Alaskan artist Zach Adams bridges literature and music with Dead Man Walking, a debut novel and album that merge storytelling and sound. We dive into his inspirations, process, and creative vision.
1. Your
debut project Dead Man Walking is both a novel and an album. What inspired you
to merge these two mediums into one cohesive artistic experience?
While I was working on the book I had five different bands fall apart for
various reasons. Most of the songs on the album actually started as
instrumental demos for those bands, but when the covid apocalypse of 2020
stopped me from rejoining my last one I decided to repurpose them and write
lyrics based on the story.
2. The music reflects the darker, melancholic tones of the novel. Did you
write the book or the album first, or did they evolve side by side?
A bit of both, actually. I was slowly piecing the story and songs together
around the same period of time until I decided to focus on the book, and while
I finished that I put the music aside until I had a space to work on it.
3. You’ve described yourself as “kind of a control freak” when it comes to
your art. How did self-producing this project allow you to realize your vision
more authentically?
I struggle with turning my thoughts into words most of the time as well as
social issues, so collaborating with anyone or trying to teach people parts
I've written is difficult at the best of times. Combine that with a general
distrust of large businesses and it seemed like doing everything myself just
seemed like the best fit for me at the time. That way, there was no room for
miscommunication.
4. Alaska’s harsh landscapes and isolation are strong influences in your
work. How does your environment shape both your writing and your soundscapes?
It wasn't something I remember thinking a lot about during the process, but
Alaska has a lot of interesting natural and social contrasts. I think
subconsciously that bled into how I try to construct my songs with softer and
heavier sections (of course, Nirvana is also a big influence there)
5. The track “Drown” represents the protagonist’s mental struggles, while
the title track acts almost as a dialogue between characters. How do you
approach writing music that functions as both storytelling and emotional
expression?
It mostly depends on the song. With this album I started with concepts or
titles and pieced them together from there using lines and references from the
story. "Gelatin Skeleton" was meant to be played by a punk band the
main character sees in one chapter, and "Phantom Love" is the only
one that has nothing to do with the book. Writing both was a similar process of
assembling whatever ideas I had and hammering it into shape later just to learn
the processes as I worked. Next time, I intend to do things a bit less
chaotically.
6. You’ve woven in progressive rock structures, heavy metal riffs, and
atmospheric synths. How do you balance experimentation with accessibility for
listeners?
When I'm writing, I only really think about whether or not something sounds
good to me and I've never consciously tried to fit in any one genre. I do test
different versions of each song on various friends and relatives to see if it's
working, but half the time I go with my own choices over their suggestions
anyway. Of course, I thought "Phantom Love" and
"Petrichorus" were fairly straightforward pop-rock songs, so it's
possible I don't have a clue what I'm talking about.
7. The closing track “Phantom Love” has already been described in striking
terms by reviewers. Do you see external comparisons (like “The Beatles on
antidepressants”) as validating, limiting, or something else entirely?
The "Beatles on antidepressants" quote I honestly found hilarious and
have been sharing it with everyone, but I also feel honored to be compared to a
legendary group who I've loved for years. I just hope listeners don't feel that
the comparisons go too far into unoriginality on my part.
8. What were the biggest challenges of independently handling every part of
this project—writing, recording, producing, and marketing across two different
industries?
The production process for sure. For most of the time while writing both the
book and album, I was bouncing between jobs and houses which caused me to
constantly have to change workspaces, lose track of things, and fight with gear
that always seemed on the verge of wearing out on me. The social issues I
mentioned before also made it difficult to find extra help, though I'm not sure
I could have finished the project without the people who did come through (Zoe
Kahler & Samantha Palisoc in particular)
9. You’ve cited influences such as Jim Butcher and Douglas Adams on the literary side. Who are your musical inspirations, and how do they surface in Dead Man Walking?
Way too many to list, I listen to just about anything. I think anyone who listens to this album will be able to guess that I'm a big fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Alice in Chains, & of course Nirvana as I said before. Porcupine Tree and Floater are also major influences, and I jokingly labeled early demos of "They Want You to Be Afraid!" as "I Really Like System of a Down!". But for all I know, by the time I get to work on the next batch of songs maybe I'll feel like writing something like Sabrina Carpenter or Daft Punk. And of course, I can't list influences without shouting out the Beatles, Sparks, & the Talking Heads.
10. The “Doctor Who”-inspired delay pedal has become part of your sonic identity. How important are those kinds of personal, even quirky, details in shaping your sound?
The pedal (the Doctor by Wampler) was one I happened to see in an ad that
caught my eye because I'm a big fan of "Doctor Who", and then found a
demo that showed me how great-sounding and versatile it was. I do enjoy
visually interesting/quirky pedals and instruments like that, but it's more
important to me that I like the sound it makes. I probably could have made the
same album with my old Boss delay I used with my first band if I tried.
11. You’ve hinted at The Ivyverse expanding into more novels and companion
albums. Can you share any teasers about where the next chapter, A World Apart,
might take us musically and narratively?
"And now for something completely different." - Monty Python
12. Looking forward, do you hope to remain fully independent, or could you
envision collaborating with publishers or labels if it meant reaching a wider
audience—while still protecting your creative freedom?
I try to stay open to anything that comes my way, but at the moment I'm focused
on learning mostly about how to do things myself (and of course, how to play
well with others at the same time). We'll just have to see what happens.
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