Interview with Myself

Posted by admin on December 7th, 2009 | No Comments »

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: “Inside Zach Maxwell: A pointed look at the distinctive, the virtuosic, and extraordinary songwriter and performer, ZACH MAXWELL.  December 7th, 2009″

Interviewer: Zach Maxwell

Zach Maxwell:  So Zach, it’s really great to have you here.

Zach Maxwell:  It’s great to be here and thanks so much for having me.

Zach Maxwell:  I’m a big fan really…and the last time we sat down to have a chat was quite a while ago.  You’ve been a pretty busy guy these days haven’t you?

Zach Maxwell:  Sure have Zach, just finished a new album, got finished with a series of solo acoustic shows and a CD/birthday release party…trying to train my dog not to jump on people and getting ready for three weeks in the beautiful rocky mountains of Colorado.

Zach Maxwell:  Sounds like a pretty tough life to me!  (laughter)

Zach Maxwell:  Can’t complain bout a thing!

Zach Maxwell:  So the last time you were here, we were talking about how you didn’t feel like you had any studio material that really represented you clearly, or at least represented you as a songwriter…am I correct?

Zach Maxwell:  Yes you are correct.  Although, in retrospect I think it was more that I hadn’t really found my true voice yet as a songwriter.  In the previous two recordings I’d done, I was either focusing on showcasing the band arrangements, groove, vocal harmonies etc., or trying to showcase my own vocals or guitar playing so that people could know I was a “good” singer with a “good voice.” And, over the past year and a half, I’ve done a lot of soul searching on what the most important things are that I want to convey as an artist, and  began to realize how narcissistic and lame that old approach was. And that’s not to say that I don’t love my old records or that I think that things that I’ve done in the past are lame, because I don’t…but it’s more so to say that one of the things that I’ve realized about music, and what I believe separates the remarkable from the ordinary is being able to remove “oneself” as much as possible from the creative process.  Do you know what I mean?

Zach Maxwell:  I think so, but I’m not totally sure.

Zach Maxwell:  Well, in other words…the less the music is about YOU–the performer, and the more the music is about the MUSIC the better.  You see, there are SO many good singers in the world who can do this crazy vocal run and sing this slick phrase here or hit that
crazy note there.  And when shit hits the fan, nobody really cares that much.  Sure, people like to be impressed, but nobody really gets moved in their heart just be being impressed. What moves people and has always moved people are good songs and good stories.  And
that’s not to say that people don’t love an amazing singer or an amazing voice, but more so what I think makes a truly amazing singer is when they use their instrument in service of the story they are telling and the song they are singing, rather than to show off their “talent.”  This might seem obvious…I don’t know.

Zach Maxwell:  No Zach…it’s not obvious…it might be the most profound thing I’ve ever heard.  You are clearly a genius.

Zach Maxwell:  Thanks.

Zach Maxwell:  So, how do you feel like this new record “Silent Bear” relates to what you are saying.

Zach Maxwell:  Well, it’s the first time in my life that I have really focused on trying to write great songs and great stories, and remove myself from it as much as possible at the same time.  In each song I try to become the character singing it, or if the song needs to be
sung simply to convey the message, then I will sing it that way instead of worrying about trying to show somebody how cool this lick is how great or powerful my voice is.

Zach Maxwell:  Gee…that’s amazing.  No wonder why it’s the greatest record I’ve ever heard.

Zach Maxwell:  Oh…I don’t know about the greatest…but I appreciate the sentiment.

Zach Maxwell:  No seriously Zach, this is without a doubt, the greatest record I have ever heard.  Ever.

Zach Maxwell:  Well, I’m glad it resonated for you.

Zach Maxwell:  I’ll say!  So what’s next for you now?

Zach Maxwell:  Well, going to be enjoying the holidays and then once the new year starts I will be performing regularly in the New York City area, both solo and with my electric band, and am planning to hit the road in late spring for a more formal tour. Stay tuned for the dates…

Zach Maxwell:  You’ve been performing strictly solo-acoustically for the past year and half, do you have a preference between your solo gigs and your electric gigs?

Zach Maxwell: Well, the past year and a half I’ve really had the intention of trying to strip down everything, and like I said before, focus mostly on telling the story and writing good songs with good hooks.  I’m very excited however to get back to playing with my electric band because that is really what I enjoy doing most.  I love playing solo, but the joy of connecting with other musicians, and playing with a drummer and bass player who get people off their feet and dancing is really what give me goosebumps.

