#duskland

TSH: What sort of notable transition do you feel came into play with ‘Duskland’?

Zachary: It was more of a change in arrangement and song forms. We did use some horns on a few songs, but mostly everything else instrument wise had been implemented on previous records. I think the notable transition is more of an aesthetic one – the types of songs - bigger arrangements, production techniques, etc.

TSH: Were you aiming for a certain type of conviction and intensity to define the record?

Zachary: I had a loose idea. I chose certain songs that I felt came from the same place. There’s a lot of minor key balladry and processional rhythms in these songs. They move at a slower pace. I was thinking of songs like The Animals version of “House of the Rising Sun” or “Whiter Shade of Pale”. You know, like these haunting dirge like songs with magnetic tension and a grand sweep. They take their time and pull you in. I was also thinking about Westerns a lot. Western as a genre is different than Country, even though they get grouped together. There’s a foreboding quality in that music, an ominous melancholy and anticipation that keeps you on the edge.

TSH: How would you sum up the overall sonic palette of this release?

Zachary: There’s a heavy atmosphere to most of it but a lot of space too. I wanted it be dreamlike. There’s also a lot more melodic counterpoints in the instrumentation. I’m pretty clueless when it comes to gear and effects. Matt Boynton who used to run Vacation Island Recording and who’s now working at The Magic Shop recorded, mixed and mastered this record. We’ve worked together since my second record ‘Walking Papers’. You’d have to ask him how he works his magic. I was listening to a lot of Daniel Lanois’ work. The records he’s done with Dylan, Neil Young and Willie Nelson are all favourites of mine. He worked closely on projects with Brian Eno too, who is probably one of the greatest sound sculptors ever.

TSH: How key is it for you to use music to convey a particular set of emotions?

Zachary: It’s absolutely key. I’m pretty old fashioned when it comes to putting songs together. Once I have the melody, chord changes and lyrics, the song is done in my mind. Recording is just something you have to do. Songs change faces every time you play them. Especially if there’s different people you’re playing with. Lyrics are very important to me. The true test of a good song is to be able to play the song alone so everyone can hear every single line because each one has to be as strong as the one before. I can’t record or play songs if I don’t believe in them. I’m hard on myself when it comes to that. I can’t just sing whatever and call it a song.

TSH: Having been intrigued by old blues tunings, did you incorporate this at all?

Zachary: I use different tunings often. It can alter the tonality in interesting ways. For this record I went for a more traditional approach, so it’s mostly standard tuning except for ‘Evensong’, which was actually a holdover from my last record ‘Blue Rider’. On ‘Duskland’ simpler guitar techniques were used. Arpeggios and waltz rhythms, little melodic lines running between chord changes. This album has less finger style guitar on it too. That was a conscious decision. That type of playing works easier when I’m in solo mode. These songs were written for a band. The guitar needed to be simple on this record in order for the other instruments to shine.

TSH: The track ‘Sundowner’ is exceptional. What are the ideas and motivations behind the track itself?

Zachary: It might have spearheaded the sound I wanted to explore on the album, lyrically and melodically. It was recorded before most of the other songs. The guitar playing is understated; it’s more about the processional quality of the rhythm section and the voice. I knew from the beginning of the recording sessions that this song would be the lead off track. There’s no build up, it just starts. The word sundowner was used in the depression era to describe a wayward traveller or a hobo. The character in this song is depicted as a fugitive or a branded man, someone on the fringes of society. The album has a lot of characters that are either on their way somewhere or fleeing from something. They’re all in transition.

TSH: Tell us more about the track 'Blue Moth' alluding to an end that isn’t explored fully?

Zachary: ‘Blue Moth’ is based on someone that saw their end but after a moment of clarity was wise enough to circle back. In other words, resuscitation after a brief dance with death. This end I'm alluding to isn't explored fully, I wanted to keep it open. Most of my songs are like that, they never completely spell it out. But this overall feeling of confusion and blindness is something I think every human being has grappled with. A feeling of being pulled in a direction you don't think you have control over. The two big images in the song are the moth and the surfer. The moth symbol is appropriate in the first verse as they seem like helpless creatures, attracted to the light that could potentially destroy them. In the second verse there's a surfer exalted and weightless riding a wave. He's aware of the great force below him but he's become a master of using that force to guide him. It's a simple metaphor for life essentially.

TSH: Album closer ‘Low Light Serenade’ is quite dreamy and wistful – how did you flesh out the layers and arrangements of this song?

