Zachary Friederich

Zachary Friederich is a songwriter currently based in Chicago, Illinois. Zachary grew up playing in punk bands in Saint Louis, while also spending time in Nashville and Seattle. Upon asking Friederich about his journey, he had the following to say: “Along the way I’ve collected a group of musicians with whom I frequently collaborate. The main being my lovely wife, Kate DeToye, who sings backing vocals on almost all of my songs. I’ve been doing the DIY songwriter thing for the last couple of years, releasing my music through Soundcloud.”
“As for my songs, I’ve written a lot of them about a lot of different things. I do spend a lot of time on the lyrics and I like to tell stories. A lot of them are about unusual characters in extraordinary situations; from a woman who set the Guinness record for crying to a young girl with poison skin, from a man who leaves flood ravaged Saint Louis only to die in the Chicago Fire to the story of my grandparents falling in love during World War II, from the sinking of Lovejoy’s printing press to the building of the Gateway Arch, nothing is off limits. Hopefully, in telling these character’s stories I can hit on something truthful. I’ve been lucky to have some songs featured in film and television.”
The Chicago singer-songwriter usually leans toward the folk or soft indie rock genre, however, there’s a track for almost every mood and taste, as Friederich’s repertoire can expand and explore different persuasions from pop to rock to folk.
Mary Cigarettes” has a fun Bob Dylan ring to it, right down to the way he sings/talks his way through a story about a girl he knew when he was younger. There is no shortage of experimentation in Friederich’s musical construction, making him a ‘can’t miss’, and I very much recommend his music to anyone in the mood for an interesting, soft and soothing feel that will leave you craving more. So, check him out. The Friederich experience is only one click away! - Black On The Canvas

1. How would you characterize your music?

Z: It all feels like Pop to me. Like most people, I’m influenced by all kinds of things and they’re just put in a kind of songwriting blender and mixed up and poured out. I tend to hop around genres. I guess one thing that I tend to focus on is storytelling.

2. What is one early music experience that made a deep impression on you//made you rethink what music can sound like//has helped shape the music you make today?

Z: One of the earliest things I remember is taking my parents Beatles LPs and recording them onto blank cassettes so I could listen to them over and over. I also remember that my older brother had the first Violent Femmes album and I would take that tape and listen to it every night as I fell asleep. I was in like fourth grade, I think. I couldn’t have possibly related to the subject matter but it really drew me in. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I thought Marty McFly was supercool when he played “Johnny B Goode.”

3. What is usually your process when creating//writing a new song?

Z: Well, I try to be open to anything that comes. A lot of times with the music, I noodle around until I find something catchy and then build from there. Lyrically, I guess it’s kind of the same, but I’ll have this inner voice or muse or whatever you want to call it. It will lead me in a direction and I just try to follow it. A lot of the times it will tell me what happens in a story and I’ll just take the characters from point A to point B in the verse lines. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I’ll stumble onto some kind of truth about life or love or whatever.

4. Where can we find your music//what have you done to make your music available?

Z: All of my music is available as free downloads at https://soundcloud.com/zacharyfriederich

5. What is a recent musician//band//music that you are excited about?

Z: Most of the new music I listen to is on Soundcloud. A couple of my favorites are Naked House, dubious rothchild, Nicholas Burke. There are so many talented people just releasing their stuff DIY.

6. How would you describe the music climate in your home when you were a child?

Z: No one in my family was a musician but they were all music lovers. My parents listened to a lot of classic rock and so I didn’t have to go far to discover The Stones and Led Zeppelin and most importantly, The Beatles, which is the music that really made me want to do this. My older brother listened to a lot of what they called back then “College Rock,” so that’s where I heard The Pixies for the first time and they were a pretty big influence.

7. Is style//image important to you and if so what//who do you consider cool in music?

Z: It’s not that important to me. I mean, I think 1966 Bob Dylan looks really cool but that’s not the reason I think he’s great. He’s great because “Visions Of Johanna” is a breathtaking piece of art. I think style is a great way to sell things to the masses but it certainly doesn’t dictate talent. The thing in music that I’ve always thought was the coolest was smart lyric writing. When I think about the music that has influenced me most, Dylan, The Beatles, The Clash, The Pixies, that’s the thread that ties them together.

8. What song do you want playing at your funeral?

Z: One of mine, I guess. I mean, it’s my funeral. Luckily, I will get to dodge the task of being funeral DJ.

9. Why music and why do you make it?

Z: I don’t know. I have these songs in me and I have to get them out. It’s just what I do. I have to.

10. If I should listen to one undiscovered musician//song today who//what should I check out?

Z: If you want to hear a great song go check out “My Scarlet Black” by Black Hole Future. Just awesome. https://soundcloud.com/black-hole-future/my-scarlet-black

Find Zachary at https://soundcloud.com/zacharyfriederich - Nostrovia Music

Zachary Friederich is a bit of an acquired taste, but with a Conor Oberst-tinged twang once he’s in your system, he’s hard to get out. The Chicago singer-songwriter genre hops along the indie persuasion–from rock to pop to folk–so there’s a track for almost every mood and every taste in Friederich’s catalog.

The singer’s strengths, however, lie in places where he leans more towards folk or soft indie rock. “Mary Cigarettes” has a fun Bob Dylan ring to it–right down to the way he half-sings, half-talks his way through a story about girl he “knew when [he] was younger,” and “My Favorite Waitress” channels Oberst in a Bright Eyes kind of way, largely untethered and clean with the smallest bit of reverb as the singer’s voice almost whispers along. That the lyrics aren’t entirely intelligible matters not: the song is sweet and simple and very obviously meant for quiet moments.

Breezing past every other Friederich song is “Suicide in A Major,” which hammocks side to side gentle as a carefree afternoon when there’s nothing better to do than laze about in the shade. The Archibald Singleton remix of the acoustic guitar single transforms the song into something sexier, more Latin lounge than folk.

Either way, for a guy based in Chi City, the music is decidedly more rural than urban–a spectacular way to get out of the city without actually leaving. - 303 Magazine