On Monday December 7th we had the pleasure of speaking with the Zach Deputy about his music and tour. He also be treated us to a live session! Check out the video!
ZACH DEPUTY
Zach Deputy is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based in Savannah, GA and best known for his live looping shows. He describes his style as “island-infused drum n’ bass gospel ninja soul.”
Deputy has a diverse ethnic background, having Puerto Rican, Irish, African, British, French, and Cherokee heritage, which opens him to influence from Latin, Caribbean, and African music. Deputy’s music is often about “the highs of life,” and he has said that songwriting is a way to “take pictures of the things that I want to remind myself of 10 years from now.”
Deputy began looping when his bass player couldn’t make it to a show and Zach decided to use a delay pedal as a looping pedal rather than cancel the gig. When he plays live, he will loop and layer chord progressions, bass, beat boxing, drum sounds, vocals, and guitar. He performs with four microphones: a vocal synthesizer for choir sounds; one for high-hat, snare, and back-beat; one for main vocals, and one for vocal bass or bass drum. His looping shows are known for their variety. “There are so many different ways it can happen. I can loop my guitar first, go into drums or loop a vocal riff first or straight into beat boxing and loop it or just go acoustic. It’s very free formed. Every show can be extremely different from another. I try to have little consistency when it comes to my show. I never want to get bored with myself.” His fans will seek out live recordings of particular shows because each is so unique.
Deputy spends most of the year touring and at one time averaged 300 shows a year. His performances are mostly one-man-band looping shows, but also include Zach Deputy Band shows and acoustic storyteller shows. He has played many large festivals such as Jam Cruise, Mountain Jam, High Sierra Music Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, and All Good Music Festival.
Deputy’s third album, Another Day (2011), departed from eclectic sound of his first two records into a soulful rhythm and blues, showcasing his talents as a songwriter. The album was recorded over 5 days at Mission Sound Recording in Brooklyn, NY with Grammy-winning producer Scott Jacoby and released on Eusonia Records. Of the album, Deputy said, “I wanted to put down some of the songs that I just played when I was hanging out by myself, when I wasn’t actually trying to entertain anybody. Some people say they don’t understand and it’s a whole new direction, but for me it’s a not a whole new direction, it’s just something I do.”
Zach Deputy will be touring with his new band The Hashtags at select dates across the Northeast this fall. The Hashtags – comprised of keys, drums, and percussion, with Zach on guitar – foster a collective experience between themselves and the audience as they vibe and improvise off each other, creating a different show every night like the one-man looping show Zach Deputy is best known for. “When I’m looping, all the ideas are coming from within me,” says Zach. “It’s so much fun for me to be able to vibe off of other musicians.”
The intimacy of the band with only two melodic instruments allows for a more freeform experience than the tight Zach Deputy Band. “Great artists drive themselves to keep growing and changing,” Zach says. “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”
The Hashtags are:
Keys – Matt Zeiner
Drums – Billy Carbone
Percussion – Jay Stanley
12.14.15 – Guanabana’s, Jupiter, FL
12.15.15 – Closer to the Sun, Puerto Morelos, Mexico
12.30.15 – The Pour House, Charleston, SC
12.31.15 – Light Up Amelia’s NYE Shrimp Drop!!, Fernandina Beach, FL
12.31.15 – Green Turtle Tavern, Fernandina Beach, FL***
***Ring in the New Year With Zach Deputy!
01.01.16 – Stratton Mountain Resort, Stratton, VT***
***New Year’s Day Party at Grizzly’s Base Lodge
1.02.16 – Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT
01.06.16 – 01.11.16 – Jam Cruise, Miami, FL
THE EXPENDABLES WINTER BLACKOUT TOUR
Zach will be joining The Expendables on their Winter Blackout Tour!
01.15.16 – House of Blues, San Diego, CA
01.16.16 – The Marquee, Tempe, AZ
01.17.16 – Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM
01.19.16 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
01.20.16 – Warehouse Live – Studio, Houston, TX
01.22.16 – Gas Monkey Bar n Grill, Dallas, TX
01.23.16 – House of Rock, Corpus Christi, TX
01.24.16 – House of Rock, Corpus Christi, TX
01.27.16 – High Dive, Gainesville, FL**
01.29.16 – Jannus Live, St. Petersburg, FL**
**Zach Deputy and The Hashtags
Other Recent Articles
The Pine Hill Project Rani Arbo + Daisy Mayhem
The Pine Hill Project Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem Academy of Music Northampton MA November 27 2015 […]
Pink Talking Fish Woodland Tavern Columbus OH December 5 2016 Jack O’Handley has been on fire […]
Brighton Music Hall John Kadlecik Band December 9
Brighton Music Hall John Kadlecik Band December 9John Kadlecik Band Brighton Music Hall Allston, MA […]
Roots of Creation Releasing new triple album in early 2016 On tour this week with Ballyhoo! New En […]
Dweezil Releases new album Announces US Tour dates Dweezil Zappa has performed over a thousand sho […]
