One of the most exciting, formidable and hotly tipped rising stars in alternative pop, ZAND (pronouns they/them) is a force to be reckoned with. Exploding onto the scene with their own self coined genre/boundary bending “ugly pop” sound in 2018, they have demonstrated their prowess as a triple threat; singer, songwriter and producer. As part of the debut Ugly Pop EP (2020), they self-produced tracks Slut Money, Bald Bitch, Freak, and co-produced lead single Inappropriate with LA-based, DJ/producer Daktyl (Major Lazer, Halsey). Since its release in November, the 4 track EP has racked up over 1 million streams on Spotify, gaining attention from the likes of DIY Magazine, Wonderland Magazine, Attitude Magazine, Music Week, Alt Press, The Line Of Best Fit and more. The "ugly popstar" also featured in British Vogue’s 2019 ‘I Feel Pride’ campaign.

ZAND (real name Zander Sweeney) coined the term ‘ugly pop’ to describe not just their gritty pop sound, but with ‘ugly’ acting as a double entendre; touching on topics and telling a story in such a manner that could be considered controversial in today’s male-dominated, cisheteronormative society. While very much an avid pop fan with early influences, they cite their teenage obsessions with bands such as Tommy Cash, My Chemical Romance and Imogen Heap.