Author Interview / Music

Serj Tankian: Learning to deal with your own mind

14:10 pm on 18 May 2024

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Serj Tankian is the frontman of System of a Down, a band of Armenian-Americans that started in the mid-nineties, who play an incredible clash of growling aggressive metal and Armenian folk melodies. 

It’s a sound that has struck a chord with millions of fans across the globe, yet Serj chooses to spend a lot of his time living in New Zealand. 

He talks to Charlotte Ryan about his colourful life as a young immigrant to Los Angeles, and the risks and reward of being part of an avant-garde, political band.

Serj Tankian’s memoir is Down with the System.

Down with the System Serj Tankian Photo: Travis Shinn Photography