Zach Top has seen tremendous growth in his artistry since his days of performing in a band with his family in his hometown of Sunnyside, WA. Things really kicked into high gear for his career after his producer Carson Chamberlain brought him to Nashville, where his songwriting journey truly began. Since then, Top has picked up a few tips and tricks on how to create a song that’s likely to strike a chord with fans.
While the emerging artist admits he often pulls inspiration from real-life experiences for his music, he’s also not afraid to embellish the truth in order to create a tune that resonates with his listeners on a deeper level.
“I think that’s another thing that’s a bit of a dying art in Nashville or just songwriting in general. If I just wrote songs about my life, my life’s pretty boring, so I think people would lose interest pretty quickly,” Top explained in a new interview with Billboard. “But if we stretch the truth a little bit, it comes from somewhere honest and then kind of make a story that’s universal out of it.”
Another one of the biggest lessons Top admits he’s learned is that there is power in simplicity when it comes to writing lyrics. “Just say what needs to be said that gets the message of the song across. It makes people feel something,” he added.
Top On Finding His Sound Through Songwriting
When Top was first introduced to the idea of writing his own music, he wasn’t sure whether or not it was something that was important to him. His first taste of creating was with various “old school writers” around Nashville who were known for having hits in the ’80s and ‘90s, an era of country music that has always held a special place in Top’s heart. This experience led him to quickly falling in love with the art.
“I kind of just said, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll try it out.’ And so we did and he set up some co-writes for us and dove into it and I really enjoyed it.”
These writing sessions spawned songs like his debut single, “Sounds Like The Radio,” along with “Cold Beer & Country Music,” “I Never Lie,” and “Use Me.” These tunes and more set the foundation for Top’s distinctive sound, which is responsible for causing a resurgence in traditional country music among the new generation of fans.
“For one thing, I’m honored that people see me as, you know, sort of a spearhead or a leader back towards traditional country music, or country music the way that I fell in love with it, and still love,” he told the outlet. “It’s a fun spot to be in. I think it’s a lot of just the right place, right time sort of a thing.”
Will Zach Top Ever Go Beyond Country Music?
Top has certainly carved out his place in the industry by maintaining his authenticity and staying true to the kind of music that he was raised on. As a result, he explained that fans are not likely to see him step outside the bounds of country music anytime soon.
“You’re not going to hear me put out a rock & roll album or a reggae album or anything. I don’t know. You never know. I’ll never say never. I’ll say that, but yeah, for right now, I feel like I’m doing exactly what I love to do and hopefully other people, fans and everything, keep enjoying that kind of thing for a long time and I’m going to keep doing it whether they do or not, I suppose.”
Zach Top will take his beloved tunes on the road beginning this weekend when he launches his sold-out Cold Beer & Country Music Tour with a run of three shows across Omaha, NE, St. Louis, MO, and Fayetteville, AR. The trek continues through May with support from Cole Goodwin, Jake Worthington and Lauren Watkins on select dates.
The post Zach Top On Reviving The ‘Dying Art’ Of Creative Songwriting In Nashville appeared first on Country Now.
