Doing it for the fans

I don’t know how many of you have gotten to meet the lead singer of your favorite band since 8th grade, but last Saturday night, that is exactly what I got to do.

Zac Maloy is the former lead singer for the Nixons, and is now on his own with the Zac Maloy Band promoting the re-release of their 2001 album Life. I had a chance to ask Zac a few questions before their show at the Curtain Club, some of which I’ll share with everyone now. If you want to hear the whole thing, check out my show on KPNI Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Sean: What is different about the re-release of Life and why did you choose to rerelease it?

Zac: Well, in the course of the last couple years I remixed three of the songs – “Early Morning Phone Call” and “Until You Look Away” with Eric Sarafin (who’s also worked with Ben Harper and Lifehouse) in L.A. – and there was some possibility of getting some airplay and we felt like we needed to step up the production on some of the songs. With the stuff going on we needed to repress, and we put those on there. I put a song on there called “Homesick” because I knew some people that already had the album would go out and rebuy it, and I wanted them to have something special. It’s pretty different for me – piano and keyboard driven, and I’m a guitar guy.

Sean: Is there any particular song that you’ve written that sticks out in your mind?

Zac: Well, I’ve written so many songs, I don’t know if there’s just one. But “Gabriel” (found on The Latest Thing by the Nixons) is one of the songs that I’m most proud of … lyrically, melodically, the structure of the song its just one of my favorite things that I’ve done. We play that song every night now.

Sean: Is there a certain place you really enjoy playing?

Zac: Well we played so much with the Nixons, we really had an insane touring schedule, but I love New York City. There’s such a great energy. I love Dallas because this is the market that we really broke from, and Oklahoma because that’s where I’m from.

Sean: How does it feel when you play a show and you hear the audiences singing songs that you’ve written?

Zac: That’s the best part of what I do, the feedback from the fans, whether it’s at a live show or an e-mail saying your song helped me through a tough time. That happens because of the subject matter that I’ve written about in “Early Morning Phone Call” [about his grandfather] and “Sister” [the top 10 hit Zac wrote while with the Nixons]. It may sound cheesy or corny but that’s really the best part, which is an extension of what I’m talking about and what you’re asking about. Just singing the lyrics means they like them on some level, and that’s a cool thing.

Sean: Have you gone to any shows lately?

Zac: I went and saw the Stone Temple Pilots last week in Tulsa, and I really want to go see the Flaming Lips, who are touring with Beck right now, because they are one of my favorite bands.

Sean: Does it give you a different perspective to see bands perform live in front of a big crowd since you have been through that yourself?

Zac: Yeah, I think maybe I overanalyze it a little bit, but it’s still really cool for me to go to a show and see a great band play.

Sean: Was there a particular event that made you realize you wanted to do this as a career?

Zac: Not really, I graduated from Oklahoma University and decided to try the band thing a couple years … Now it’s how many years later? [12 years since the Nixons released their first LP.] It’s just been an ongoing process of realizing that I love this and want to take it to another level musically.

Sean: What advice would you give a kid who’s thinking about becoming a musician or who thinks he wants to make a band his job?

Zac: Well, I don’t really know how to say it other than just go for it. Give it everything you’ve got, give it a shot and try it and once you’re sort of in it knee-deep you’ll be able to tell if this is something you want to do. Half the people I talk to change career paths sixth months later but occasionally someone stumbles upon it and loves it and it can really change your life.

The Zac Maloy band is playing another show in Dallas on Nov. 15 at the Gypsy Tea Room, so go check them out if you like good rock music. You can also keep in contact with them at www.zacmaloy.com.