ifitbeyourwill Podcast
“ifitbeyourwill" Podcasts is on a mission to talk to amazing indie artists from around the world! Join us for cozy, conversational episodes where you'll hear from talented and charismatic singer-songwriters, bands from all walks of life talk about their musical process & journey. Let's celebrate being music lovers!
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ifitbeyourwill Podcast
ifitbeyourwill S05E03 • Zack Keim
Returning guest Zach Keim takes us behind the scenes of his stunning sophomore album "Battery Lane," revealing how a street address in Bethesda, Maryland became the cornerstone of his musical reinvention. With characteristic openness, Zach shares the fascinating origin story of his hit single "Canyon" — recorded as a voice memo while delivering Uber Eats during the pandemic — and how this moment of inspiration ultimately shaped his entire album.
Our conversation explores the eight-year journey between Zach's debut album and this latest release, touching on the importance of artistic ownership in today's music industry. Having signed away his rights at just 16, Zach now approaches his career with hard-earned wisdom, maintaining control of his masters while collaborating with trusted partners like Super Sport Records for distribution.
The geographic and emotional landscapes of "Battery Lane" reveal themselves as we discuss how transition, upheaval, and personal loss influenced Zach's songwriting. From the jubilant "Canyon" to the introspective title track, each song represents a different facet of his journey through the Washington D.C. area and back to his Pittsburgh roots. Particularly moving is Zach's reflection on how his late father's musical obsession continues to fuel his own passion for creating and performing.
Throughout our discussion, Zach's DIY ethos shines through as he details booking his own tours, coordinating band members across continents, and balancing full-band performances with intimate acoustic shows. His excitement about upcoming appearances at South by Southwest and Tree Fort Music Festival, along with plans for a potential live album, demonstrates an artist hitting his stride while maintaining complete creative control.
Whether you're a musician navigating the industry's complexities or simply someone who appreciates authentic artistic expression, Zach's journey offers both inspiration and practical wisdom. Listen now, then catch him on tour or pick up the vinyl at your local record store to experience "Battery Lane" in all its glory.
Welcome. Season 5, episode number 3. I have a returning guest again, which I always love having because we get to continue our journey or the musical journey story. I have Zach Keim coming in from Pittsburgh and today we are going to talk a lot about his new record. We kind of got an intro to Zach back in episode one. Believe it or not, people, I think he was actually Zach. You might not help me with this, but I think you were episode 14 or 8, 14. That number is popping out around, but very early on, when this cast was just getting going and we had such a great conversation. I I listened to it today and I was just I'm just so happy that zach is here. So, zach, welcome to. If it be your podcast for number two, well, thanks for having me, chris, as always.
Speaker 2:I uh, I've done a lot of podcasts, but I think your podcast has been one of my faves in my musical journey, or?
Speaker 1:career. Yeah, well, I appreciate that. We. We love you here too. Um, I've been following and it's been quite the adventure as of late. Um, so zach just put out a self-released um record called battery lane came out february 7th of this year epic, epic record. Um, zach, you'd been working on this for a while, right, because I just looked at the years, so you put your first record out 2017. Um, self-titled no First Steps, it was called and 2017, and then 2025, your second album comes out. Now, yes, you had your Knox Boys, had a record that came out in between that time, but quite a distance of time that took place and I feel like singles for you were coming out. Pretty like, how many singles did you have off of Battery Lane that you'd put out before the record?
Speaker 2:we would have okay. So first was uh, I'm just going off the top of my head but yeah, but I think it was like canon came out.
Speaker 1:I mean, canyon was uh a single 22, yeah, better days also was a single that came out later. Yeah, that was uh 2024, 2023 probably yeah, and alice too is an older song, or yeah it?
Speaker 2:was canyon alice matt uh, better days maggie right. Um, I did a pixies cover and then, when the record rolled out, I did incredible washington dc battery land in 25 years, and then the record came out.
