Zach Loizou has already lived several pop lifetimes. First, as a member of British boyband Here At Last, he helped soundtrack a generation of online fandoms with emotionally charged, harmony-led pop that thrived in both online and onstage. Now, stepping fully into his own as a solo artist, Loizou is trading group dynamics for something more personal – songwriting that feels lived-in, vulnerable, and unafraid to sit with the messier corners of growing up in the public eye.
In this conversation with CelebMix, Zach opens up about the transition from band member to solo storyteller, the creative freedom that comes with starting over, and how his sound has evolved since his Here At Last days. Reflective without being nostalgic, he speaks candidly about identity, pressure, and the thrill of making music that feels unmistakably his.
How did you feel when Here At Last came to an end – and how long did it take before you felt ready to move forward on your own?
Okay, so even though we officially finished working together in the summer of 2024, we actually first made the decision to end the band a few months before that… but we purposefully didn’t tell anybody just in case we changed our minds (laughs). So yeah, we’d had quite a bit of time to get our heads around the changes that were about to come, but even then, it still took me a good four or five months to figure out what I wanted to do next.
Was there ever a moment where you questioned continuing in music, or did going solo feel inevitable?
If I’m being totally honest, when we first broke up, I really wasn’t into the idea of releasing music on my own. I was thinking I’d go more into the production side of things because that was something I’d done a lot of when I was in the band, and always enjoyed it. There was a song we had called ‘Ordinary Life’ that me, Tommy and Ryan worked on together that had done really well, so I felt like that could have been a good career move (for me) going forward. I also thought about getting back into acting because that’s what I did growing up. But yeah… I don’t know, I just couldn’t see myself doing the solo thing.
What made you think a solo career wasn’t the right path for you at that time?
I really liked my role in the band! I enjoyed being one of five, and feeling like I was part of a team. We were all in it together, if something went wrong or didn’t work out how we’d hoped, we had each other to fall back on. And then when things did go well, it was even more exciting, because we were able to share those highs as a five. Knowing I wouldn’t maybe have that anymore made the thought of going it alone seem more daunting.
Was there a moment or experience that helped you realise you were ready to step out on our own musically?
It was actually a guy called Stuart Brock who suggested I give it a go! Stuart used to do the sound and production for all of Here At Last’s live shows – he’s amazing, and someone we all still work with a little bit here and there. He just said to me one day: “listen, you’ve got nothing to lose! If things don’t work out, and the music fails to connect with people, then no-one will know. But if it works out, then you’ll be doing something you love for the rest of your life!” So I wrote a few songs, really enjoyed the process, and then ended up being the first one of the band to release a single, which makes no sense because like I said, I was the one who really didn’t want to go solo (laughs).
How did stepping away from a band dynamic change the way you understand yourself as an artist?
It took me a minute to figure out who I was both as an artist, and as a person away from the other boys – and I think they’d all agree and say the same! As bizarre as it sounds, for us, the reality is, we spent the beginning of our adult lives in a boyband (laughs). You know, the years where most people are out there finding themselves, we spent them together. We were super close, and obviously still are, so we all kind of moulded into the same personality and became like one person. When you live that way you’re not really thinking for yourself. I was 17 when I joined the band, and 23 when it finished, so I obviously changed, and grew up a lot in that time. Coming out the other side you start to ask yourself more questions like, how do I want to dress? How I want to act? What style of music do I want to make now? And it’s an ongoing thing trying to figure out who you are, and who you want to be. But I like that, I like that things are forever changing.
Naughty Boys (Official Performance Video)
How does writing alone compare to writing as part of a group – do you feel more exposed, or more free?
I would say a bit of both (laughs). There’s so much more pressure on you when you’re on your own, especially when it comes to writing and trying to find your sound. You feel like you have to really commit to a certain style and image right away so that people get a feel for who you are away from your band. Like I said before, I always really enjoyed the writing process, and being involved in the production of songs, so that part was fine on my own. But when it came to deciding to singles to release, that was hard.
Did you feel like you needed to separate yourself from the music you’d made in the past, to ensure that you were creating and offering something new to your audience?
Yeah definitely. When you come from a boyband it can be hard to move away from the image that you’re known for. Don’t get me wrong, I still love that part of my life, and I don’t look down on it at all, but moving forward into this next phase of my career I definitely wanted to do something different. Musically I was keen to adopt a bit more of a cooler, mature sound – what that would be exactly I wasn’t sure right away, but I knew it was going to be guitar focused, and less out and out pop. My first single ‘Naughty Boys’ has sort of become was ‘Tongue’ was to Here At Last. It was a song that made a statement. It wasn’t necessarily the sound or style I was going to pursue longterm, but it got people’s attention, and that’s what I wanted.
Many of your recent solo releases feel very personal – was that a conscious decision, or something that naturally happened?
Everybody writes differently, and has a different method or format they like to stick to. For me, I feel it’s important that there’s always an element of truth in what I’m writing and singing about. I enjoy the process more when I’m saying something that I can personally relate to. Obviously you have to exaggerate certain things, and add in little details, but the essence of the songs I’ve released so far are based on true stories and are very, very personal to me.
