A Dirty Dozen with BEN OZZ from ZEBRAHEAD – July 2026

According to a recent press release: “Southern California punk-rock veterans zebrahead continue the rollout of their forthcoming EP O with the release of their latest single and video, “Happy Endings at the Movies,” arriving July 15. zebrahead features Ali Tabatabaee (vocals, rhymes), Adrian Estrella (vocals, guitar), Ben Osmundson (bass), Dan Palmer (guitar), and Ed Udhus (drums). The upcoming EP completes zebrahead’s ambitious conceptual EP series – III, II, I, and now O. Throughout the series, the band has continued to evolve its sound while remaining true to the infectious hooks, high-energy performances, and genre-blending style that have made zebrahead international genre-disrupters for decades. Since emerging in the late 1990s, zebrahead has sold more than two million albums worldwide, earned a Grammy nomination through a collaboration with Motörhead, and built a reputation as one of modern punk rock’s most explosive live bands. Their festival résumé includes Reading & Leeds, Download Festival, Rock am Ring, Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic, Slam Dunk Festival, Vans Warped Tour, and countless sold-out headline shows around the world. With O arriving August 12 zebrahead continues to prove that their momentum shows no signs of slowing down.” We get Ben to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I wouldn’t say there are hidden nuggets in particular. But we did try to expand our selfs a bit on the EP. Take a few directions that would surprise people. Like the song “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Was us just saying lets go completely left field and see if it works. I always like listening to the instrumental tracks of bands to truly hear all the stuff underneath the songs.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I was always really into music and going to concerts at a young age. But it was when I heard the Fugazi song ,“Waiting Room,” It made me realize I really wanted to play an instrument. So bass it was cause that is an amazing bass line.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I grew up going to every Metal / Punk show that came to town. From Slayer to Poison. I loved all music. And went to the shows of them all. Favorites were always the Punk shows like Lagwagon or NOFX. Loved the chaos and excitement of the shows.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I think for the collaborator I would go with someone on the production side of things. It is fun to work with new people and see their angle on writing a song. Just from working with someone a few times u can learn a ton of different approaches towards songwriting. We learned a ton from Howard Benson in our early days.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

Favorite activity would be being a tourist. I love to travel. See the world and sightsee whenever I can. But I like to speed sightsee. I don’t want to go inside the museum. I just want to see the museum and then move along to the next thing. The more u travel the more u realize how amazing all these new places are and tons we can learn from them. That and exercising these days. I had some health issues earier this year and now find myself enjoying exercising. Who would have thought that could be a thing?

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I guess I would describe Zebrahead as a mix of everything thrown in a blender. Saw a few things call us a mix of Green Day and Rage Against the Machine. Which is a very nice way to put it. I try not to be offended by anyone’s comparisons. If someone takes the time to listen to us and doesn’t like it…you can’t and shouldn’t try to please everyone. If I don’t like a band or their music I can still respect that they are out there doing it and having the guts to make music for the world to judge. You have to have thick skin.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Well, Dan used to be a bartender so he makes the drinks. Adrian would be the one cooking, and if anyone broke out an acoustic guitar it would probably be broken in two. We aren’t the guys that would sit around a fire singing love song – not happening.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Not really a person to be star struck. Kinda realized early on most successful people are just normal people that got a bit of luck along with their skill. As talented as anyone is, there is always someone out there more talented, that didn’t have the luck on their side.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

We have been doing this so long I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Being honest here. Maybe I would get into some aspect of band management. Help others do it DIY without sharks coming in and taking advantage of you. Cause sadly we are all surrounded by sharks and wolves.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Being around as long as our band has…I would say I am happy that anyone wants to ask me anything. We are pretty lucky to be on our 30th year as a band and still have people showing up to the shows and singing along. I still chuckle a bit when people ask where we got the name “Zebrahead” cause it is such a ridiculous story.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Oh man. There are so many moments I wish we could do over. It would be impossible to nail down just one. But that is life. Live with the choices and move on. If I had to narrow it a bit, it would be being influenced by record company shit in the early days. So many hi and low points the stress gets to you. I needed to learn to relax a bit and realize shit is never the end of the world, unless u decide it is the end of the world.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would say some of the early Ozzy albums. I remember having a Walkman and playing the cassettes while I walked to my friend’s houses and being completely pulled in. The Diary of a Madman cassette in particular. I played that thing so much I am surprised it didn’t break, but the Walkman eventually did and what a tragedy that was for me!

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Category: Interviews