Speaker 1:Well well, so, like as you were building, like obviously these songs weren't all recorded in in one, in one sitting, can you kind of walk us through, like how is this record assembled? Like how did the songs come to be over? You know, it seems like a nice period of time. Um, like, how did how did the record come to be assembled together this way? Um, with all those singles that had come out and then the launch of the record this year.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think that I just kind of, uh, my whole theory with releasing this record was that, um, kind of my whole theory with releasing this record was that I wanted to be an active musician where I was touring and I was touring while this record was being recorded and written and I was in the studio at the same time and then I was releasing singles and then I released Canyon and then that you know, that came out and then that randomly caught the attention of like random people like Ryan Adams, oddly enough, finding that music song and posting that, that. So it was like just all these like random events of me releasing music and people finding my music and uh, working with collaborators in Pittsburgh Jake Hanner and Chad Montague and Josh and my friend Jordan and a bunch of other people that I trust and I think when we were talking I was going going on my first, this last, podcast, when I was on your podcast we were talking about.
Speaker 2:it was my first solo tour going over and doing uh, Europe and Spain on my own, that's it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you were just back, um, you were a few days just back, so you're still kind of jet lagged and stuff, um, which I think added to our conversation actually.
Speaker 2:but yeah, for sure, like I remember that, um, and hearing about how spain was just like all over your music yeah, I think so and a little bit well, kind of kind of not actually in a way, because I think that you know when you're transitioning. I don't know if this is a question that a lot of artists bring up, but maybe artists that come from like different, like starting in one genre which is like garage rock, which is like a very pigeonholed sort of genre, I think, to some people. But I think that, like, people in Spain wanted to hear my garage rock songs and then I started doing my own stuff and they're like oh Canyon cool song. It's cool, cool vibe, my own stuff, and they're like oh canyon cool song. But today is cool, cool vibe.
Speaker 2:They slowly got warmed up to it and then, um, when I came back on my second spanish tour, my music got. I got a random. I remember I was like driving uber at like pittsburgh airport and I remember I got a random dm from evan westfall and he's from this band called Camp 2 A's and they're a really humongous band they like tour with like Lumineers and stuff.
Speaker 2:But he discovered my music and then he eventually put out a cassette tape for me and then we sold out of the cassette tape and that was on his label, right, yeah yeah, and we just became really close friends and he's been through the music industry and he's touring and active artist and I was trying to figure out who was going to put out the record, like emailing labels, like some pretty label, big label, indie labels and different things, and uh, I, uh, I don't know, I just decided that I wanted to own everything on all my music and uh, evan was like, I think for him because he just started this kind of small startup label, that, um, he wanted to kind of push out his label and we just both agreed that I agreed to put out the first pressing of my album battery lane on his label.
Speaker 1:Okay, we pressed a thousand copies, nice, nice, and so do you retain your rights? Then, like is was that the agreement that yeah, all my masters, my publishing cool I mean that's important to an artist. No, I've never talked to this about an artist, but like maintaining the rights of your songs is would seem important.
Speaker 2:No, I think it's very important because I think that I I've been doing music 28 now, so I've been doing music for shit, you're 16, maybe, like I remember you being 16 maybe, like I remember you well, 16, 17, right, but the first recording contract I signed was when I was 16 and you know, I mean it's a label that I worked for and I I'm friends with my label now get hip. But they, they did. You know, I signed over my publishing and I signed over my uh, you know my masters and etc. You know my masters and et cetera. You know.
Speaker 2:But and then you know, when the time comes and like, somebody wants to like, place your music in a TV show or or whatever, or you know, someone wants to release a record, it's just, I have more freedom to do what I want with my music and I think I prefer that. I think a little bit more more stress for me that I I don't really have a label. I mean, I have evan and he's helped me tremendously, but I don't have we're kind of working on this together and uh, I kind of have more, uh, I have more freedom to do what I want with my music. But I think with more freedom and more control there, there's more responsibility.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure. I mean. I remember in season four I talked with David Lowery of Cracker and Kemper Bon Beethoven and he is now a professor in the music business industry and he had to because Virgin owned the rights to all their first three records and they couldn't just put out a greatest hits anymore or what you know a compilation. They had to always go back through their label. So what they did is they re-recorded everything. They called it the redux and it gave them their rights back of their, of their songs. Um, I mean, it was their, the second versions, I guess you would say, of their songs. I mean, it was there that this second versions, I guess you would say, of their songs.
Speaker 1:But he said that that was probably one of his biggest mistakes when he was coming up, that he just didn't know is to keep your. Keep your music yours, cause if not, you have no control over it. Right, like they'll, they dictate when you can put it out and what and how. You know like it. Just it's like, wait a fucking minute, this is my fucking music. What are you telling me? I can't do this stuff, but yeah, it's. I think that doesn't exist as much anymore, in the sense that labels are smaller. And you know, I'm sure, that the big bands out there, well, or the big artists out there, tend to not have to give up too much of their rights.
