RUSUR wears The 210 Sleeveless,
Blair wears The Merino Sweater
Songwriter to Spotlight
Amongst the trees of Vancouver Island RUSUR projects his voice out into nature, looking out over the city of Victoria. A place that both inspires him and he hopes to bring more attention and energy to through his new music project. As a songwriter of award-winning music for over 3 years, RUSUR is no stranger to success. His songs have landed his work and his collaborators at number 9 on the Billboard Dance Charts. And won them an MTV EMA in Poland with a number one album in the country too. With over 18 million views across his associated projects, just a handful of names he’s worked with of late include fellow Canadian artists The Funk Hunters and Desiree Dawson.
But with these accolades in his pockets, the man behind the music, Zeboria Peters, felt ready to step forwards into solo projects. His voice rather than solely his words at the forefront; the vocal lead of his musical journey. So we were stoked to have him join us for one of our outdoors live sessions. Pronounced Rouge-err, RUSUR is a nod to Zeboria’s Francophonie; meaning red. A bold colour that also makes up RUSUR’s primary branding colour. The name therefore felt like a perfect fit for him when it came to jamming on potentials.
RUSUR wears The 210 Sleeveless
Sounds of Sounds of #StayHome
The sound that encompasses his solo project was further rooted in his own experiences and identity. One which is defined by him “finding ways to expand my roots; my mom’s from Jamaica, so there’s definitely some neo-patois sprinkled in there alongside those positive vibrations. Ya mon”. His musical inflections and smooth vocals are certainly uplifting, a warming soundtrack to our days at the cabin as the seasons change. A positivity that transcends into his performance, filled with smiles between the melody and even a little laughter.
But his self discovery didn’t stop with finding ways to expand his roots. In the midst of COVID, he was met with a new challenge that further expanded his personal evolution. He shares: “Honestly, COVID has been the fire burning under my butt to make the most out of every single day. Because of the fact that there are less opportunities to collaborate, I've learned to do everything myself!” Where he would usually partner with other talented individuals, he’s instead taught himself to do everything during the pandemic. From writing and production through to mixing and mastering on his recently released tracks, that very much came to light during this year — ”I mean, RUSUR was CREATED through the turmoil of the pandemic.” A grounding creative outlet in the midst of the initial chaos.
Blair wears The Merino Sweater
Vancouver Island Inspiration
A grounding feeling that also comes from his innate sense of place and home on Vancouver Island. He shares:
“I am a die-hard fan of Vancouver Island; I truly believe that it's one of the best places to be in the world (even though I haven't left the Continent...Oops). With all of my successes, I am dedicated to finding ways to lift Victoria up with me and provide more opportunities for the artists trying to find their break. Fun fact: I have only lived on the island for 6 years, but it really feels like I've always belonged here.”
With RUSUR’s impressive accomplishments so far, what he wants people to realize is “these all happened here! You don't need to go anywhere to reach amazing heights! The more we work together to show just how talented the West Coast is, the brighter we will all shine!” It’s a sentiment we stand behind. Supporting and championing our local creative community, especially the music scene that has been hit so hard by COVID. Reflected in our recent project SWIM CLUB in The Gorge back in September where local artists Ashleigh Ball, Luke Wallace, and Tarun Nayar of Delhi 2 Dublin performed on Aryze’s floating dock pop-up style (more on this soon). And throughout our ecologyst Live Sessions that are also COVID-friendly thanks to the beautiful spacious wild places we’re able to record in.
Finding Freedom
For this first session with us, RUSUR performed track Hayley Williams. A song that came to life after an epic dream that sparked his creativity with Hayley Williams of Paramore fame as his muse. A dream in which he shares:
“I was waiting to perform at a stadium with the one and only Hayley Williams from Paramore (#tb to pre covid concerts). I could hear a stadium packed with people in the background, but nothing mattered more than telling Hayley one thing, "I don't wanna be rich, I just wanna live free." She looked at me in agreement and we fist bumped. It was very magical.”
A lighthearted and energy-filled moment that holds behind it a more potent message. The feeling of freedom so many of us seek to find in our lives, and our lifestyles. For us, it’s one in which we are able to have abundant opportunities to immerse ourselves in our natural surroundings with friends who feel like family. Free also from the anxieties of climate change, an issue we’re passionate about confronting so that future generations can experience that freedom and a life well lived. Giving back to the places that give us so much.
Creative Happenings
With an innate sense of creative freedom found amidst COVID and teaching himself new tricks, the music keeps on flowing for Zeboria. In fact, you’ll find that he’s pumped to be releasing music every three weeks! With a parting note for us and our community that “November 10th in particular will be special though because I will be releasing a very important project titled 'Just In Case'. Keep your eyes peeled. If you blink, you might just miss the come up!”
Stay tuned for more from RUSUR via his Instagram and website. As well as a future collaboration with us that you’ll find first on our ecologyst films YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram channels. And if you haven’t heard the news yet, you’ll find we’ve dropped a new bi-weekly e-newsletter that gives exclusive insights to our subscribers first. Including fun resources from HQ, Covid-friendly events which we can’t wait to host, and other news. Sign up below!
