Spotlight On... Maz and the Phantasms

Maz and the Phantasms have been making a name for themselves on the Scottish music scene and wider gig circuit across the UK and Europe for a few years now. Following on from their 2024 single Es Lo Que Hay (it is what it is), the wheels are now firmly in motion for their debut EP, with its lead single Factory Hell due on Friday 9 May. A three-and-a-half-minute shaken, not stirred cocktail of raging drums, thick riffs and furious lyrics, Factory Hell takes aim at the industrial animal farming industry.

To celebrate its release, Maz and the Phantasms host Phantasmagasm III at Stereo on Saturday 10 May, featuring live music from themselves, Lemon Drink, Dragged Up and DJ sets from Miss Cabbage and Mairi 'B' Pots. Ahead of the single's release, and its ensuing celebrations, we catch up with leader of the band Maz to talk dreaming, scheming and more.

Let’s start at the very beginning – tell us about Maz and the Phantasms? Who is Maz, who are The Phantasms, how did you all meet and what inspired you to start the band?
Maz and the Phantasms is a chaotic little family of ghosts, rock'n’roll rejects and misfits based in Glasgow. I’m Maz – I sing, shout, play the guitar, and lead the band. The Phantasms are a gang of absolute icons who each bring their own magic and madness. Some of us met jamming in dive bars, in Queen's Park in Glasgow, and on infamous queer Facebook groups. We all clicked over a love of big loud dancey live music, spectacle, noise, charity shop glam, and big road drama.

After being cooped up in lockdown, dreading every single livestream and Zoom party, I think we all separately had a big desire to do the old school rock band thing, hit the road and play big sweaty shows in the flesh. The stars aligned. Unlike many artists, we really found our sound touring and cutting our teeth playing plenty of live shows before we had anything recorded.

When it comes to the music, who/what inspires your sound and how does the songwriting process usually work?
It’s a big melting pot, every song can feel slightly different. They all definitely have those classic nostalgic reverby surf rock tones which are a huge part of mine and Jamie’s DNA as guitarists. That said, we’ll veer into disco, grunge, post-punk or full on noise depending on the day. I am a sucker for a good poppy melody and a juicy riff. We often look outside the “guitar band” mould and pull loads from club music: pulsing rhythms, tension and release… Tunes that build and develop and keep you on your toes. 

You’re not long back from a three-week tour around Europe – tell us more about the tour, what was it like and what was your biggest takeaway from hitting the road for such a long period of time?
Wild. Beautiful. Slightly feral. We played everything from proper venues to squats, punk basements and art spaces across the continent. Every night was different, every floor was a bed and every meal was a mystery. This was our third DIY EU tour, and it’s clear how far we’ve come – not just as performers, but as a tight little touring unit.

A DIY tour means we don’t just turn up to play the show and look pretty, but we also do all the booking, organising, liaising, promoting, heavy lifting and damage control throughout the day. If something goes wrong (and it will go wrong!) there is nobody else to blame but yourself. We also learnt the hard way that sleeping, eating healthy and staying hydrated has a direct effect on playing good shows, not messing up the plan and not snapping at your bandmates when you’re on the road for three weeks. Not very rock'n'roll, but very real.

Biggest takeaway? Being able to connect with all these independent music communities in every city, meeting people who still love going to shows and putting on shows for the love of their own city and their selfless dedication to the scene. That kind of grassroots passion is what keeps our world spinning.

Image: Maz and the Phantasms by Faye Strǎssle

You’re gearing up to release your latest single Factory Hell – I love how big and grungy it feels, you sound absolutely furious. What is the song about?
Thank you! Yeah – it’s fuzzy, it’s loud, and meant to sound like a punk take on a quirky 1980s robot-hell soundtrack. The lyrics are from the perspective of a voiceless cow in a factory farm, but it’s open to wider interpretations. I’m interested in exploring subjectivity beyond the human experience. I was raised religious and always fascinated by artistic visions of hell – endless torment, repetition, machinery, fire. Modern industrial animal farming feels like the closest real-life version of that. A mechanical system that disconnects us emotionally while inflicting massive, hidden suffering to living creatures. It’s about that disconnect and the horror.

You're launching the single with Phantasmagasm III at Stereo, which you say “isn’t just another gig”. What can people expect on the night, what makes this one different?
Phantasmagasm is our maximalist, DIY party and music night. It’s not just a gig, it’s a full-blown spectacle: live music, silly costumes, theatrics, club night energy and a big sweaty dance for our friends and community. We’re bringing together some of the best queer and femme-led acts in Glasgow and making it feel like a big rowdy party where everyone can be themselves. We are so excited to be able to organise it in the super iconic Stereo this time and to have the space all night to make it our own. This time we are bringing a full visuals and lights show and some very well-rehearsed theatrical bits that I cannot spoil! It will be our biggest one yet!

What does the rest of the year have in store for Maz and the Phantasms, what’s next?
We’ve got our debut EP finally coming later this year(!) with many of the songs we have been touring live, along with new videos, more chaos, and a full summer of festivals. We’re playing the Square Stage at Kelburn Garden Party, Eden Festival, The Green Gathering in Wales and more to be announced. We’ll be in Manchester on 12 July for The Peer Hat’s city festival, and back in Lancaster on the 19th for the Music Co-op’s birthday bash. Then we’re booking a big November tour, writing new songs, scheming, and dreaming even bigger. We hate sitting at home as you can tell!

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Factory Hell is released on 9 May; Maz and the Phantasms play Phantasmagasm III at Stereo, Glasgow, 10 May – tickets here

Follow Maz and the Phantasms on Instagram @mazphantasms