Speaker 2:But um, it's like the wild West.
Speaker 1:It is.
Speaker 2:You never know. I mean yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And what was that Like? What was your like? You were talking about the recording. Like you, you went to Los, to California, and like, where was the chunk of battery lane recorded? Like, where did you record most of what we hear on the record today?
Speaker 2:all of the record, besides better days, was recorded in pittsburgh at my friend jay canner studio, which he lives like sort of in the like not in the city city, but like the suburbs but he's a wonderful studio and I trust him fully with everything that I do. And he did like some, like other versions of songs and stuff that are out now on Spotify, but all the record was recorded at Jake's and then better days was recorded with Matt Okay and that song was written, recorded and mixed in like 12 hours Wow.
Speaker 1:Wow, they're really impressive too. Like the thing about this record is that it's so hard to pigeonhole, which is, I think, an amazing thing, because there are such different feelings between the songs, yet there is a thread that definitely connects them all. What was your vision when you wanted to create this record? Now I know that your first record, first steps Steps, was very acoustic-y, very you singer-songwriting, not much instrumentation. How did your mindset shift a little bit to I want a band, I want a bigger sound, I want some fast songs, I want some not-so-fast songs. How did all of this kind of evolve over time, zach, like of of coming to the product of this record of, and you know how you arrange the songs how did how did that um, kind of collection happen? Where was it, like intentional, once you had finished your solo the, the first record, that you really wanted to kind of bring it a little bit more closer to the Knox Boys aesthetic? Or can you expand on that a bit?
Speaker 2:I think it was just all through trial and error, I think just sort of growing up and sort of figuring out. I mean, I think that it's just developing, just listening to all sorts of different types of music and drawing inspiration from artists that I like and uh, I guess maybe not being pigeonholed, or sort of uh, I keep saying pigeonholed but not like to say it like, I just like not, I guess. Another thing not having a label. It's like I can do what I want to do. I don't have to create this aesthetic or this sort of persona.
Speaker 2:I had producers which Chad Jake, josh Jordan and Jake Hanner and Animal Scream, and then Jordan, obviously too from the Frights, but I think that I just kind of. And Costa, I think that, and then shake hander and animal scream, and then jordan, obviously too from the frights, but uh, I think that I just kind of, and costa. I think that I think, with everybody that was involved with this record, they just wanted the best of like what, like my songs that I wrote and like how we could make them um what speaks true to me as an artist Interesting.
Speaker 1:And like, like what song started it all? Like what song of the of the latest that you like? What was the one that started the stream that would then eventually evolve into this record, canyon?
Speaker 2:Okay, Nice to see the top top track, I mean. I released that song and I was just running ads on instagram and ryan adams found it and he reposted it, and matt found me and, um, reckless eric found my music and uh what do you think it is about that song that people are like connected to that, are like I don't know, maybe they love that 60s sort of canned heat vibe that's like like sort of a common I guess, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, Cause it is a very like it brings you. It's nostalgic a bit, but also like it's very new and fresh sounding and yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I mean the song you like. What do you like about that song?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I like the start of it because it just is so joyful as it begins and I like how it kind of tumbles a bit. You know it has that kind of tumbling feel to the lyrical play with it and it's just like a solid toe-tapper. You know, Like I can't like live. It must be, like people must just go nuts when you play that, particularly if they know the song. But I think even if you didn't know that song, you heard it for the first time. You'd be up moving, You'd have to move, You'd have to like do something with your body Cause your body wouldn't be able to hold itself back.
Speaker 1:And it's always been something that it's a song that you know, sometimes you listen to a song and you're like, OK, I don't want to play it too much because I don't want to get old and not want to listen to it anymore. And I find with Canon, it's one of the few songs that I could listen to. You know, since I first heard it I could just keep listening and listening and not worry about it like getting old on me. You know, in my years, Like it just always feels fresh and exciting and fun. Um, I just it's always been one of my, my top ones. So I love how you open this new record with that song. But yeah, I think better days also is one that, like those two, just feed. I love how you put Canon first and then it goes into Better Days, Because they just work so well as one after the other Really pretty. What were you going to say about that?
