Zion Garcia talks his wild year and headlining the Archie Party 2024

By FRED RAHI

The 2024 Archie Party is arriving at the Art Gallery of NSW, featuring Sydney’s best and brightest in both the art and music scenes to celebrate the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne Prize seasons on the 6th of September. Headlined by rising star and mic-extraordinaire Zion Garcia, the show features some of Western Sydney’s most talented artists, including, Josef, PAT.D, Shzar, and Dylan Atlantis, whose soulful and trance-like music is a must-watch-live experience.

The talent coming out of Western Sydney’s music scene is radiant, and creative collective Hotter Out West has played a huge part in drawing attention to the community. Starting out of a need and want for more local parties, it soon became the event to travel to, with a variety of artists and blends of different genres drawing in sold out crowds.

While the music is absolute quality, there’s a certain authenticity and sense of community that’s engrossing as a fan and listener, and it’s hard to find elsewhere in Sydney’s current music scene.

Archie Party 2024 headliner, Zion Garcia, is already one of Sydney’s best alt hip-hop stars. His last EP, ZION GARCIA: (THEATRICAL VERSION), was written, produced and composed completely by Garcia himself. It features a range of tracks showcasing his talent with groovy bass lines and soulful production throughout. Garcia’s rapping ability is even more impressive in a live setting, with tight breath control and a voice that sounds straight out of the studio.

City Hub got the chance to speak to Zion before his show and asked some questions about his relationship with music and art, creative process, connection with the community, and his excitement about his growing opportunities.

Interview with Zion Garcia

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

You released Plastic Woman at 16 and put out the ZION GARCIA: (THEATRICAL VERSION) EP last year, what can fans expect from your upcoming music?

In terms of what I’m currently making I have a lot of music that I saved from my last EP for this current project. I made a batch of songs after I got back from LA this year too. It’s hard and it’s funny because I think for a lot of my friends and myself, the issue is always what do you drop? Each song you make in that moment changes and flips the whole perspective of what you want to put out. All I try to do is make sure that it’s fresh. If it feels right in the moment and I get that gut feeling, then you know it’s the one you want to put out for sure.

Between a debut performance at the Opera House for Vivid LIVE and an upcoming headline show for the 2024 Archie Party, what’s it been like getting to perform and showcase your music for bigger audiences?

It’s weird. It’s such a trip because music and art for me is such an internal experience. A lot of it is what I think about and feel and it’s a way to process things. It’s just fun to chop it up afterwards and see where people are from. It’s a blessing because when people enjoy and listen to the music they understand me and I get that opportunity to connect to the people.

The Archie Party tomorrow is hosted by the Art Gallery of NSW and Hotter Out West, how important is it for a venue like that to showcase and put a spotlight on the music and talent coming out of Western Sydney?

For Archie Party and Hotter Out West to be putting all these Western Sydney acts in the city, and especially in the art gallery, it’s well deserved for everyone. It means a lot because these people, as much as they are my friends, they’re incredible artists, and seeing everyone grow and make great art and be put on a good platform like this means so much. I’m honoured to be there, we’re doing really cool stuff. 

You said in an interview with PUSH Magazine something that I really resonated with;
“At one point in time I didn’t really listen to much Australian music. I guess, especially with rap, there weren’t that many artists that connected with me as a kid. Growing up over these past few years, I’m realising that there’s this whole new generation of kids [from Western Sydney] that probably felt the same about Australian music, and slowly started doing it themselves.”
Being one of the leading young artists in Sydney, what would you say to other young artists trying to make art?

Dude, I appreciate it. I mean, I don’t think of myself as anything. I feel if you want to create stuff, then you gotta do it. A lot of us, even myself, definitely don’t have the resources to make a lot of the stuff that we do, but you try to find a way, because it’s just that burning desire to create something and to go for it.  If you have a passion or a good idea, and you can define the intent of what you want to do and convey it to people, then you  just have to make it, put it out, and not let anyone stop you.

Could you speak about your interests in film scores, filmmaking, and other mediums?

There’s a bunch of ideas in my head and I just want to create any format that makes sense to me in the moment. I’m interested in all mediums, especially with film and scoring. That’s always been a lifelong dream of mine and I’m grateful I’ve done it a couple times. I feel like if you can do screenings or find fresh ways to use the mediums, cool ways to show films or create a moment around something, it’s curating experiences too.

The Archie Party will take place on the last weekend of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2024 exhibition. Don’t miss your chance to see Zion performing alongside some of Sydney’s other best artists!

Archie Party 2024
Art Gallery of NSW, Naala Nura (South Building)
$45 for adults, $36 for members