Zamia

With an origin dating all the way back to 2002, and its first-ever appearance on a Valley stage coming in 2009, the Western Mass rock group Zamia has worked for years to be recognized for more than just its musical efforts. In fact, the band—featuring members Jared Duff (vocals), Ruslan Sopromadze (guitar, backup vocals), Jeff Demers (drums) and Benjamin Jon (bass)—aspires to be an inspirational force for its listeners, and hopes to encourage fans to achieve their own goals.
"The reason we started this band was to be a beacon of hope in a dark world," says Sopromadze. "So many bands play for their own glory, [or] to fulfill their own musical desires. As a band, we have tried to stay true to who we are as individuals, but at the same time understand that it is because of our unique personalities and gifts that we have been able to create such a dynamic sound."
Merging alternative rock riffs with "nu" metal and reggae influences, Zamia has performed alongside other Pioneer Valley favorites like the Fear Nuttin' Band and Danny Pease and the Regulators.
If it weren't for a fateful letter search, the band might never have acquired its own unique name.
Sopromadze says, "A few years after high school, I was at the practice spot in Greenfield, on Hope Street, with a long time friend, Morgan Kanash, and he asked me, 'Hey, man what letter do you like?' ...So I just said letter Z, and he opened a dictionary on his Mac and the first word that came up was 'zamia.' Zamia is a seed, planted, and if properly nurtured, it is eatable. So we interpreted that to our music: through the process, it would be like food for the soul."