“Battlecry ‘14” lyric video & Zealot interview
Today we drop the fifth Lyric Video from Territorial’s “Tlaxihuiqui,” Zealot’s heartfelt acoustic ballad Battlecry ‘14; a song he wrote to “rid [him]self of a certain past that [he] was carrying.”
“Battlecry ‘14” was recorded at the end of the long day at Territorial Correctional Facility back in April 2018, just after we had spent a couple hours recording what would become “America The Merciful.” Dane Newton, who performs as Zealot, had never been recorded before and figured “America The Merciful” was the best place to start especially because it fit the theme of the Die Jim Crow concept album (our focus at the time) more so than his other songs.
We had a little bit of time left, so after killing it on the first song, Zealot tried his hand at a demo for a second tune. With one mic set up in the room and ten minutes to spare before we’d get kicked out of the bandroom, “Battlecry ‘14” was laid to record.
When Dane first wrote the song in 2014, he envisioned a full band and a big sound elevating the hard-earned and triumphant lyrics. So when he recorded it in 2018, it was strictly for demoing purposes if DJC ever returned to the prison and recorded him again. As the Territorial album began to take shape in 2020, producer Fury Young asked Zealot if the demo version could go on the album. He was understandably hesitant. After some pleading from Young, who thought the song was raw and beautiful, Zealot agreed that the song could make the album on one condition; that it not be called simply “Battecry” — that grander version he would record later.
We caught up with Zealot on a prison video visit to show him the cut of the video and get his approval. After the screening, our Staff Assistant Nara Avakian asked him some questions on the song and more, and we’re happy to share that here.
Edited for cohesion and flow.
Q: What is the song “Battlecry” about for you?
A: It was like me writing something to rid myself of a certain past that I was carrying.
Q: What was the past?
A: Just me growing up the way I was, in an abusive environment and me not knowing how to deal with that, growing up in that environment. Trying to find maturity and honesty in myself and how that’s translated in my relationships. The feeling of becoming the very embodiment that I was raised in, not understanding myself at that time. It was me trying to come to understand my past and where I was at that point.
Q: Do you think there is strength in being vulnerable about your feelings?
A: Yeah, I think especially for men, Black men. Growing up in my environment, growing up in my past. My mom had me when she was 14, my father was 19. And he took off immediately, so you grow up in that kind of world where it’s watching your mom do drugs and come in and out of these abusive relationships. I think, you have to be honest about the brokenness in everybody, especially your own, before you can move forward, you gotta look yourself in the mirror.
Q: What brought upon that choice to be honest with yourself?
A: I don’t think it was one specific event or situation. My first three years of being locked up in 2007 to 2009, was me really sitting down and having everything stripped away from me. My present, potentially my future, the only thing that was left was me and my past. And how I was going to deal with any relationships moving forward. I had to ask myself, would I be in a relationship with someone like myself? Would I be a friend to someone like myself at that time? All the answers I kept coming up with was, no. You want to be better.
Q: How did you make beauty out of those painful experiences?
A: I never really looked at it as anything that was worth anything, like listening to, or writing down, or recording. I learned how to write and play music while I was in jail. I’ve always sang, but I was never really able to write my feelings, or play any instruments. So, the whole process of me writing music, and singing was me cleansing myself, ridding myself, confronting my past, confronting my failures, being willing to put it all out there. Hopefully nobody will listen to it [laughs].
Q: How do you define forgiveness?
A: For me, that’s still a process. I’m still on that journey. For the people I’ve harmed and the relationships I’ve damaged, I feel like even today, knowing who I am as a man, I still cannot reach back and ask them for forgiveness. I feel like I would still be out of line, and out of place to ask anyone for forgiveness. Because now in my maturity, not just as a man, but as a human being, you realize just the devastation, the scars that you inflict on people. Even me sitting here thinking, I’m like damn how could I ask somebody else not to forget, but to forgive me for that…man…I don’t know…that’s a personal thing.
Q: Do you feel the video for “Battlecry” captures how you feel about the song?
A: Oh, a hundred percent. Especially the flowers blooming around, you speed up the image and it happens instantaneously, but it’s a seasonal thing. So, you look at it, and it’s like, okay it reflects the song, it reflects a person coming into, growing into, moving forward or towards something.
Q: What did you think of the reception to your song “America the Merciful”?
A: I was surprised by both of them. Because I’ve been locked up 15 years, and technology for me, way back when, I didn’t realize you could do something like that even today. Record music like Territorial, and put it all together like that.
Q: What are you inspired to do next?
A: Unfortunately, I’m stuck in this place and I haven’t touched a guitar in almost three years. So, it’s really hard to write music, I’ve been writing lyrics, but it’s hard to connect it. But I got a lot of stuff I still gotta purge myself of, so that’s how I do it, I write music.
Q: What’s your process with lyrics?
A: Sometimes, I see something, and it will provoke a thought or emotion and I start writing. I been writing the same song for like 4 years and I just cannot finish it. I feel like I get it to where I want it, then I scratch this out and write this part in. Then I start something else.
Q: What’s the song or are you keeping it a secret?
A: I aint’t gonna tell ya’ll. Not yet.
Q: You say you haven’t been able to pick up the guitar for a few years, besides singing, are you able to find a supplement for instruments while on the inside?
A: No. Ain’t no substitute for an instrument, not in here. The funny part is, I’ll get this melody going and this rhythm and I’ll start writing something. But my memory is bad, so then I’m like, what was the melody? And if I start a beat on the wall in here, I don’t think these dudes would like that [laughs].
Q: So, where do you let out these lyrics and melodies? Where do you have the chance to do that?
A: Late at night, when everything is quiet, and everybody is asleep. We all have single cells, so once everything dies down, if I can’t sleep, which it’s been that way for the past few weeks, I’ll sit up and I’ll just start.
Zealot watching “America The Merciful” and “Battlecry ‘14" through video visit.
DJC Staff Assistant Nara Avakian who conducted the interview.