Young Guitar Hero: Zach Person

Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell, Editor-in-Chief

Guitarist and singer-songwriter, Zach Person, will release his debut self-titled LP April 2nd, kicking off his release with a show at the Empire Control Room in Austin, Texas. First receiving national recognition as an American Idol Season 15 contestant, Zach became a House of Blues Music Forward Foundation Alumnus, which gave him the credit and opportunity to share stages with legendary guitarists, such as Buddy Guy, who said of Zach, “What can I say, this young man is hot!” His extraordinary guitar playing ability helps him stand out of the crowd. Get to know Zach:

What artists and music have made the biggest impression on you?

As a teenager, I was heavily inspired by classic rock bands and bluesmen of the early to mid 20th century. The emotion and energy of that music has an authenticity that resonates with me like nothing else. As I’ve gotten older and begun to experience more of the world, elements of pop, hip-hop, and Americana have also found their way into my playing and songwriting.

When did you get your first guitar?

My first guitar was a First Act toy guitar from Wal-Mart that my mother bought for me when I was 10. After banging around on that for about a year, she bought me my first real guitar, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, and started me taking lessons.

What does it mean to have legendary artists, like Buddy Guy, complimenting your talent?

These are artists that I’d grown up watching videos of on the internet and television through my formative years. After so much time of admiring and studying from these legendary artists, it’s very surreal to meet them in person… and having them appreciate what I’m doing feels like such an honor.

What can fans expect to find in your upcoming LP?

I've been fortunate to have experienced a lot of different cultures and music in my life thus far. Each music scene and genre has elements within them that resonate with me. The heavy longing of the blues, the excitement and untamed energy of rock, the mystical slide sounds of Americana and folk, the deep and meaningful storytelling of country, the bright, twangy licks of southern guitar styles, the soulful vocals and complex chords of Neo soul, and the “fat beats” and 808’s of hip-hop… Over the course of a show (or an album), my hope is that I can evoke all of these feelings in the listener, and create real moments that they can hold on to and treasure for a lifetime. With these tracks, I believe I accomplished just that!

How would you describe your guitar style and tone, and how did you get it?

For the majority of my career, I’ve been limited by the number of players I’ve had on stage. Solo, duo and trio shows tend to demand more of the musicians performing, and so years of being the only melodic instrument on stage forced me to learn how to fill space with just my guitar. That’s had a big influence on how I approach everything from songwriting and arranging to guitar solos and chord phrasing. Finding a nice balance of saturation, reverb and delays (in moderation), and note selection has really helped round out my side of the stage. The rest of the energy comes from the drummer. I’ ve been fortunate to be able to work with an incredible drummer, Jake Wyble, who is really dynamic on stage. The combination of the two (plus the addition of subby electronic bass tracks) make for an often surprisingly big sound!

Who inspired you to play guitar?

In the beginning I was listening to a lot of heavier rock bands. It wasn’t until my guitar instructor (Baxter Clement of Casino Guitars, NC) turned me on to the blues that I began to really start having guitar heroes. People like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa, and Jonny Lang had a huge influence on my playing. Then in high school I started listening to more indie rock sounds like, The Black Keys, Jack White and Tyler Bryant. Both of the sounds have stuck with me and remain at the core of all of the music I create to this day.

What music is on your current playlist?

Most recently I’ ve been listening on repeat to a live recording of this artist from Austin named Dave Scher. He’s one of the most talented musicians I’ ve ever known, and definitely my favorite guitarist/musician. He plays around Austin quite a bit with his own band, but you ’re just as likely to see him ripping on stage next to Eric Johnson on tour. You should definitely give him a listen.

Follow Zach on Instagram and Twitter @ZachPerson and on Facebook @ZachPersonOfficial. Stream his self-titled LP April 2nd, wherever music is available.