Zands is a session player specializing in hand percussion styles. He has played as a specialist hand percussionist with orchestras including the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, CBSO and the Urban Soul Orchestra. He has also worked with theatre companies such as the National Theatre, Old Vic, Royal Shakespeare Company and toured with a wide variety of bands such as the Dixie Ticklers, Melt Yourself Down, Traditional Cubano Trio, Sam Lee and his own band Mountainear. Zands regularly works with Karl Jenkins, having recorded the albums Stella Natalis (EMI) and Adiemus Colores (Deutsche Grammophon) as a solo hand percussionist. He has toured to Asia, Australia and the Middle East for a production of Richard III, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Kevin Spacey. As well as this, he regularly records groove based percussion for various films, games and TV, both in commercial studios and his own home studio.

He trained at Berklee College of Music in Boston and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he is now a teacher of hand percussion.