Speaker 2:No, I think that, yeah, it's funny. I like grew up with my friend, one of my close friends, growing up. It's like we were, we were in bands together growing up and you know, you have like one of those high school buddies and he's like nothing I did, he liked, and he's like that one song. He's like singing along and singing it like crazy. It's like this is such a strong Canyon, Right, and I was like like a reaction I got from like a lot of people yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So like once that song, you kind of had that song down, did it open doors for other songs that we see on the record?
Speaker 2:uh, yeah, I think so. I mean Better Days. Better Days is like very heavily inspired by Canyon. Actually, it is the same. They're in the same exact key, right right. That's probably why the and I think they are actually the same exact chords. Okay, yeah, a few secrets of the tree. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a few secrets of the tree.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah because I'd always had that sense that canon just led so beautifully into better days we take a guitar, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then canyon is what canyon is, that's Canyon. Yeah answers your prayer. And can you? You're my best friend, so that's capo g at two. And then so when we wrote better days, we're like matt really, really loved that song and we were at his house writing in his garden in Laguna Beach and we just started. I was like why change anything? Like let's just write another song like this so we wrote.
Speaker 2:Better Days, you know, sitting in a chair, flavor down a seat, Waitress outside that I want to meet Smoking and a mind that just won't let me be.
Speaker 1:No, et cetera. So it's the same exact chords. Yeah, that's, music's amazing. Eh, like, how many songs were written in that chord that sounds so different? Like it's just, I mean, we never get enough songs like there's never, there'll never be a point where there'll be just like no, no, that's another, that that's been done before, that's been done before it. Uh, it's interesting, like I I work with with kids sometimes and I get them to do all the same things, um, with the same materials, same time limit, same prompts, yet they all same materials, same time limit, same prompts, yet they all produce something different. You know, and I'm like kids, hey, what? Why? You know, I gave you the same instructions, same stuff, same prompt. Like, what's? Why are they all different? You know, and they come to this realization probably pretty easily. And they're like Chris, don't be an idiot, it's because we're all different. But again, the illustration that a simple series of chords put together can be rejigged in so many different ways and lead to different avenues.
Speaker 2:We were working on Better Days. We didn't work on it that long, but it's like we don't know what key it should be in.
Speaker 1:Should we move up the cable here and then Matt's like you know what key it should be and should we move up the cable here. And then matt's, like you know, he's like, he's like you know what, zach, let's just do it same key, you know and then it just clicked, like you said, that that song too, a better days, was one that that just kind of flowed out to you guys.
Speaker 2:It like took, didn't take very long to yeah, when we decided on the key and then we started writing and then I had, I mean, I think the song started out. It just started out with like sort of a um three chords and then I was just like you know, I had the better days line. I remember better days, better days. And then we just started writing and talking about um, like the lyrics, like sitting in the cherry flavored diner seat, like chad and I.
Speaker 2:When we arrived at laguna beach we never, well, chad's been there before, but I when we arrived there we were at this random diner with cherry-flavored diner seats having breakfast, waiting for Matt to get back from his meditation or whatever the heck he does. And then we went to his place and then I'm sitting in a cherry-flavored diner seat waitress outside, but I don't want any smoking in my mind. There's a meter outside that didn't pay a chip in my tooth, every little thing coming down on me today. And then matt and I were just talking about life. My dad was like really not in good health at the time and, uh, he actually passed away like a month later after that song and actually never got to hear the song um yeah, I remember you had mentioned that sack yeah, losing dad and it's a tough one.
Speaker 1:It's a tough one, um were, were you able, just talking of that, were you, were you able, to get some music into the therapy of kind of accepting the loss of such an important person in your life? Like, did that spur on any?
Speaker 2:uh, I think it made me more obsessed with music, because my father was like really, really, um obsessed with music this is. This is a photo of my dad playing drums. Actually it's my one on my phone, but this is uh. Oh shit, how do I uh?
Speaker 1:it's my dad what a beauty nice yeah, but nice, was he a big musician as well, like? Did he play with other people as well, like?