Zachary: This song took a long time to record. We must’ve scrapped ten versions before we got this one. It was recorded live as a trio: me on acoustic guitar and vocal, James Preston on bass, and Otto Hauser on drums. Everything else was added later: trumpet, steel, piano, electric guitar. It sounds huge but honestly the instrumentation is pretty minimal. I definitely think we hit on something magical with all the components though. It’s a long song, but how the instruments swirl around the melody keeps it from dragging. I’m a fan of long songs that you can get lost in. Van Morrison’s work on ‘Astral Weeks’ and Neil Young’s ‘On the Beach’ have been inspiring to me in that they explore long form impressionistic song writing styles.

TSH: Being fascinated by storytelling – how would you say the biblical quality in the album comes into play?

Zachary: The songs are about restless souls. They’re all on some sort of search. Illumination maybe, fortune other times, or just running scared. The Bible is full of stories about similar people. I wouldn’t say that any of these songs are biblically inspired exactly, but they do have a certain allegorical quality that the stories in the Bible have. Personally, I feel like I'm always reaching for something universal. Something any one of us has experienced or at least could project themselves into. The characters in these songs are more like symbols than real people. It's more about the journey from A to B. I wanted to capture something elemental. The songs are like mini morality tales. They're about people who are searching, their trials, and the splintering of pathways.

TSH: What pleased you most about your way of working for this release?

Zachary: This one took a long time. Sessions were spread months apart sometimes. I feel like I kind of lost myself a few times in the process. I knew it was going to be different than the last one and I was a bit hesitant to give myself over fully to that idea, but in the end it came together pretty easy. I guess I’m just glad that I was able to retain my focus and deliver what I wanted. Playing with an outstanding bunch of musicians was great too.

TSH: Is it important to have a sort of cinematic scope within your music – an open space to wander around for the listener?

Zachary: Yes, I think so. For this record I tried to evoke the spirit of Western films using sounds that suggest landscape to capture something that's bigger than the person in the song. Even the title suggests a place. I'm a big fan of Brian Eno. His titles are always site specific. When you put on one of his records it transports you to that place. Since the writing on this record comes from a spiritual terrain it was important for me to keep the structure and tonality cohesive, so it flows together like one long stream.

TSH: The challenges that come with the music profession can be tough. How do you avoid and get around the feeling of getting bummed out?

Zachary: I just try not to think about the business, as hard as that is. Just throw yourself into your art and surround yourself around people that are working on great things. The farther one gets along in the business, I find you have less time for your art. Being a musician these days is not just about being a musician. Even when you have support from labels, agents or publicists - you still have to keep abreast of all those things. It would be great if we could just focus on what we’re good at, but these days you have to be good at everything.

TSH: It’s been noted that you mix romance and strangeness – do you identify with this?

Zachary: I agree that there’s a romantic bent to what I do. Romantic in the sense that it’s lyrical music. I use a lot of imagery and try to write as a painter would create a painting. I don’t know if what I do is all that strange. There are lot of traditional elements to what I do, but if you put my music up against cookie cutter Americana acts my music might sound pretty strange in comparison, but strange is good. To me strange just means unique.

TSH: What ideas commonly allow you to hone in on your desired sounds?

Zachary: Ultimately I try to think visually when recording. There’s certain mic placements that help capture the sound I want, deading the drums, and a few other technical things that I return to again and again, but I like to change it up each time too.

TSH: Do you work on singing techniques to switch up your vocal style?

Zachary: Depending on the song I will alter my delivery. Phrasing and conviction is more important to me than hitting the notes perfectly. With every record I’ve gotten better as a singer. It didn’t come naturally to me at first; I had to work on it. I think have more control now, and my timbre has gotten smoother over time. I sing lower on this record than I ever have. I try to enunciate as well as I can, but there’s something in my voice that makes me slur my words a bit. I used to crowd my lines more, which makes it harder to hear everything. For this record I wanted each line to have a certain amount of weight, and space allows them to be discerned easier.

TSH: What do you relish and hope to explore as you move forward?

Zachary: I want to keep changing. Explore new types of songs and sounds. I’m already thinking of the next record and what direction I’ll take. I have a feeling it’s going to be lighter, maybe a bit more straight ahead and embrace my rock n roll tendencies that show up when I play with the band. I relish in playing live. I’d really like to be on the road more. It’s the only way you get better as a musician.