“It’s Liberating To Be As Open As Possible In My Writing.” Interview With Zachariah

Get lost in the dreamy vocals of Zachariah, a new pop/R&B artist based in LA who releases his new single ‘Winter Doesn’t Wait’. There is a wistfulness in this acoustic pop song delivered through lush tones and textured layers. My one complaint? At 2 minutes and 41 seconds, I am desperate to hear more. Let’s hope Zachariah doesn’t wait either….for his next release.

Zachariah desrcibes the inspiration behind his new single, “The song was inspired by a weekend away from LA on the East Coast,” he continues, “We got to be in the most beautiful remote place – it was August and summer was coming to a close. I kept thinking about not wanting to go back to the city, back to my part-time jobs, back to the monotony of what I was doing in LA. Summer and our time was fleeting and I wanted to hold on to it as long as I could.”

‘Winter Doesn’t Wait’ follows Zachariah’s 2018’s ‘If You Want Me To,’ which garnered immediate praise from Ones to Watch. Zachariah has definitely found his niche in melancholy songs with a fresh feel, nostalgic lyrics, and catchy hooks. We caught up with the LA artist to find out more.

Tell me about your new single ‘Winter Doesn’t Wait’
The song is about not wanting a small moment in time to end. I had just gotten back from a short trip on the east coast – which felt light years away from my life in LA. I was kinda down about being back in Los Angeles – going back to my part-time job, and the traffic, and all the noise. I wanted to hold on to the last bit of summer that we had.

Walk me through the creative process when writing your music or recording a song?
It varies, for sure. I typically write melodies and then lyrics when I am in a session. I have thousands of voice memos and notes in my phone that I record while I’m driving or out on a walk – tiny ideas that I like to expand into actual songs. For this one, I came into the studio with a few small sentences about the trip that only made sense to me. David Burris put down some beautiful chords and we (David, Brooke Tomlinson, and me) sat and figured out a cool way to string the ideas together. We liked the idea that ‘summer never stays’ and then flipped it on its head.

You have been compared to artists such as ZAYN and Troye Sivan – Who are some of your musical inspirations or influences?
I love Lana Del Rey- I think her lyrics and melodic choices are so thoughtful and gorgeous. I have always loved jazz- musicians like Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald have always inspired me as well. I also grew up listening to everything from Imogen Heap to Alison Krauss to Sam Cooke.

What do you think about the pop/R&B landscape at the moment and where do you think you fit in?
I think the pop landscape is super interesting right now. You can kind of do whatever you want. There’s not really a blueprint of what pop music is, which is exciting. I think it opens pop music up to the outsiders and people who maybe feel like they don’t belong.

Is there a hidden meaning or message in any of your music?
I like being pretty literal with my music, peppered with some cute metaphors, so not a lot of hidden meanings or mystery. It’s pretty liberating to be as open as possible in my writing.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I was that kid that had like seven lizards and snakes growing up. Lol

The up-and-coming artist you love the most is…?
She’s pretty popular now, but Rosalia is everything.

What song would you most like to cover and why?
Probably something by Kacey Musgraves because she is a genius and I’m obsessed with her latest album.

Guilty pleasure?
YouTube, but I’m not ashamed!!

What’s next for Zachariah?
I’m releasing more singles the next couple months and hopefully an EP by the end of the year!