Speaker 2:music. No, he was just like. Uh, I mean he grew up, I grew up listening to his record collection and then, like he was in bands in high school and you know, I think his peak years were his high school years. He like managed a band and booked a band around like western pennsylvania and uh, and I think when I was growing up, you know, we just went to so many freaking concerts like I would go to concerts like three, four concerts a week, just like traveling places. My dad like going to like like outdoor music festivals or like open mic nights or just different things, like I mean not necessarily playing until my teens, but just going to concerts, to seeing his friends play, because like people he grew up seeing like play the bands and stuff. So I think I just got exposed to a lot of music and my mom not I mean definitely my mom was it like a different sort of interaction music. My mom was like more into like, like more like soul and like R&B, like Marvin Gaye or like like that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:So like my dad was more into like, like, more like soul and like R&B like Marvin Gaye or like like that sort of stuff. So like my dad was more into like more of the classics like Jackson Brown or Beatles and stuff.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, I just, and then that definitely inspired my music journey. And then, like working for a record label, for like get hip, for like four years and like working for like Greg and Barbara barbara, who are the owners of the label, but I I just became obsessed, I mean, I I think, and then playing music, and then it's like there's like no turning back now, which is kind of great, you're locked in. Yeah, yeah, I mean I could have done something else with my life and maybe a better life, but uh, I enjoy it and I, you know it's so cool, like I just played in la and it's like I I played acoustic and I've been testing that out because I played in Madrid recently acoustic and I'd sold 70 tickets, just me and a guitar, wow. And then LA was 50 tickets, just me and a guitar, and like an internet, sort of like cocktail jazzy cabaret club.
Speaker 1:But how does that feel, zach, compared to when you have the whole band together as opposed to just you up there alone on stage with your guitar, like there's nowhere to hide? How does that feel for you, like those experiences when you're doing it live?
Speaker 2:I love both. I think it's cool. I think it's a cool thing about my music now it's like I can do both Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:You can get a guitar and just like go to any open mic or, you know, just start playing anywhere.
Speaker 2:Really right, like you have that ability to just launch into song yeah, and when I play these songs off the record, I mean, I played all the songs on the record, even 25 years, just like a hard song to play acoustic. But I think that, uh, I just played them more like stripped down a little bit right, right myself, and the band is like the full thing, you know right right zach.
Speaker 1:How did? How did? What was the transition like between um working at get hip and them putting out one of your records and the the knox boys records, and then this latest one where you, where you went off to um, you know super sport records, but what was that transition like like? Was it a time for you to move on like? Is that what it felt like like, or were you looking for something different in in, in a label? Um, it brought people into your life that were different as well. I imagine Like, what was that transition like for you?
Speaker 2:I mean Get Hip. They distribute my album, so they distribute Battery Land so you can buy the record from them. They carry it and they support me with my music and stuff and Evan it's on his label and Evan's helping. I think both are both supportive of my journey and, uh, they coincide with each other. But I think that there's no difference, it's just the only thing. Difference is like that I, uh, you know, I, it's my little, my little baby that I hold on to now. I guess, I mean, they help get my music out there to the world because they, you know, and they have been supportive and I don't think without them, I don't think I would be where I'm at today.
Speaker 1:When did you start working for Get Hip, has it been quite a while?
Speaker 2:I worked. Well, I'm 28 now so I worked for them. I like in high school, like when I started the Knox Boys, I like worked at like Taco Bell or like McDonald's or like random guys or whatever odd job I could find a warehouse job. And then I think I was working a warehouse job and they, they have a. They have a facility in the North side of Pittsburgh which is a by the water and there's a warehouse there I was working at, uh, I forget what the warehouse was. I was like, uh, moving around, like uh, camouflage apparel or something Cool. And then I uh, and then I went to go visit them periodically and they're like hey, you should like work here part time. Like you know labels, they're always looking for people to work for them. But uh, like, so I was just like stocking cds and stuff and uh, and then, like, I was like stocking cds, fulfilling orders, um, and then I uh, yeah, I just worked my way up and then I started like talking the record stores.
Speaker 2:I talked to like ox 33 tours in montreal um, I forget what other. I talked to a couple of Toronto stores in Canada, Speed City Records. He's in Ottawa. I think he's a cool dude. I just talked to a lot of record stores and then I built relationships with record stores around the country and the world. I think that also helped me. As an independent, I don't have a booking agent, so I have to book all these tours myself, which it's kind of like thankfully a whole other job right Like it's a job.
Speaker 2:So, like I book all the tours and then, um, the Spain stuff. Luckily my tour driver in Spain, marika, she now is my agent over in Spain, so the corporation over there. She now is my agent over in spain, so the corporation over there and then I'm out.
