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THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE
I DECEMBER 12, 2011
CHICAGO AUDIOFILE AMANDA MURPHY, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR DOLLY PARTON // JOLENE JOHNNY CASH // LONG LEGGED GUITAR PICKIN’ MAN JENNY LEWIS W/ THE WATSON TWINS // HAPPY JOHN LEE HOOKER // DIMPLES
TING SHEN, PHOTO EDITOR STERIOGRAM // ROADTRIP RANDOM RAB // FOR MY CORPSE STARS // UNDERTOW THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO // SUNDAY MORNING
GREG CAPPIS, ASSISTANT METRO EDITOR DON HO // TINY BUBBLES COUNTING CROWS // MRS. POTTER’S LULLABY RUSKO // HOLD ON (SUB FOCUS REMIX) PUFF DADDY FEAT. JIMMY PAGE // COME WITH ME
Courtesy ROYA JADE MURRAY
Zach and Elspeth Harris of Zachary Gunn & The Local Historians. The married couple perform together on the group’s debut album, “Apartment Sessions I.”
New age for Local Historians by Brian Dukerschein
LINDSEY WOODS, ASSISTANT SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR
Assistant Arts & Culture Editor
ZH: Oh boy, oh man, I don’t know. Something involving indie folk with a campfire senior Zach Harris, 22, knows how to make sort of improvisation. music with limited resources. In 2009 and 2010, he used borrowed microphones and The Chronicle: Your songs are very lyrihis laptop to record two self-penned albums cally driven. What is your process? in his bedroom under the moniker Birds and Kings. In 2011, Harris released his third ZH: I’m always writing words down, whethalbum, “Apartment Sessions I,” as Zachary er I’m on the train, in class or in church. I’m Gunn & the Local Historians, which fea- always doodling ideas for imagery. Imagery tures his new wife and Columbia alumna, is huge, and I’ll often just have a huge page Elspeth Ryan, who now goes by Harris. full of random images or maybe something The Chronicle sat down with the inter- a little more structured. Then, I’ll take time disciplinary major to discuss his new cre- and sit at home and just play chords and ative name, the creative process and the figure out something that would work, to direction his music career is headed in. find a melody for those words.
R. KELLY // I BELIEVE I CAN FLY STEVE MILLER BAND // FLY LIKE AN EAGLE QUAG CITY DJ’S // SPACE JAM SALT-N-PEPPA // UPSIDE DOWN
ACOUSTIC FOLK musician and Columbia
Week ending Dec. 6, 2011
#1 Album
Top tracks
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United States Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO
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(3) 3
It Will Rain • Bruno Mars Christmas Michael Buble
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Moves Like Jagger • Maroon 5
(2) 2 (4) 4 5
United Kingdom Dance With Me Tonight • Olly Murs
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Wishing on a Star • X Factor Finalists 2011
(1) 3
Good Feeling • Flo Rida Christmas Michael Buble
Who You Are • Jessie J
We Found Love • Rihanna
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(4) 5
Spain Ai Se Eu Te Pego • Michel Telo
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We Found Love • Rihanna
(4) 3
Someone Like You • Adele Christmas Michael Buble
Rolling in the Deep • Adele
No Sigue Modas • Juan Magan Source: iTunes
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the style of your music?
(3) 2 (2) 4 5
© 2011 MCT
The Chronicle: Where did your first name, The Chronicle: Have you performed live? Birds and Kings, originate? ZH: Yeah, several times. Not as much as I Zach Harris: That’s a funny question would love to, just with still being in school. because I don’t remember for sure. I remem- I’m still trying to get out there more. But ber I have it written down in a notebook I’ve done a few underground shows, a from high school, but I have no idea where couple house shows and open mic nights. the two words came from. But it has kind of evolved into a creative identity to work The Chronicle: Have you noticed your from, with the idea of freedom coming from music evolving in the course of your the birds and authority, or a sort of struc- three albums? ture coming from the king, and working from the conflict between the two. ZH: It’s hard for me to summarize how, because I don’t spend as much time The Chronicle: What prompted you to reflecting on my own stuff as I do making change the name? it. But it’s definitely shifted, and I hope it has gotten better, or at least found more ZH: I guess I’m trying to focus the work and of a structure and become more refined also get a little more collaborative. Initially, as I’ve learned new recording techniques, the “Zachary Gunn” came from my wife’s [become] a stronger guitar player and middle name, and so that’s kind of a frame- learned to vocalize better. work to work with her.Then “The Local Historians” is kind of something bigger, and The Chronicle: How far do you want to I’ve started doing more exciting stuff with go, musically? that by working with a couple other musicians to collaborate with and write totally ZH: It’s not something that I’m pressuring new music that isn’t just my own work. myself to do too much. It’s something that comes naturally rather than [my] seeking The Chronicle: What led you to start a career within music in and of itself. I making albums? want to go as far as it will take me, and that just matters as far as what people think ZH: It’s a creative impulse, I suppose. I of it—how it’s received and where the colguess I’ve always been a mixed media sort laborations go. Because no matter how it of artist, whether in my major or otherwise. is received, I’m going to keep doing it and There’s something about constructing a keep trying to construct the perfect song. song from layered parts that just sort of To hear music from Birds and Kings and came naturally. I had always been [a writer], Zachary Gunn & the Local Historians, visit and songwriting became the very focused music.BirdsandKings.com and way to tell a story. ZacharyGunn.bandcamp.com. The Chronicle: How would you describe
bdukerschein@chroniclemail.com