FOR FANS OF: The Black Keys, cleopatrick, Greta Van Fleet
Zach Person, a 24 year-old indie rock singer/songwriter from Houston, Texas, released his self-titled debut album early last month. Keep reading to find out about him, his musical process, influences, and more!
And, be sure to give his guest playlist a spin!
1) Tell us about your debut album — what was the recording process like? How long did it take to put it together? It's a brilliant record, I love it from start to finish.
About half of the record was written during the pandemic. My songwriting process always starts with just me and a guitar, bass or piano. Once I have the foundation of the song built, I then will start adding in other electronic sounds and layering more guitar parts. My musical partner and drummer, Jake Wyble, always finds the perfect groove to lay down on top of the track I have created. During the process of recording this album, our studio was struck by lighting twice over a 45 day period. This set us back in our schedule as much of our gear was damaged. However, we were able to overcome those hurdles and finished the LP!
2) How did you get into music — what made you pick up a guitar?
When I was a kid I was heavily into skate culture. I would always hear these heavy rock and punk bands that would come out to my local skatepark, so that naturally peaked my interest in the electric guitar.
3) Who are some of your influences? Musical or otherwise.
Early on I was listening to artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. As I got older and moved to Texas, I became more aware of the pop world. Then I began listening to artists like The Black Keys, Jack White, and John Mayer. Nowadays, I find myself listening to people like H.E.R., Beck, and Chris Stapleton.
4) What are four of your favorite-forever albums — aka albums that always bring you comfort, no matter what.
Hmm…My four favorite albums have to be Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles by John Mayer, Brothers by The Black Keys, Traveler by Chris Stapleton, and Live at the Ryman by Jonny Lang.
5) Who would be your dream collaboration?
I would love to collaborate with The Black Keys for their production style and sense of melody, Chris Stapleton for his soul and lyrical genius, and John Mayer for his pop-guitar sensibilities.
6) Do you have any advice for young, new musicians?
My advice for young artists just starting out is to focus on songwriting! Its never to early to start honing your writing skills. The quality of your songs will have the biggest impact on your success in the music industry.
7) Outside of music, what do you do for fun?
Outside of music I love to hike, play competitive games with friends, draw, and run. I run almost daily. One could say, "I can’t stop running!"
8) What are some of your favorite tracks off of your debut album?
It’s hard for me to pick which song is my favorite from the album, but some of my favorites to play live are "All Shook Up," "How Long," "Back to Me," and "Can’t Stop Running."
9) Do you have any plans for the rest of 2021?
As everything is slowly opening back up, more and more shows are being booked here in the states. I’ll be going on my first European tour in early fall this year, and then coming back hopefully in time for some big festivals towards the end of the year.
10) What do you love about music?
I love how powerful music can be. It can move people, change lives, save lives, and be the catalyst for entire movements. With the right intentions, music has the potential to be one of the strongest and most powerful positive forces on the planet!
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