Q&A: Maz & The Phatasms
Maz & The Phantasms' new single “Factory Hell” leads into a high-energy, DIY-driven EP that reflects the band’s raw live spirit and genre-blending sound. Their commitment to DIY culture fuels everything from self-booked tours across Europe to organising inclusive events like PHANTASMAGASM III. The band prioritises creating space for queer and female talent, building a community rooted in freedom and joy. With a packed summer of gigs and an EP release planned for September, Maz & The Phantasms are charging full steam ahead.
Check out our Q&A with Maz from Maz & The Phantasms below:
Q1. Hello! How are you doing? Your latest single “Factory Hell” coming out on the 9th of May, is described as a “gut-punch aimed at the industrial farming machine.” How did this song come to life?
Hiii! I had this bass riff in my head for ages… “chick-chick-chickeeeen” (the main riff), and one night I was simultaneously thinking about hell — Dante’s and Bosch’s paintings kind of hell. I was also thinking about the so-called Devil’s Tritone, some curiosity all music nerds will know about. It suddenly clicked that this song was going to be about animal industrial farming, which is what I think modern hell on Earth is. With this song — full of sharp synths, big industrial punky drums, and “pig squeal” guitar — we wanted to paint a musical picture of cold and repetitive machinery endlessly tormenting voiceless creatures in the factory setting. The lyrics are mostly written from the perspective of a cow but could be interpreted in many ways. It's important to me to consider all living beings as relatable subjects.
Q2. “Factory Hell” is to tease a future EP release. How does this single set the tone for the EP?
This is probably our darkest song on the EP, both musically and thematically. However, there is a bit of sparkle and shine in the bridge of the song which mirrors the rest of the songs we recorded in the studio. There’s that fast-paced, rock ‘n’ chaos energy that happens in our live shows, but also a little bit of that twangy guitar + tight disco groove combo — no secret I’m kind of obsessed with that stuff. There’s going to be a lot of that.
Q3. The band’s sound has a strong DIY spirit— DIY scenes have long been a space where marginalised artists can be free to create on their own terms. How has the DIY spirit shaped Maz & The Phantasms creatively?
I don’t have the attention span to wait around for that magical manager/label/agent to swoop in through the door and offer us a killer contract that fixes all our problems. No shortcuts! The real story is none of us had any clout or industry connections before M&TP, so we just had to invent our own scene, put on our own shows, book our own tours, do our PR… It’s a notoriously competitive, unfair and underpaid business. So you have to have nerves of steel and learn how to run literally everything if you want to live the silly rock ‘n’ roll band life while you don’t care what some guy promoter thinks about your “weird” music. You know, fake it ‘til ya make it!
Q4. You’ve got an exciting gig coming up at one of Glasgow’s best venues Stereo. PHANTASMAGASM III includes Dragged Up, Lemon Drink, and DJs Miss Cabbage and Mairi ‘B’ Pots. What can the crowd expect from this show?
Hot local bands and a super good boogie delivered by amazing DJs into the early hours! Unserious charity shop glam rock and queer joy and euphoria for all those who seek it. Flame and leopard themed outfits and lots of stage gimmicks too.
Q5. PHANTASMAGASM III is a 100% DIY operation. Why is that hands-on approach so important to you, and what kind of freedom or community does it create?
I have always preferred a rave in the forest to a club, a squat to a “proper” venue. In lockdown I wasn’t such a good girl and helped organise a couple of raves. It made me realise: if we can do that with DJs, we can surely do that with bands? Phantasmagasm was born from this hybrid approach and our love of free parties. We were very lucky to collaborate with the amazing community that runs Glasgow Autonomous Space for our first DIY event. It was the perfect setting.
We were able to decorate the whole room, rig our own lights and backline, and have full control over the set times, the lineup, the money, the vibes. We worked very hard, we partied very hard.