Speaker 1:I mean the, the relationships that you built, are helping support your, your career as well, like in the sense that everybody, that all of these people and people that you've brought into your life I'm sure you can call on for different things at different times and, like that support, community is there for you. That you built, like not only did you, did you build how your records are coming out, how they were listened to, like all of that, the design of the front cover, of how you're going to post, what tour you're going to go on, has all been a part of your fabric, and now you have all of these agents out there supporting you with it. Um, it must feel pretty cool to have all that support yeah, it was cool.
Speaker 2:I kind of just kind of wrapped and then I left, get hip. Uh, when I like I met a girl like do my late, it's like like my boss, like she, she was a yoga instructor and I met a girl that I was I met through my boss and then I moved to dc and then fell in love and then I moved to dc and then I was dating a girl in dc and I lived in dc and that, and then eventually nox boys were doing our first european tour to like italy and spain and uh, that got canceled because of covid and then I got stuck in this random apartment which was battery Battery Lane, and then that, and then that inspired the whole record, and then Canyon and all the other songs, yeah, yeah, I was going to ask you where, where Battery Lane fits into this, this voyage of yours so far?
Speaker 1:So, from Washington DC.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like a it's apartment street. I lived on in the DC area, the DMV area, which is DC, maryland, virginia, but Maryland technically it's in Bethesda, maryland, which like right next to DC. And uh, yeah, I lived in this apartment and it really just inspired me when I was living on my own for the first time and I was like out of relationship. I was no longer on a label because, like I didn't I didn't work for them anymore and I didn't have a label. At the time I was like just trying to figure out how to survive and I was living in this apartment and I wrote I would just like I was delivering Uber Eats during COVID and like I just like would go out, deliver food and then like come back, write songs, go back out, like I'll be like delivering, like I was like delivering like a chipotle order and like I like was right and like I mean I have the demo right here.
Speaker 2:Hold on, let's find the demo. I got the. I got the uber eats demo. It's never been uber eats demo canyon. Uber eats demo, canyon. Uber Eats demo. Let's see here. Yeah, one second here. Uber Eats Canyon, uber Eats demo. It's kind of hard to see because we're on Zoom, but it says Uber Eats demo 2021.
Speaker 2:Yeah, canyon, I miss those nights. I miss those nights. And yet, where the water used to Over the hills, you can hear my turn signal. As I'm turning slightly, I'm just randomly singing on my phone.
Speaker 2:Well, that's a cool one and I'm eating probably food too at the same time not the person's food, but probably snack. When I wrote that, that was really cool and I then I rushed home and then I got my guitar and then started the first demo, that and then that's when I that started the whole canyon, started everything right before battery.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, yeah, I wanted to ask about battery lane too, just as a song like it's so beautiful, zach, like what a great song, where that's like I mean obviously you were living there and it was your street and stuff, but do you remember how that song came to be?
Speaker 2:it's, it's, it's starting kind of bubbling up of that song uh, I mean that started as another demo in my apartment that I wrote and then I mean, I wrote the majority of that song. I eventually took it to my cousin which I he was the bass player in the nox boys mitchell mcdermott and he plays keyboards in my band now. Um, he's a very talented, like college educated Berkeley grad. He's like a weird at any instrument but he, he helped me finish the song lyrically but I wrote the majority of it and he helped me with some of the lines. We wrote it together and, uh, I wrote it and then he helped me finish it and uh, yeah, and that kind of, uh, I don't know, I had this whole idea. After that song I was like I'm gonna write this record battery lane. I just found it so fascinating. Uh, I don't know, I mean I like the beatles a lot, like penny lane and like different, like yeah and like having an.
Speaker 2:I remember I saw this album cover. I was probably with my friend adia in Baltimore and she was the one who designed the artwork for Canyon, like the orange cover, right. I think I was visiting her in Baltimore at the time and we went to maybe it was like sound exchange in Baltimore or some record store. But we went to a store and there's this old, like seventies record. It was not like a Phil Oaks record or something something, but it's like some like old, like you know 70s record where, like the dude's on a street and there's like a sign and I was like wow, that'd be so cool if I call it like battery lane, like make this record and like that. That's kind of what that was like the concept. And then I got really into just different musicians. I was just into different music at the time and I mean a lot of different music. But I think as far as the concept goes, like Canyon and finding random Phil Oakes or whatever, that folk like an old folk, that I found kind of inspired.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean again it comes back to the variety of this record. Like it's just. But I think how you place the songs are so good. Like I feel like that Woodley Park you know 48-second instrumental there on track four. Like it almost feels a part of battery lane song. Like it just. I know that you separated them too, but it just kind of is this beautiful introduction to battery lane which comes in and just like mind blowingly beautiful song.
