Whatever happened to Zoë?

Despite her two albums, I know very little about the woman. Even resources online provide little insight. What I have discovered is that the England-born Zoë Pollock (who performed under her first name) released two albums in the nineties: 1992’s Scarlet Red And Blue and 1996’s Hammer – and then she just seemed to disappear.

Zoë’s debut, Scarlet Red And Blue was released on M&G in 1992 and featured the single, ‘Sunshine On A Rainy Day,’ which became a European smash a year prior. Other singles failed to perpetuate its success and the record flopped.

Scarlet sounds dated now with its synthesized arrangements, but at the time, it was a fairly strong effort from an otherwise unknown artist .

Four years later, after reported clashes with her record label and producers, Zoë worked alongside producer Youth (Heather Nova) and wrote the songs that would eventually be released her sophomore record, Hammer with RCA.

Hammer’s tone is considerably more harsh and gritty than Scarlet, both in sound and lyrics. Some speculate this is the result of the break-up between Zoë and Youth during recording. Still, it’s a better record than her debut. Gone was the insipid pop and in came a much more powerful collection of songs that blended rock, folk and even Celtic sounds. The title song possesses a driving force of thumping percussion which correlates well with its apt title, while delivering some lyrical rage: “If I had a hammer/I’d hit you on the head/I wouldn’t stop the poundin’ ’til I knew that you were dead.”

Hammer could categorize itself next to releases by Alanis Morissette or Sinead O’Connor. But perhaps this is ultimately why the record went nowhere, as it was released during the onslaught of female singer-songwriters hoping to find a place next to Morissette’s debut juggernaut, Jagged Little Pill.

Now, nearly a decade after Hammer’s release, I have no idea what Zoë is up to. Perhaps there was a third record. Maybe she quit music altogether. If someone out there knows anything, enlighten us, would you?

Update

Zoë is back and is recording new music after a twelve-year hiatus! To read more of the details, click here.