Letter from Zoe to the fans of London Below

(Click here to watch the video. The full text of the letter is available below.)

---

Dearest Darlingnest, Spookiest, Yummiest Fans, Friends and Family,

I am writing you today with love, respect and I must admit, some apprehension for what it is I am about to tell you. So rather than draw it out, I will say what I have to say and then follow it with an explanation.

My time as the lead singer of our band, London Below, has come to an end. I have made the very difficult decision to leave the band and explore my music under a solo project. I suspect some of you may have seen this coming, and others will be in complete shock.

Please understand that although my reasons may not completely make sense to you, if there is one thing I have learned along my journey, it's the importance of listening to my heart and doing what feels true despite whether or not it makes sense to the rest of the world.

When I created the band with Zeph, I was a broken person. I was young and just released from a rehab center. I spent the earlier years of my life struggling with addiction, depression, and very dark places of unrest. When Zeph and I ran into each other, I was in a fragile place and in desperate need of a positive outlet in my life.

We decided to form the band The Tragic Tantrum Cabaret. It was exactly what I needed to overcome what I had been through. I am not telling you this to brag or get sympathy. I am telling you this to let you know that art saved my life. If I did not have Tragic Tantrum during those early years I don't know that I could have come back from the dark place I had been living in. It offered me hope and a way to express myself among people (you) who understood and embraced me and my music. Each time I performed for you, I revealed my secrets, my wounds, my dreams, my everything to you. And you supported and carried me through that. That is why I consider you friends, not just fans. You've all helped me heal.

As the band grew stronger and gained momentum so did I. I began to see the value in what I had to offer and I felt empowered and in love with my life and art. The songs I wrote were for you, for me, and I sang them until they healed me.

For me, this project has been about growth; And I have grown. But I have reached a place on my path where I feel that I have learned what I needed to learn from Tragic Tantrum, from London Below, and it's time to move on. I have sang the songs I needed to sing and now it's time to sing new songs, and play new music. It's time for me to explore who I am today. The Zoe who started this project is not the same Zoe as you see today. And I look at that as a good thing. It means we did something right.

I consider myself a spiritual person but not in the conventional sense. I consider Art to be my spirituality. The healing, growth, discovery and realization that music brings me is spiritual. The sensation I feel when I sing is nothing short of divine in my eyes. I don't believe in a god in the sky... but I do think if there is such a thing as transcendence, I touch it when I sing. The surge of energy is indescribable. For those of you who are artists you probably know that feeling I am talking about. To me, that's spirit.

But the spirit moves and grows and shape shifts. Lately there's been this strong urge, this stirring inside of me, this unrest telling me it's time to move on. I love my band, I love my bandmates, and I love all of you. Because I have love for all of this I need to remain honest with it all and respect when the time has come to say goodbye. It would not do me, or the project any good to stay and feel stagnant. It's time to follow the knocking of my heart and let it lead me to wherever music will find me next.

Currently I am exploring new sounds and new music. I am finding my voice as a solo artist and when the time is right, I will release what I have been working on. I hope that you will join me in this new venture. It is undetermined as of now the direction London Below will take but I do know that my bandmates are going to continue their own creative pursuits whether or not the band stays together with out me. This is not the end of my music career; it is not the end of my bandmates' music careers... It is the end of an era for us and the beginning of new endeavors. Please stay connected with us as we grow along this new path.

We have two final shows lined up. The next one is this Saturday at Electric Ladyland in Ocean Beach at 6:00 pm. Look out for the Facebook invite. If you can come out this weekend to see one of our last performances please do.

Otherwise, mark your calendar for June 16th. That will be our last show with me as the front woman. We will be performing with our favorite L.A. Cabaret Duo Harlequin Jones and BirdEatsBaby from England will join us on their U.S. Tour... Furthermore, we are going to make our last show a Devil's Night Ball. So if you miss the Ball's we used to throw, you'll definitely want to make it out.

Know that I am so grateful to you, our fans for all you have done for us. None of this could have EVER happened with out you. You are the reason I am here and the reason I am a better, more whole, happier human being. Please know that when I say you are my friends I am not just saying that as a ploy, I mean it. You have seen me grow from a broken young girl to a confident performer. Every time I play songs for you, I am revealing myself to you on stage in the most intimate way. I love you and I thank you for loving me back.

Your Local Dark Cabaret Singer,
Zoe Tantrum