Zayn Malik has won praise for picking an all-female live band for his first ever solo tour.
The former One Direction star, 31, is performing across the UK on his Stairway to the Sky UK tour, where fans have seen him perform in cities such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Wolverhampton.
After cancelling his Newcastle City Hall show on Tuesday due to losing his voice, the singer is due to wrap up in Edinburgh in just a number of days.
Zayn has previously posted group pictures of the group together, with one taken in May before the tour kicked off.
The star employed seven women to accompany him: guitarist Molly Miller, the drummer who goes by Baby Bulldog, singers Lisa Ramey, Tahira Clayton and Rebecca Haviland, keyboard player Tina Hizon and bassist Ryan Madora.
The seven-woman backing group – nicknamed the Zweeties – have won praise from many of the star’s fans.
Here we take a look at the band members…
Zayn Malik has won praise for picking an all-female live band for his first ever solo tour
The star employed seven women to accompany him on tour – from a former The Voice star to a university professor
Zayn himself has also previously posted group pictures of the group together, with one taken in May before the tour kicked off
Lisa Ramey
New York-based R&B soul singer Lisa Ramey, 38, is best-known for her appearance on the US version of The Voice in 2019
Lisa’s career began in musical theatre in her hometown of St. Louis but she moved to NYC after being cast in a Broadway show before quitting to become a solo artist
New York-based R&B soul singer Lisa Ramey, 38, is best-known for her appearance on the US version of The Voice in 2019 where she was mentored by John Legend but didn’t make it to the final 13.
Lisa’s career began in musical theatre in her hometown of St. Louis but she moved to NYC after being cast in a Broadway show before quitting to become a solo artist.
Explaining her decision, she said: ‘I did well in theater but it wasn’t enough for me. I left the business (health insurance, comfy paycheck and security) to become a starving recording artist. I’ve never looked back.’
She is a vocal backer of Kamala Harris and was asked to introduce the Senator at a major event in NYC in September 2019.
Her second album Broken Smile ‘re-imagined the songs and words of civil rights activist Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer’.
Lisa confesses bitter relationship breakups have inspired some of her singles including Vagabond. She said: ‘I’ve dated a few men who sucked the love and life right out of me then they would return to their vagabond ways. I was left high and dry and feeling pretty dumb.’
Molly Miller
Academic Dr. Molly Miller has been playing guitar since the age of seven and has recorded and toured with artists including Jason Mraz and the Black Eyed Peas
Academic Dr. Molly Miller has been playing guitar since the age of seven and has recorded and toured with artists including Jason Mraz and the Black Eyed Peas.
Molly earned a Doctorate in musical arts in 2016 and is Professor of Studio Guitar at the University of Southern California and Chair of the Guitar Department at Los Angeles College of Music.
In a 2020 interview, she said: ‘My experience growing up playing music shaped who I am today, and knowing that I can provide some of that for others drove me to create musical outlets for students.
‘I was a guitar student in higher education for so long -my relationships with my professors were incredibly impactful.
‘They helped shape who I am today as a human, musician, and educator. It is rewarding to be on the other side of higher education now, no longer the ‘student’, but rather the ‘teacher’- although I learn from my students every day.’
Tahira Clayton
Tahira Clayton has performed with Zayn since May and is a renowned lead vocalist as well as backing singer
Singer Tahira Clayton is originally from Dallas, Texas but now lives in New York.
She has performed with Zayn since May and is a renowned lead vocalist as well as backing singer. Also in May she became an ambassador of the National Jazz Museum of Harlem and leader of one of their three house bands.
She serves as the vice president and is a founding board member of the Women in Jazz Organization (WIJO), based in NYC. Tahira has travelled internationally to present lectures on her research entitled, ‘The Dangers of Jazz: Sexism in Society’.
On her Instagram profile, Tahira displays the Palestinian flag alongside the phrase ‘liberation is the goal’, a slogan that represents the Palestinian movement for self-determination and sovereignty.
Baby Bulldog
Drummer Steph Barker (aka Baby Bulldog) describes her look as ‘refined teenage skater boy’
Drummer Steph Barker (aka Baby Bulldog) describes her look as ‘refined teenage skater boy’.
She started Baby Bulldog as a solo project to reverse ‘pop’s unhealthy overload of hetero-normative stories’.
She added: ‘Baby Bulldog is who I am – a masculine butch person making music, writing about women.’
Steph first got into music at age three after her parents bought her a clown-themed plastic drum kit for Christmas.
After playing drums in her school band in Londonderry, New Hampshire, she studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
She said: ‘I discovered my independence during this time and was able to live out as a member of the LGBTQ community. I never really did this in High School, Londonderry is a very small town and wasn’t quite ready yet. In a way it worked out because I put all of that confusing energy into drumming and music.’
After Berklee she moved to New York City, later relocating to LA where she also worked with British musician Kate Nash.
Rebecca Haviland
Singer/songwriter Rebecca Haviland has been performing for more than 15 years
She is the frontwoman of Whiskey Heart.
Singer/songwriter Rebecca Haviland has been performing for more than 15 years and is the frontwoman of Whiskey Heart.
Their self-titled record released in 2013, received awards in the International Songwriting Competition and Unsigned Only Competition.
She has appeared on TV shows including Ellen and Good Morning America.
Tina Hizon
British session keyboard player Tina Hizon, 32, performed at Taylor Swift’s seven Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium this summer
British session keyboard player Tina Hizon, 32, has an incredibly impressive CV.
She performed at Taylor Swift’s seven Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium this summer, playing for opener Maisie Peters.
She has also played with Dua Lipa, Roger Taylor, the Pet Shop Boys, Clean Bandit, Becky Hill and Ed Sheeran.
Tina has performed on TV shows Later with Jools Holland, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Today Show, X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and at music festivals such as Coachella and Glastonbury.
Ryan Madora
After growing up in the Philadelphia music scene, Ryan chose to study Music Business and Communications at New York University
At 5ft tall, Ryan Madora describes herself as ‘not first pick for the basketball team’ and admits she regularly told her instrument is bigger than she is.
After growing up in the Philadelphia music scene, Ryan chose to study Music Business and Communications at New York University.
Since moving to Nashville in 2012 she has done session work and taught online classes.
In 2019, she published her first book, Bass Players To Know: Learning From The Greats.