Speaker 2:Thanks, I wrote that instrumental. Like the concept of it at the apartment, but Woodley park is like it's a. It's a neighborhood in Washington DC, like the concept of it at the apartment, but Woodley park is like it's a. It's a neighborhood in Washington DC, like further down where I lived. Interesting, interesting.
Speaker 1:I would hang out there. There's definitely speckles of of of DC all over this record.
Speaker 2:Um yeah.
Speaker 1:So Zach, kind of like as we bring things to a close here, um, the record's been out now for 20 days. We'll say yeah 20 days. I need to get all these orders off. How have you felt the reaction has been Like? I know that.
Speaker 2:It's good. It's just like it's got too much work to do and it's like I'm always like, oh, and then like I don't know, maybe I should have a manager, but I don't really want a manager right now. I'm trying to do everything myself.
Speaker 1:But, uh, don't bring yourself out. But at the same time it's good to have that kind of getting to know all the parts and pieces which you've been doing most of your career. Now, how do you, how do you? How do you see the record now with a little bit of distance between it, I mean when you're in it? It's really because you're listening to every single little note in second and um, with a little bit of distance from the release of battery lane? How, how do you look back and see it all here on record now, on vinyl, like what? What's your reaction to this accomplishment 20 days after that you've released it?
Speaker 2:I don't know it's, it's just like it's kind of a crazy thing. It's like you know, whatever life you know you can take different directions in life and, like you know, I kind of took the direction of, like I wanted to make this album and then, you know, here it is. You know, it's like you know, like it had done other things in my life but I, I I'm really proud and, uh, happy and it's a record that I'm really proud of and, like I think it's probably my favorite record so far in my journey as a musician cool so you're up in your game every release, which is I mean ideal right we haven't.
Speaker 2:The best is yet to come right let's sell some records right now, but yeah, yeah yeah, so what's coming down the pipe for 2025?
Speaker 1:so the record came out. I know you're touring and stuff. What are some other things that you could, you can mention to, uh, the listeners?
Speaker 2:You can buy the record. I mean, if you're listening to this podcast, just go to your local record store and be like, hey, I want to buy Zach Kamm's record and maybe mention that you can buy it from Get Hip. They're a distributor, they distribute all around the world and your local record store could order the record and you can buy it from an independent record store. Or you can buy it on my band camp or you can get on get hip or supersportrecordscom. Um it's out on lp, cd and tape and um I'm going on tour on this friday, do you mean tomorrow, correct, great. And then I'm also like I'm also the guy who has like a plan. Like you know, it's complicated when you have like four other guys in your band you're like where are we gonna stay and what we're gonna like?
Speaker 2:you know, I get all these like stupid questions. They'll text you like oh man, what should we do about this problem? Lots of putting out fires, but uh should I bring my capo?
Speaker 1:do you got enough picks and yeah, totally that's I'm like a road manager too. How long is this stretch of tour like, do you have a bit of like, is it pretty straight?
Speaker 2:it's gonna be from friday to next saturday, okay, okay, but there's gonna be like a break in between Monday and Tuesday. I'll come back home, but it's like basically like DC out to New York, penn State State College, and then back to Pittsburgh, and then out to Cleveland, chicago, columbus and Pittsburgh, back to Pittsburgh and doing a home show, and then after that I'm going out to South by Southwest to do a couple shows, shows and I'm playing a show in Columbus, again flying back to Columbus, and then after that the following week I got to fly to Idaho to play a tree Fort music festival, which is like a big music festival out in Idaho. That's a great one too. We're looking at that one.
Speaker 2:But yeah that was kind of surprising too, because I isn't the guy who runs the festival. His name's eric and I. I submitted the application and, uh, he responded my email for a couple days and his number was there and I just gave him a call on the phone. I was like, hey, uh, this is zach kime. He's like zach who and he's like, and he's like, uh, oh, it's that kind like my album's on camp's label, like evan's label, it's like, oh, you should have said that, man. It's like I love your album, I would love to have you find your really good spot. And, like you know, there's like the festival lineup and like there's like three tiers and three spots. My name's on the first tier. I'm like how did that? Nice, that was crazy, but so I'm playing.
