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SALT LAKE CITY -- Salt Lake City native Zach Galanis has been picking away at a guitar and searching for his sound since he was a fifth grader. Now, Zach is booking shows all over the west and playing at festivals, in living rooms and everything in between.
Zach is the lead singer and guitarist for the band GALANIS and I had the chance to talk with Zach about his music, influences and his home, Salt Lake.
Zach grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from Skyline High School. Though he has moved to the Los Angeles area, he says he'll always know where home is located. "Home is still Salt Lake City; I am just on a long detour. All my family and most my best friends live in Salt Lake."
GALANIS has coined their music as "dark country folk-rock." The moment you hear Zach's rich-deep vocals combined with hypnotic acoustic guitar melodies and a haunting violin, you quickly realize that GALANIS has managed to find a sound uniquely their own. When I asked Zach how he found that original sound he was quick to correct me.
"I had an English professor in college quote somebody smart and say ‘every artist has their hand in another artist's back pocket.' I would be arrogant to say I am exempt from this thievery process," Zach told me. "To be really honest, I feel like I am weaving a tapestry of all my musical inspirations."
I find that most of my inspiration comes from the stories of people around me. Sometimes I joke at live shows that I lack personal anecdotes but I am quick to exploit the stories of the people around me. So, be careful what you tell me.
–- Zach Galanis
Zach's mom bought him a guitar when he was in fifth grade and he says ever since he's wanted to play music. Actually, he says the moment he knew he wanted to play music was when he came to the sad realization he didn't have steel bones and the role for Wolverine in X - Men was taken. He wasn't the only broken hearted 9-year-old. But Zach recovered from that disappointment and played in a punk rock band all through junior high and high school, but it wasn't until later on in life that he started writing music.
"I have always felt this obsession to create. Prompted by a fabulous elementary school teacher I began writing pretty early in life," recalled Zach. "I didn't necessarily like writing at first but I kept at it because I was encouraged. I was always so ‘geeked' out about music and the culture that surrounds different genres and I remember wanting to be in a band so bad I could die. As an incentive to get my grades up my Mom told me she would buy me a guitar. It worked."
In college Zach's words turned into lyrics which then transformed into songs; the same songs that now make Zach and the band GALANIS stand out. Zach has embraced the title of singer/songwriter and often uses the lives of those around him to find his voice.
"I find that most of my inspiration comes from the stories of people around me," Zach said. "Sometimes I joke at live shows that I lack personal anecdotes but I am quick to exploit the stories of the people around me. So, be careful what you tell me."
I did not heed the warning and let's just say if he soon writes a song about a grown man's odd passion for argyle and corduroy I'll know I made a huge mistake.
When asked about his musical influences Zach started spitting out names and it seemed he'd never stop. He said when it comes down to it he loves the music his parents familiarized him with. Acts like: Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Dire Straits and The Rolling Stones. It would appear Zach's parents have better musical taste than many of us. He also said he had an "unhealthy" obsession with Jim Morrison and The Doors. "All that said, I get most my influence from the artists around me," Zach admitted. "I have some great friends who are very talented songwriters and help inform my sound."
When I asked Zach where his favorite place to play, his answer was simple, "To quote the late-great Brigham Young, Salt Lake City 'is the place.'"
Zach recalled his first show in Salt Lake after moving to L.A. The venue was the basement of an old church downtown and he said the exterior of the dilapidated house of worship looked more like the setting for a drug deal than a concert, let alone a sermon. "It was sort of a magical show and no venue has been quite like it. We have played in bigger venues since and people still remind me of that one particular show... and to boot we made money, which is saying a lot."
I wanted to give you a reason straight from Zach as to why you should check out his music, and his answer is probably the best one I've heard in a long time. He said new listeners should know that GALANIS, "are vampires. That seems to be cool right now. Harry Potter said so." The dude knows Harry Potter people, listen to his music.
GALANIS will be performing in Salt Lake through December and will also make a stop at Sundance. You can check out their music at galanismusic.com and can buy their record "Dimes" on iTunes.
E-mail: jclyde@ksl.com
