Local indie artist Zach McFadden has invited me to crash the video shoot for his new song, “Tell Me What To Do” and get a few behind-the-scenes shots of the process. That was an invitation that I could not refuse.
The Arts STL is proud to premiere the music video for “Tell Me What To Do.” Watch the video below, and read on for our profile of the St. Louis-based singer-songwriter.
We met up at Utopia Studios (3957 Park Avenue), where he and videographer Mike Henthorn were creating the set design for the vibe that is uniquely Zach. He brings along some vintage lighting that once belonged to his late grandpa, Ronald “Mutt” McFadden. Zach tells me he is also wearing his grandfather’s watch. Keeping him close seems to bring a sense of comfort and nostalgia. He embraces the St. Louis of years past, smokey corner bars and the brick that make up the esthetic of our city. He embodies that generational feeling and calls Soulard home.
Zach is a quiet and gentle type. The video is not complicated. It won’t be filled with action scenes or other actors. That’s just not his style. All he needs is his new guitar, some great ambient light, and a mic to create the imagery that he has in mind.
Taught by his dad, Ronnie Joe, he started playing music around age seven. Playing guitar and singing is what you will hear when he is performing solo, which he is currently, but he also plays bass and drums when he needs to lay down some tracks. He then enlists the help of a friend named Rusty Leonard to mix and master the finished product.
It was no surprise to learn that he comes from a musical family. His guitar-whaling dad has played music at home and performed in rock bands throughout his entire life. “I have been playing out, cover stuff, since I turned 17 and at 18,” McFadden says. “I played bass in a cover band with him and his friends. That was a cool experience because it was always a dream of mine to be in a band with my dad.” While the two of them do have a different style and musical flavor, it was clear that he enjoyed the experience and smiled just talking about it.
At the same time, he began to create his style and eventually, branched out. He has a full-time job that requires about 50 hours a week, leaving less than a desired amount to dedicate to his passion, but he spends evenings and weekends cultivating his sound from the pen to the pick. He pours his heart into every song and leans into the Indie vibe—“It seems to be my home.” But, McFadden admits, “Different types of music interest me” and his tastes vary with a bit of everything from rock to rap, “even if it doesn’t fit your other sound. You don’t have to be stuck in one genre of music.”
He is a one-man show. Besides playing solo, he also records his tracks and handles his own marketing. He is growing his reach organically by posting his music to Spotify and flooding social media with photos and performance dates. He admits that this is what he is passionate about, and “It doesn’t feel like work.” With the ability to release music and use social media, you can grow a fan base.” That’s just what he is doing. That’s one of the incredible advantages to this generation. You can currently find a couple of his songs, “Sunday” and “Love On My Mind,” on Spotify but this will be the first video he has created to support the music.
The singer-songwriter performs at local venues around the area. While working on his latest project for the past year—writing the whole time but not playing all the time—he has made some appearances around town. He is getting his name out there and the shows keep coming, returning to both The Attic (4247 S. Kingshighway Blvd.) on October 18th and Bar K (4565 McRee Ave.) on October 19th. Though the dates aren’t settled, you can also find him at more St. Louis appearances before the sun sets on summer.
We talked about geography and the ability to make his mark here. He finds St. Louis to be tight-knit and a bit harder to break into the scene and make friends than he expected. “But if you are genuine and you find the people you vibe with, you will always find a way.” He is also finding that more venues are interested in providing cover tunes to their clientele than original work. But that doesn’t seem to squelch the flame. Although his family is here, I wondered if he had considered that another town might be easier to thrive in. “I almost moved to Nashville, he says, “but a friend reminded me that everyone is moving to Nashville. The competition is greater. You don’t have to move to do music.”
I enjoyed my time with McFadden and have been impressed with his shows. There is a drive in him that makes it possible to see him succeed. He’s the kid who plays music every day because he loves it. He is so humble and grateful to just have the ability to create music and is happy to share with an audience of one or one hundred. | Laura Tucker
