By Shelby Gurney
Electrifying, exciting and entertaining are just a few of the words drummer Bailey Connor uses to describe his band.
The Zac Cross Band is a local Rockhampton group that plays country rock music across regional Queensland.
The band, which gets its name from the lead vocalist Zac Cross, consists of lead guitarist Lachlan Plant, Joe O’Shaughnessy on bass and Bailey Connor on drums.
Officially created in 2020 the band has been continuing to release music and perform for three years and counting.
Their coming album has been in the works since 2020.
The band has performed in countless areas and festivals, but one that stands out the most is the Gympie Music Muster.
“Any music festival or event where you get to play with other people is an incredible experience,” Bailey said.
“Anywhere with a crowd that wants to listen is where I like to be.”
Music is something that each person in the band has had a connection to from a young age.
“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
Bailey recalls that from the age of six he had begun to develop a deep passion and love for music.
“When you have an extroverted personality it’s fitting to be in the arts sector,” he said.
Inspired by current trending tracks Zac Cross Band loves to put their own spin on the genre by creating their own personal perspectives onto each song.
“Growing up everyone goes through different situations with different ideologies and that’s what I believe makes a band and makes each one unique,” Bailey said.
The band has drawn from various genres within the music industry from country to 2000s punk rock to the 1980s.
“If you like one perspective of anything in the music industry, you’re probably bound to like us,” Bailey said.
The band is continuously creating new tunes with their upcoming song Too Far Gone aiming to capture the feeling of slowing down to live in the moment and share an experience with someone.
With almost every weekend booked out for this local band, Bailey said they are incredibly grateful to be performing so often.
Performing in Central Queensland towns like Rockhampton, Longreach, Calliope and Emerald is a favourite of the band.
“The community is one of the best I’ve seen, they come together when anything comes into town, not just us and it’s fantastic to see,” Bailey said.
The Zac Cross band has had opportunities to play with countless big names such as Josh Setterfield and Kasey Chambers.
The further the band gets into the music industry the more exciting it gets for these young artists.
“The dream is getting to do music and the band full time,” Bailey said.
Some advice for people wanting to get into the music industry is to be able to take criticism, and never say no to an opportunity to perform no matter the size of the crowd.
“Be a good and humble person and you’ll go pretty far,” Bailey said.