The song remains the same: Female rock group performs depth of Led Zeppelin’s music

She and three other female rock musicians will make this statement in Redwood City this week, performing Led Zeppelin’s songs at Club Fox Thursday, Jan. 5.

“Led Zeppelin’s music is very rich and dynamic and subtle and of course also very powerful,” she said. “Where you have the full spectrum of musical ideas going on. Which is why it’s so difficult to play and why it’s so much fun.”

Paynes got the idea to perform the group’s music with female musicians when she was between gigs in New York around 12 years ago. A friend had given her a box set of Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits, and she was struck by the music’s complexity and beauty.

“I was blown away by the timeless, classical beauty of this music,” she said. “Then I thought, ‘Why not just start a band and have fun playing it?’”

For Paynes, it wasn’t enough to find a drummer, bassist and vocalist with enough training to perform Led Zeppelin’s songs, which Paynes says are beautiful but musically complex. She was intent on creating an all-girls’ group.

“I had no doubt that women could play this music,” she said. “And I knew that no one else had done this.”

Paynes has found a range of female musicians ready to take the charge. She has worked with several drummers, bassists and vocalists over the past 12 years, and describes Lez Zeppelin as a “it takes a village” type of group.

The concept of an all-girls group performing rock music that some consider to be the precursor to heavy metal rock music may seem surprising. Paynes is well aware of her group’s challenge to perceptions of the group as a male bastion, both in its musical quality and predominantly male following.

But to Paynes, an all-female group makes sense.

“People were not so conscious of, at least it was not something that was discussed, the guys themselves were actually androgynous and there was a lot of female energy to it,” she said.

She has found the members of Lez Zeppelin have been able to capture their predecessors’ energy with a musical prowess that transcends gender.

Paynes is joined by drummer Leesa Harrington-Squyres, vocalist Marlain Angelides and bassist and keyboardist Joan Chew. The group is organized just as their male counterparts’ group was years earlier, with what Paynes calls a “power trio” playing metal instruments and a vocalist carrying the melody. The group practices for hours to be able to learn and perform complex music meant for live performance, working toward creating a transcendent experience for their audiences as their predecessors did.

“They each left space for each other,” said Paynes. “It could be very intense and powerful but never felt like it was slogging along. Even though it was incredibly heavy, it flew into the air.”

Paynes hopes that Lez Zeppelin’s flair for defying expectations will bring listeners of all stripes into an appreciation for rich, live music experiences.

“People don’t get this kind of musical experience anymore,” she said. “When you see four women digging so deeply into music like this, [where] people understand what it is. Then they’re taking it to that place.”

Paynes has seen members of Lez Zeppelin’s audience change their perspectives on rock music, as well as the role women can play in its future. Which is perhaps why for her, the group’s music acts as more than a tribute to a musical icon.

“When you’re playing timeless, classical music like this, you can bring yourself as a musician to the music,” she said. “Then the music becomes a vehicle for your musical expression.”

Lez Zeppelin performs at 8 p.m. Jan. 5 at Club Fox at 2209 Broadway in Redwood City. Visit clubfoxrwc.com/event/1402656-lez-zeppelin-redwood-city/ for more information.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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