Meet The Zappe Cats | Garage rock band

We had the good fortune of connecting with The Zappe Cats and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi The Zappe Cats, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It wasn’t some grand idea. We just wanted to make music we liked, with people we clicked with. That’s it. We’re all originally from Venezuela, and music’s been one of the ways we’ve found our footing here — a way to stay connected, stay loud, and figure things out on our own terms. No long-term strategy or five-year plan, just the urge to get in a room, make some noise, and see what came out. And when it started sounding like something worth keeping, we kept going.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We’re a rock and roll band in a time when that probably raises more eyebrows than attention. We don’t fit into some shiny, algorithm-approved mold, and that’s kind of the point. We’re not aiming to fit in sonically, we just follow what clicks for us. We come from Venezuela, we live in Miami, and our music reflects all the contradictions, chaos, nostalgia, and attitude that come with that. It’s rough around the edges, but it’s ours.
We’re proud that we’ve built this thing on our own – no shortcuts, no big scene around us, just persistence and a lot of stubborn love for making music. We’re especially proud of the songs themselves, they’re honest, a little messy, sometimes funny, sometimes dark. Just like the people who write them.
Getting to where we are today wasn’t easy. We’ve all had to rebuild from scratch, culturally, personally, musically. Adapting to a new country while trying to hold on to who you are isn’t exactly a straight path. But we kept making stuff. when no one’s asking you to.
What we want people to know about us? We’re not trying to be the next big thing. We’re trying to be “this” thing – a band that means something to the people who get it. Loud guitars, sharp lyrics, heart underneath it all. That’s The Zappe Cats.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a close friend’s in town, I’m not planning some big tourist week. We’d just hang out, eat good food, hit some weird spots, maybe catch a show or get lost somewhere humid.
First thing, we’re going to Doggie’s. Venezuelan empanadas, no debate. And right next to it is La Boulangerie — so we’ll probably grab coffee and pastries there too, make it a whole thing.
At some point we’re digging through records at Found Sound or Yesterday and Today. Maybe hit Little Havana or Wynwood if we feel like doing something vaguely cultural. Viscaya’s cool too, weird and kind of peaceful in a way most of Miami isn’t. And yeah, we’d definitely make time for the Everglades. That place is wild in the best way — feels like another planet, and it’s right there.
Drinks? Barracuda in the Grove. That’s the spot now that Union Beer Store closed. If we want something rowdier, Kill Your Idol, or Bar Nancy. There’s always something happening.
If we’ve got a gig that week and they don’t mind me disappearing into band chaos for a bit, I’d bring them to the show. Otherwise, we just keep it loose. End the night with pizza from La Legend on Española. Not fancy, just solid.
That’s pretty much it. Nothing wild. Just the kind of week where everything feels easy, and you don’t have to explain anything.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, there’s no big machine behind us – no label, no manager, no “team” in the traditional sense. But we’ve had good people along the way. Friends who’ve helped us load gear, partners who’ve put up with the noise, folks who showed up to the early gigs (even when the sound was rough), and the small venues that still take chances on original bands. Also, shoutout to whoever invented fuzz pedals, you’ve done more for our tone than you’ll ever know (lol).

Website: https://thezappecats.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thezappecats/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thezappecats/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheZappeCats

Image Credits
Photographies by Jelena Ardila, Mikael Mijares and Alejandro Quiroz-Rojas