“Well, the first half [of my twenties] I spent in active drug and alcohol addiction, and the second half I spent learning how to live life without drugs and alcohol."

Zach Churchill just released a new album entitled Greater Than. We’ve reviewed the marvelous lead single of the album “Surrender” a while back. You can read the review of the song here. 


Zach agreed to talk to us a bit about his music, new album, his struggles and travels as well as his background. 

 

1. When did you start singing and when did you become interested in music? 


I started singing at a very early age ... 3 or 4 years old. My first introduction to music was when my grandparents would sing French duets to me as a young child. My grandmother is from Lyon, France, and they both had such beautiful voices, deep bass and soprano.


2. How would you describe you music?


The album Greater Than has a 90s alternative rock vibe. My music is singer-songwriter based, as I write everything first on an acoustic guitar or piano, then in the studio we found this sound naturally.


3. Who are your favorite artists and why? 


Jeff Buckley because he naturally conveyed such raw, deep emotion through his music. 


David Bowie because his music is so rich, deep, and eclectic that it speaks to me over and over again in new ways over the years.


4. Your Spotify bio says that your album “Heartbreak & Hope” serves a musical milestone commemorating a ten-year journey through your twenties – a decade that you barely survived. Can you tell us a bit more about that period in your life?


Well, the first half I spent in active drug and alcohol addiction, and the second half I spent learning how to live life without drugs and alcohol. It's been a painful road, but I'm so grateful for every lesson.


5. Your song “Surrender” is a fantastic pop/rock number that the MBTM blog reviewed a few weeks ago. What inspired the song? 


As a recovering addict, I often talk to people who are trying to get clean but are powerless to do so. I often wonder about the mystery of “hitting bottom”, and why some people seem unable to find that bottom. 


I personally take no credit for my willingness to get sober as it came from the gift of desperation and not wanting to die. Prior to my bottom, I had no intention of ever stopping. So “Surrender” is exploring the idea of powerlessness, and what it takes to actually be done and ready to try something new.


6. I found a webpage, according to which you’ve performed in France and travelled in Spain. What was that like? 


I have family all over France so I was able to take a month-long trip out there in my early twenties. I got to perform in Paris at a really cool venue called L'Internacional – such lovely people. 


I visited Spain last year and walked the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage through the north of Spain. It was a transformative experience, and I met some lifelong friends over there.


7. When asked about the “Heartbreak & Hope” album, you’ve said that “It’s all real and it’s my story”. Is it fair to say that writing songs is your way of keeping a diary?


Writing songs is definitely a way I process experiences and emotions. I keep a daily journal as well, but my songwriting is a method of self-expression and how I get my insides outside.


8. Do you have a new album in the works?


My sophomore album, Greater Than, dropped this month on 10/28/22, and I begin sessions for a follow-up album in January.


9. If you could go back in time and give advice to your younger self, what would it be?


Relax. Slow down. Stop running. Face yourself.


You can read more about Zach Churchill here: http://www.zachchurchillmusic.com/

 

Interview by Tom Tikka for MBTM