Zach Maxwell:  Yea…there really is nothing like seeing you live with your electric band.

Zach Maxwell:  It’s definitely a good time.  No doubt about that.

Zach Maxwell:  Well Zach, I look forward to hearing it and coming to those shows.  And as always, for the people reading this, if you would like to receive updates on Zach’s upcoming tour dates and appearances, enter your name and email in the opt in form at
www.zachmaxwellmusic.com.  You can download Zach’s new record “Silent Bear – EP” as well as Zach’s other music at that same url, as well as listen to streaming mp3s etc.  Zach, thank you so much for coming. It was really a great honor to get to speak with you and hear your wisdom and check out your hot body.  Can’t wait to see you live in the coming months.

Zach Maxwell:  Thanks again for having me Zach.  See you soon.

There is No Such Thing As Atheism

Posted by admin on August 7th, 2009 | No Comments »

There is no such thing as atheism.

During my senior year of college, a group formed on campus called something like “Atheists Unite.”  In my recollection, in order to draw a following they started posting ads for their group around campus with anti-god jokes and quips…almost putting down or making fun of people who chose to believe in some kind of God or supreme being.  I was annoyed by these posters because I didn’t understand why a lack of belief in God had to warrant such derogatory energy towards active believers.  Holding myself as an agnostic, not identifying with any religion or dogma but non the less somebody who firmly believes in God: the “higher self” within me as well as a greater, unknowable “thing” or “being” outside of me, I was upset by this groups seemingly sarcastic nature.  At the time I dismissed them as lame, but in retrospect I wish I had gone to a meeting to see what they were all about.  A “god” lover like myself, immersed in a group of possible God-haters.

These are the questions I would ask them:

1) What is the benefit of choosing such active disbelief?  What is the pay-off in thinking that something greater doesn’t exist?  What do you gain from it?

2) How can you actively NOT believe in something that is always and forever unknowable?  Aren’t you, by actively saying “there is no God” giving God credence and existence by NOT believing in it?

Take the idea of racism as an example.  Racism can only exist when somebody becomes aware of somebody else’s race.  For young children, the concept of black or white is usually, depending on the parents, not even a realm in the child’s consciousness.  An example from my own life, I had a black baby sitter when I was a toddler.  I didn’t even know she was black until I got old enough to differentiate.  The awareness of race is the first seed of racism.  Now, once that seed is planted, we can actively choose to not believe in discriminating groups of people based on race or ethnicity…but as long as the awareness of race exists in our consciousness…we have racism within us.  Everybody does…and except for the young child, there are no exceptions to this.

It is no different for atheism…or unicorns or fairies for that matter! If you were a true atheist, the concept of God, the idea of something greater than yourself wouldn’t even be on your radar…would not even enter your consciousness.  If you are saying there is no such thing as “such and such” then “such and such” exists for you in the realm of things not to believe in…so therefore, you are acknowledging “such and such’s” existence…even in the realm of your mind or your imagination.  Even in the realm of disbelief.

The entirety of God…whether you are a Christian who believes every word of the Bible, or an agnostic like myself, or a Buddhist who believes that God is within…is forever unknowable.  Faith is the practice of believing in the unknowable, of believing in that which can’t be known or seen.  In church, people experience their idea of God permeating their being; they cry, they weep, they sing, they are filled with the Holy Spirit.  In my life I have felt such things…such immense joy and love from what I call “God” but could easily call “Spirit,” “Universe,” “The One” and a million other names.  A Buddhist might say he knows God after he is enlightened.  None of the above truly knows the entirety of God.

Like Death, we can only speculate.  We may have strong beliefs about what happens after death, or about what God is…and our faith in our beliefs may indeed be so strong that we feel in our whole being sure of the answer.  Yet we can never truly know for sure.  And this is what is so awesome about God.  For every amazing thing that I personally believe God to be, I also believe that the acceptance of the possibility of something greater than this life, this self, this humanity, is the death of narcissism.  And atheism is the most powerful practice in narcissism…

Visions of beauty and splendor,
Forms of a long-lost race,
Sounds and faces and voices
From the fourth dimension of space;
And on through the universe boundless,
Our thoughts go, lightning-shod;
Some call it Imagination,
And others call it God!