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1.) We’re excited to have some time today with acclaimed singer and songwriter extraordinaire Martin Zellar; greetings and salutations, Martin! Before we meander down the musical Q&A pathway, how is the freshly-minted autumn of 2023 treating you thus far?
It’s been a busy autumn, but in a good way. It’s been years since I’ve released a new album, and I forgot how much work was involved.
2.) Major congratulations on your incredible new album Head West which is set to premiere this October 6! What got the ball rolling on this gem of an LP? What was the inspiration which launched it into reality?
The COVID downtime gets most of the credit for the songwriting on the album. I had never had so much uninterrupted time to think and write. I also did a lot of reading, which has always been something that has kick-started the creative process for me. My brain was all over the place. Looking back, looking to the future, thinking about where I wanted to go.
3.) What does your creative process generally look like when preparing new material? Is there rhyme and reason to the creative proceedings, or is it a little less formal than all of that?
I have never been the type of a songwriter who sits down, rolls up his sleeves, and sets to work. I am an off-again, on-again type of songwriter. Very informal. I’d like to say that I wait for a muse, but I think it’s more a matter of laziness. I honestly don’t know how I write a song. It just happens. Sometimes quickly, sometimes over many years.
4.) We’re big admirers of the mesmerizing Better Off Apart off of the Head West LP! What’s the VH1-Behind the Music origin story on this unforgettable ditty?
It’s definitely not autobiographical. I’ve been happily married for 33 years, and my wife and I loved having the COVID downtime to spend together. But I watched the marriages and relationships of many friends disintegrate over that time. I suppose, like me, they did a lot of thinking about the future and concluded that they would be happier alone or with a different partner.
5.) Family is a big theme in Head West and, appropriately enough, your own family was very involved in assisting you in bringing the album to life. Did having that family dynamic on the creative-end of the album add a whole new rich texture to the creative process?
The entire family being involved was entirely organic. We wrapped up construction on a really nice little home studio in our back garden about a year ago. Suddenly, I had a nice studio, but I had no idea how to use the gear inside. Thankfully, I have two sons that do. Our oldest son, Wilson, engineered, mixed, and mastered the album, and our youngest son, Owen, acted as assistant engineer. Our late-life surprise daughter, Clementine, didn’t want to be left out, so she added some percussion. My wife, Carolyn, is a gifted photographer who took all the album art photos.
Wilson is also a savant on the guitar. I wrote the songs, then recorded barebones demos sitting in a room with an acoustic guitar. Then Wilson rerecorded those demos with better-played, better-sounding guitar parts. He did a fantastic job replicating the rhythm parts from my demos. I know he had to play well below his capabilities to match them. I have very little cartilage left in the fingers of my left hand, so the repetitive nature of recording in the studio is difficult for me. I play guitar well enough to write with and I do my own rhythm playing live, but it was easy for me, ego-wise, to relinquish the job of playing them in the studio to my son.
6.) Who inspires you musically?
My taste in music is all over the board, and the list of artists that inspire me would be long. Taylor Swift and Jason Isbell have sat toward the top of my list over the past few years. It’s tough to find artists that do so many things so well. They’re both articulate, incredible writers, players, and performers, and they both seem to be decent human beings. I’d probably answer that question differently if you asked me an hour from now. Like I said, it’s a long list.
Reading a great book is as likely to inspire me to write a song as listening to a great album. Watching a great movie, as well.
7.) With Head West officially premiering on October 6, can fans look forward to catching you on the touring/performing circuit in the coming weeks and months?
We’ll be touring around the U.S. over the next six months. We plan to hit one region, take a short break, then move on to the next. We’ll decide whether to play internationally after we’ve wrapped up with the U.S. markets. My website would be the best place to check where and when.
8.) In your humble opinion, what differentiates Head West from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music scene?
I’ve been so busy writing and recording Head West that I’ve barely kept up with what else is happening musically right now. I’m not self-confident, so I avoid comparing myself with other artists. I always end up depressed.
9.) How is Head West similar to some of your past music? How is it different?
Some common threads run through my music, but this one feels different. It could be the fact that I’m older and sober. It could be that I was able to take more time thinking things through and recording. Each of my albums is a scrapbook of who and where I was when I wrote and recorded them. I’m happier with who and where I am right now than I’ve ever been.
10.) At the end of the day, what do you hope music aficionados walk away with after giving Head West many-a-spin on their respective hi-fi systems?
I always want to leave that up to the listener. Right now, I’m hoping we can get enough exposure to give them a chance to decide for themselves what they think. I think we have a good chance of winning folks over if we can get them to listen. We are a very small operation, so we have limited means to gain exposure.
11.) Final – SILLY! – Question: Favorite movie about the music scene – This Is Spinal Tap, Almost Famous, La Bamba, That Thing You Do or Oliver Stone’s The Doors?
Definitely Spinal Tap. I’ve seen all the others, and they’re all great movies, but Spinal Tap is the only one I’ve watched repeatedly over the years. And each time, I laughed just as hard as the first time I watched it.
Website: martinzellar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartinLeeZellar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinzellar/
Apple music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/martin-zel-lar/11562766
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6nWoeTrnmG1742Y– 5fMGwpX?autoplay=true
Bandcamp: https://martinzellar.bandcamp.com