Do you always like to write from reality, and real life experiences, or do you have the ability to write from imagination too?
Reality all the way… but with a little bit of imagination. And I actually think my new single is the perfect example of that. ‘Monday’ is 100% based on a true story, but to make it sound more emotive and conversational, I’ve switched up some of the narrative. So in the opening line I say: “I met this girl on the underground”, and I didn’t actually meet her on the underground, but I felt by saying that, it created more of a romantic feeling and made it sound more movie-like. The reality is we met in a bar, which was honestly just as romantic, but putting it in a song, I felt like setting our first meeting on the underground sounded better (laughs).
Tell me more about ‘Monday’…
I co-wrote it with Ryan from the band, and it’s about one of those on and off relationships that you never seem to be able to get right, but still you feel compelled to try again with the hope that one day it all works out. The girl in the song I’ve known for about four years now, but I never ever, ever, ever thought I’d write about her, or any of the things we went through, but randomly one day Ryan said: “we should write about this”, so we did (laughs). It’s very detailed orientated, and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to it. Looking deeper into the concept, I’d say lyrically it’s about finding your twin flame, and exploring the invisible string theory where you feel like you’re always connected to someone, and intertwined in their lives, and how all of that plays out in the long run. It was an important relationship in my life, so I’m excited for people to hear it.
Musically how would you say this song differs from your previous singles?
It’s definitely different to anything I’ve released in the past – it has a very relaxed, chilled vibe to it. Other than the acoustic version of ‘Naughty Boys’, I’ve not put out a ballad or a mid-tempo track, it’ll be interesting to see what everyone thinks…
This will be your fifth solo release, has the process of putting out music on your own gotten easier?
I’d say it feels more natural now than it did in the beginning. The excitement you get in the lead up never changes, thankfully the stress does (laughs). How so? Well, it’s kind of like I said before, me and boys all put a lot of pressure on ourselves surrounding the release of our first singles… pressure that I don’t think was really necessary. But now, things are a bit more chilled, and in a funny way putting out music has become a bit like posting a video or content on socials, it’s just a part of what I do.
How has performing live changed now that the spotlight is solely on you?
I can’t lie, it’s felt surreal being on stage on my own – mainly because it’s something I’m not used to. When I was younger, I did a lot of musical theatre stuff – I was in Oliver and The Sound of Music – which are obviously big ensemble productions. Then being in the band, I was surrounded by four other lads all of the time, so performing solo isn’t something I’ve experienced a lot. But I’m getting used to it, and learning to enjoy it more.
Last year you played your first headline show at the o2 Academy2 in Islington – which was a HUGE success! Demand for tickets was high, that the venue had to be upgraded…
I know, that was mental! My original idea was to put on a little show to sort of test the waters, and ease myself into performing solo, so to then be told we were going to have to change venues due to high demand and the amount of people wanting to come… I couldn’t believe it! When you’re in a band, you feel like it’s ‘the band’ that sells the tickets, not the individual members, so you don’t ever really think about the possibility of anybody wanting to see you perform on your own. Seeing my name and the words ‘SOLD OUT’ next to it outside the venue was insane!
Talk to me about the show itself!
Do you know what, I don’t really remember being on stage (laughs). The whole day and night was a complete adrenaline rush! But I absolutely loved it! Seeing all of those people show up for me was a massive confidence boost – people travelled from God knows where, just to see ME! What’s that about? (Laughs). All of the Here At Last boys came along to which was amazing, I really appreciated their support. It was just an incredible night, and probably the first time that I felt like a legitimate solo artist in my own right.
What have you learned about the music industry through this transition that you didn’t know before?
That it’s okay to lose things, because there are always other things you’ll gain. That change is good, and completely okay. To not panic in bad moments, because they will always end. And to enjoy the good moments too because they don’t always last either. Sometimes as people we fear things going wrong or not working out, but I’m realising that we can really blossom after going through hard times and tough experiences, because you grow a lot from the struggles you face. I always say, chase the good, and get through the bad.
Has being solo made you more hands-on with decisions – visually, creatively, or business-wise?
Yeah I’d say so, but it’s also important to say that in the band, we were always allowed to be ourselves and very involved in everything we did. So it’s not like all of a sudden I’m finding myself making all of these decisions and calling the shots (laughs). The main difference now is that I don’t have to think about what anyone else is doing, or factor in their thoughts about things.
What excites you most about the future?
It probably sounds crazy, but not knowing what the future looks like excites me. Anything can happen in this industry – one song, one video can change your life completely, so you have to be ready for if, and when, that moment comes! In the meantime, I’m just excited to keep on doing what I’m doing. There’s definitely more music on the way, and I want to do more live performing, so everybody watch out for that…
Zach Loizou’s new single ‘Monday’ is available to pre-order here.
Let us know your thoughts on Zach Loizou over on CelebMix socials now!