I think people love the freedom and the warm nature of these grassroots events. Glasgow especially is extremely kind and respectful, and it feels amazing to be able to throw a big party for your community where everyone can be themselves.
Q6. PHANTASMAGASM III also shines a spotlight on local queer and female talent—why is it important to create space for these voices, and what does it mean to be part of a lineup that champions that?
This has been said a million times but I’ll say it again: “music is a male-dominated environment.” No matter who you are, if you have even a tiny opportunity to make a difference — to platform and hire women and queer people — do it. It’s still extremely hard to find non-cis male representation in the rock world. If everything has been done before, aren’t people bored of hearing the same old stories told from the same old male experience? Please give the gals a job.
Q7. We also saw that you recently returned home after taking Maz and & Phantasms on the road around Europe; this looked like a lot of fun! What was it like being a DIY band on tour?
It was so good, thank you! We all absolutely love touring — but of course, it comes with challenges and a fun amount of drama. DIY touring means everyone in the band is not just playing shows and looking pretty, but also organising, liaising, networking, driving, promoting, stocking merch, engineering, carrying very heavy things in and out of places... and an endless list of side missions that need completing throughout each very action-packed day. It’s all about finding the balance between having a good time at the shows and being extremely organised and on time as a group.
Some mistakes can be very costly (i.e.: forgetting your amps in a venue in a different city, WOOPSY) and fatigue can bring the general mood down quickly (DO NOT DRINK EVERY NIGHT FOR 3 WEEKS!!). There’s nobody but yourself to blame at the end of the day if something goes wrong — so you learn very quickly from your mistakes. Communication is super important. We now make sure to check in with each other emotionally — it’s a big part of the job. You probably think this sounds very exhausting and chaotic. Why bother? Because rock ‘n’ roll!!!
Q8. You were in loads of amazing places - cities like Berlin, Brussels, Paris, etc. Which gigs from the tour stood out for you and how do audiences in mainland Europe compare to UK crowds?
I’m that kind of insufferable kid who will shout I LOVE BERLIN at every opportunity…
We played two radge shows in Berlin, both in legendary squats/house projects, pretty much self-organised with great local artists and anarchist communities, and they were both completely packed! It was also my birthday. I was crowd surfing, moshing, DJing and being a silly goose all around… I had all my teenage rock n roll dreams fulfilled in one weekend. The Berlin crowds are hot. Everywhere else in Germany is not so hot, but they buy your merch which is nice. The UK crowds are funnier but they don’t buy anything.
Q9. Touring mainland Europe post-Brexit comes with a maze of bureaucracy—visas, carnets, and all the rest. As a DIY band, how did you navigate those challenges on your recent tour? Were there any unexpected hurdles, and how did you overcome.
The first time we toured the EU, we did tons of research on this. I had heard so many horror stories, so I went on the deepest dive on carnets anyone’s ever been on. I found an incredible amount of misleading and mixed information on the internet, I found very useless and unintelligible government websites. I found lots of scams. I called a VISA advisor; I even called HMRC.
It turns out maybe we have been lucky, or maybe nobody cares, because so far (touch wood) we've had 0 trouble at borders. The French border police once asked if we were famous. I replied “non,” so they let us go. It helps to speak French! HMRC also taught me five magic words: Itemised List For Temporary Admission.
Q10. Lastly, what else do Maz & The Phantasms have in store for the rest of the year?
We are supporting Clay Rings at Sleazy’s on the 5th of June, then getting real muddy at festivals including Eden, Kelburn, and The Green Gathering (Wales)... We’re also playing Manchester’s city festival at the Peer Hat on the 12th of July, and back to Lancaster (where we are famous) on the 19th of July to play at the Music Co-op’s birthday bash. We’ll probably organise a wee tour around the area too. I think we are also playing the Govanhill festival. We’re also putting together our EP, set for release in September, and booking a promotional tour for October-November. Then, we sleep. Thank you!
PHANTASMAGASM III takes place at Stereo 10th of May - grab tickets here