Speaker 2:I'm playing next to the main stage, uh, when delicate Steve's playing around the time, uh, time, but around the same stage, or something, but uh, and then after that I might go out to Portland to do an in-store, and then I'll Seattle, maybe, and then going out to Europe again and then Spain, not England. I have a bass player and drummer in England who are going to fly to Spain. It's for the fly guys in the United States.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, amazing coordinations.
Speaker 2:I'm going out to Denver, colorado. That's all I have booked right now. I'm going to try to do Detroit, madison, toronto as well, coming up in April in upstate New York, then Montreal. It's going to happen eventually. It like Detroit, madison and then Toronto as well, coming up in April, and upstate New York and then Montreal. It's going to happen eventually. It'll happen eventually. It's just like the. Of course it's going to happen.
Speaker 1:Of course it will happen, that's for sure. Well, zach, this has been a real treat, as always, it's great to talk with you again. We'll do it again. Are you still penning tunes too, like you're?
Speaker 2:this came out, but you're still getting into your process now and then uh, yeah, I'm writing a little bit, but I think that right now it's just kind of heavily focused on this album and just out there um and uh, trying to play as much as possible. And uh, yeah, I think that another eye-opening thing is recently doing the band shows and then doing acoustic shows. So I mean, I might be playing these cities banned, but then also I might go back to these cities and play them acoustic eventually, like maybe an acoustic tour cool, cool that.
Speaker 2:That would be amazing to see I think, an acoustic tour, and then also I want to do a live record, like a live record where, like a like like Zach Klein at like a cabaret, like sort of like cocktail bar vibe, I do a live album.
Speaker 1:Like a little Rufus-y style, wainwright-y show tune-y. Oh, that would be so amazing. I think that would.
Speaker 2:That would complement your, your style really nicely as well such a good idea, zach, like a live, like battery lane and like the whole album live, yeah, like acoustic or something or a band, I don't know, I gotta figure it out, but I think that'd be in los angeles fun.
Speaker 1:Wow, I'm excited for you and, um, I'm happy that you got this record out and I'm glad that you're doing all this stuff for us. I do encourage all of my listeners out there.
Speaker 1:Please go and check Zach out. He's on tour. He'll be playing probably somewhere close to you and pick his record up at the show. And also get a t-shirt and go and say hi to zach, and he is such a lovely person and it's just so fun to talk with you, zach, and share um. I feel like I'm I'm I'm that little bird on your shoulder as you're walking around. I get to see all of your experiences and live through you. So thank you and I wish you all the best with your tour and the record. Um, zach, what song are we going to play it here at the end of the um podcast for people to listen to?
Speaker 2:I don't know what's your favorite. That I mean, obviously, the ones we haven't played before. We're not canyon or the better days. What's one that speaks to you?
Speaker 1:battery lane. Okay, cool, why don I'm going to also put. You'll hear at the start of this podcast I'm going to put Woodley Park on Because I think it's a great little intro. Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2:Woodley Park to Battery.
Speaker 1:Lane, absolutely so. We'll bookend this podcast with two amazing tunes, so stay tuned, people Don't turn the thing off. Zach, thank you. I wish you all the best. It's really good to see you and talk with you, reconnect and we'll talk soon definitely, man.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, chris. Cheers man travel the long road, saw the shape of a rainbow. I loved the weight of my unfinished dreams Tripping over my destiny. God loves, let it go. Naive but eager eyes make a stain on a Friday night.
Speaker 2:I need my strings to come undone. I'm more absurd than a funeral drum. What a pretty life this could be. And I'm going to Battery Lane Something deep inside, quiet strange. I'm going by Battery Lane To let myself Live Again. I'm going back Battery lane, naked walls and our eyes. I'm going back, start all over again again. Feet and face. I used to know sepia prints on the window. I hear a song from the other room.
Speaker 2:A place that reminds me of you. I got a letter to let you go and I'm going to Battery Lane. Through the storm I paid a shame Going back to Battery Lane To leave myself here again. I'm going back to Battery Lane. I love you and I'm going to Barry Lane.
Speaker 1:That's where I'll Intend to stay. I'm going back to the barren lane. Let myself dream again.
Speaker 2:I'm going back to the barren lane. I'll never want to be the same. I'm going to run and start over again.
