tunnels and the bones. There’s a real heaviness that comes with being in a place where so many have been laid to rest. And there’s no hierarchy; every body is equal in the catacombs. I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life. I’m feeling a new gratefulness for the life I have, and also a new peace knowing we are all going to die someday. It’s hard to explain. After the catacombs, my partner and I head to a kitchen supply store. We buy an insanely large ladle that can fit over my head like a hat.
SAMI: I observe the skulls. Noticing the similarities and the differences. Trying to imagine the faces that belonged to them. Every one of these people had dreams, families, friends, sorrows, joys. They laughed, they cried. Life is so short and precious. Memento mori, and all that. Feels clichéd. But it hits different when you’re face to face with thousands of decorative corpses. I want to live fully in every moment of this life. I don’t want to live inside my own head. That is truly challenging for me.
BAYLEE: This show was pretty cool! We played with one band from Paris and one band from Philly. We learned the Philly band, Eraser, is actually playing Baba Yaga in September. I got to tell them how much I love that venue and how often I go there to hang because I know everyone who works there very well! It made me a bit homesick!
STEPHANIE: Eraser, you have my heart. I loved your set! Splinter was the Paris band, and they were also incredible. It was fantastic to be on a lineup of all non-men folks playing political punk music. We felt so at home. We played a weird set ’cause Baylee’s throat was in a lot of pain, and she couldn’t sing. We made it work, but it felt empty!
BAYLEE: I tried to sing at sound check and decided to opt out… it was feeling painful and like it would set back my healing process. I gotta say, the set was very fun! I had a blast just playing drums. I keep making jokes to Steph and Sami about how they got it without me, and maybe I just don’t sing anymore. Maybe not singing adds to my mysterious aura. They don’t like those jokes.
SAMI: After the show, me and Jocelyn hang out with our new friend Mimi. She is coming to the United States for the first time in August to meet up with a lover, who she has only met a couple of times. I might be naive, but I am a sucker for a whirlwind romance story. We offer her to stay with us in Seattle, and she excitedly accepts?? The concept of introducing our city to this vibrant French person makes me excited. Makes me miss home a bit.
June 11
BAYLEE: Today we played in Nancy, France. Our last France show! We played such a large portion of our shows in France that this one felt kind of sentimental. When we arrived, we all went down the stairs into this venue that was in sort of a cave/tunnel. It had a very cool nightclub kind of vibe, however, the smell of mold and various chemicals was somewhat of an assault on the senses. After just getting over a sickness, I wasn’t really stoked on filling my face holes with moldy fumes. After sound check, we went to the flat we were staying at for the night, and I slept almost three hours.
SAMI: We forget to eat a decent breakfast, which, in my opinion, is a cardinal sin when on tour. By the time we arrive in Nancy we are all extremely hungry and tired, and walk to get some of the most delicious smash burgers I’ve ever eaten.
STEPHANIE: We’re so close to the end of the tour, I’m just really missing some of my creature comforts today. One of those days where everything just seems to be annoying. We’re staying at someone’s house, and it’s absolutely covered in amazing art everywhere. Turns out he’s an art teacher and also drums in one of the bands we’re playing with. Shout-out Cedric for the comfy place to sleep and cool shit to look at! When it’s time to head to the venue, it’s taking everything in me to get moving. I’m so sleepy. I just cannot shake the exhaustion, and I usually can at this point. I felt a little disconnected from our set, it’s such a weird feeling to be somewhere so cool surrounded by kind people and your mind just doesn’t want to engage. I think after five weeks of playing mostly the same set every night, it’s bound to happen. Either way, you can’t beat yourself up when you have a rough day on the road. You gotta just try and rest, and start fresh the next day. I went to bed pretty much immediately after we got back. One last Germany gig tomorrow! Two gigs to go!
BAYLEE: There was a very good crowd of people who seemed to really enjoy the songs and the energy. It was probably one of my favorite sets of the tour, because I also had a big realization. This would be my fourth show in a row without drinking even a drop of alcohol before we played, and it showed me how much of a difference even one beer makes in my ability to be present and smooth with my performance. I unlocked something with that realization, something that will stick with me.
SAMI: I think we’ve gotten better on this tour. These shows are some of the most successful we’ve ever had. By the end of the set, most people are dancing, consistently. Must be doing something right!
June 12
STEPHANIE: Today we are heading to Offenbach! We’ve never played in Offenbach, but as you guys already know, most German venues have the best hospitality. I’m feeling a lot better today. I needed some solid sleep. The venue we’re at, Hafen 2, is known for hosting outdoor movie nights and having a band sort of “pregame” the movie. With the movie night being canceled due to the rain, we’re told only seven tickets have been sold.
BAYLEE: We are all really feeling the five weeks we’ve been on tour, I think. The show ended up being one of the more chill ones. We played to six or seven people, two sheep, and some chickens. Honestly, this was fine.
June 13
BAYLEE: We’re off to play our last show of the tour in Charleroi, Belgium. A festival! The show was in a giant warehouse, like, SO BIG. In another room, folks are selling clothes, and a couple people are tattooing. It was early in the night, and I decided to get my first leg tattoo. I love it so much. It will always remind me of the tour and serve as a marker of a huge accomplishment. Second Europe tour in two years, we did that shit! Jocelyn got another tattoo, and Francesco got his first tattoo ever. We were all getting them done during this insane band called Tat2NoisAct, where the front person is wearing only small undies and getting very aggressively tattooed along to the music on stage. We had to follow that up!
STEPHANIE: Tat2NoisAct was insanity. I remember Sami showing me this band a long time ago, it’s so insane we’re randomly playing this festival in Belgium together! Our set is so much fun, the crowd at this festival is going HARD and having FUN. It feels like the most perfect way to close out our tour. When we finish the set, it feels a little surreal. I get hit with relief, gratitude, and of course some sadness. I’m so happy we’ve completed this amazing thing, but also so happy to be going home. I can’t stop showing people pictures of my cat. I miss her so much!
SAMI: Everyone’s tired, but I have resolved to dance all night. I leave the festival at 6 a.m. Mission successful!
June 14
STEPHANIE: We wake up in the last hostel of the tour. Today we are heading to a small mountain town in the Italian Alps that’s close to the airport. It’s Sunday, and our flight leaves at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. With a two-hour drive, we basically have to leave the Alps Airbnb in the middle of the night. We get a nice place to stay before the long journey home. Everyone is excited and also sad about it. We plan to spend our last day making a bunch of delicious food together and relaxing as best as we can. How else could you want to end five weeks of partying? The perfect end to an incredible tour. I’ll always be grateful for it all. I love Baylee, Sami, Jocelyn, and Francesco with my whole heart. Thank you for everything.
