Starting a band may not be the best career choice these days, but when you take a look behind the making of Cubic Zirconia, you begin to understand their “fuck work” approach.
Welcome to the world of Cubic Zirconia. A land where Pantera and Eazy E sit and talk about Chicago house over a beer and it makes perfect sense. A land where coffee and cigarettes are staple items, but being a vegetarian for a couple weeks is completely normal. There are no borders in this land, especially when it comes to art and music.
The governing body is the genre-defying outfit Cubic Zirconia. Comprised of Nick Hook, Tiombe Lockhart, Todd Weinstock and Daud Sturdivant – who reign over the vibrant landscape with complete disregard for narrow minds.
Trying to pin down the description for their mass of sound is quite the task, though uncovering their history as career musicians and performers gives you a taste of what they can and will do.
In the autumn of 2008, Nick and Todd were in the Long Island based indie-rock group Men Women and Children. They were signed to a major label that wasn’t doing much for their mid-tier indie release and the band was in limbo between tours. Around that time, Nick took a stroll around the corner from his East Village apartment to Nublu, the acclaimed music outpost on Avenue C, home to artists like Wax Poetic and Brazilian Girls.
That particular evening, a sultry light skinned soul singer from Atlanta took the stage – drink in hand. At the time, Tiombe Lockhart was generally known for her work with the Platinum Pied Pipers, a Detroit bred soul tinged hip-hop hybrid. After a couple strong records with PPP, appearing on records alongside J Dilla and Georgia Anne Muldrow, she found herself with a dedicated niche following of strictly soul and urban enthusiasts. That was not the goal.
Tiombe always considered herself an eclectic music lover and vocalist. The last thing she was looking for was to be boxed in as an artist to any genre. She had recently begun recording in Brooklyn with a new aim, a darker and more rock-centric protest against her post-soul background. Shortly after some bedroom recordings, she brought the show to a few major U.S. cities and the fans flocked. To her dismay, Tiombe found followers didn’t show up for her “new” sound, they wanted that Platinum Pied Pipers Detroit swing funk back. “They didn’t really understand me taking off my shoes and like, and being a little drunk on stage at that time. Now… that’s okay, now, in the soul world but I think then it was more about vibrations.”
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