We recently connected with Zach Allen and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I was blessed with two really great parents; both as individuals and as a unit. They put our family first and provided everything we needed to be successful. Despite this, at times early on I did everything I could to NOT take advantage. Fortunately time, maturity, and failures allowed me to get my life headed in a direction that they could be proud of.

First and foremost my brother and I knew we were loved. It was this very thing that kept me from going off of the deep end. I knew at the end of the day they had my back.

They say opposites attract and that could not be more true of my parents. Because of this I learned different things from both of them. I didn’t know this at the time but looking back it’s clear that my Mom was the boss of the family. While Dad was out earning a living chasing his dreams in the Golf business, she was making sure we were out the door everyday in time for school, had plenty to eat, clothes that weren’t worn out etc. More than that though my mother taught me so many of life’s little intangibles that are vital to success in life, relationships, and the workplace. She did not tolerate back talk or being rude. There was an expectation from her that we act appropriately in all situations because we DID know better. Mom taught me manners, respect, hard work, cleanliness, hygiene, how to take care of my things, and that what you show people is how they perceive you. Probably the best advice she ever gave me was, “if you want to have friends, first you have to be a friend.” What a wonderful illustration on selflessness.

As far as my Dad goes, the stories I remember of him have become legendary. This is a guy that 2 weeks in to a job running a new golf course, fired his whole crew because someone was stealing gasoline and no one would tell him who it was. That is who my Dad was; a no BS kind of guy that stands up for what is right and most importantly is not scared to bet on himself. It was and still is a lot to measure up to.

When I was 10, my first year playing football, we were practicing one Saturday morning. About halfway through it starts to pour rain. We were all instantly soaked. If you’ve never felt smelly, soaking wet, rec center football equipment stuck to your body, it takes some getting used to. I decided to give about 30% effort for the remainder of practice. My dad had come early to pick me up. When I got in the car on the way home he was dead silent… ugh oh. The second mistake I made was asking him what was wrong. He proceeded to chew me out. I don’t remember exactly what was said but it was something to the tune of, “if that is all the effort you are going to give, don’t waste my time or yours.” Mom always told me that people don’t always remember everything you say, but they will always remember how you make them feel. In that moment, my Dad taught me that no matter what I do in life, I better give it maximum effort.
I owe so much of my success to them and I am so thankful they have been able to share in my accomplishments.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a full-time Music Producer and Engineer, my job in a nutshell is to help an artist achieve their vision for a song or set of songs. My role in any particular project helps define that. If I am brought in as the Producer, (which is what I am doing the most of these days) I typically will have an initial meeting with an artist to determine if there is a chemistry. I like to know as much about an artist on the front end as they are willing to share. It is so important to understand their musical background, influences, and goals. I typically find the more candid an artist is with me, the more vulnerable they will be when it comes time to do their final vocal. This is so important as it makes the song more relatable to the listener.

If the fit is good for both parties the next step is to listen to their songs. I always want my first impression of a song to be a phone recording with a lyric sheet in front of me. So often in modern production, the tracks are so catchy that it might cover up some weaknesses in the lyrics. I’m of the belief that most of the time a great song should be able to stand up with only a singer and guitar or piano. As I’m listening to the initial demos, if there is a lyric that falls a little flat or the arrangement could be shorter for example, I will typically make those suggestions at this time.

Next, I have the artist send me a few songs that inspire them. This could be the sound, production, etc. I listen through these thoroughly and begin to pair musicians that will match the vibe of the project both in musicianship and synergy. Once all of this is worked out we go in and record. I have several tracking studios I like to use based on what I think will make the artist the most comfortable and fit within their budget. If this is the first time an artist is recording or if they are a rock band, they might not want to record in a world class facility on Music Row. Conversely, if the artist is from out of town and have dreamed their whole life of recording where their heroes did, then that makes more sense. I enjoy working in both environments.

Once the music is recorded, I will begin to schedule vocal dates. I have done vocals where I let the singers do full passes and make a composite from that, I have done one line at a time, but what I find works best is to work on sections. I’ll have a lyric sheet in front of me and we will sing the first verse 4 or 5 times. The number 1 thing I am looking for is swag, emotion, and confidence as there is no software to generate that. Obviously I want to get a performance in tune, in the pocket of the groove, and enunciated well also.

Now that the vocal is done, I will hire a singer or group of singers to add background vocals (assuming the artist doesn’t sing their own). Once everything is recorded it is time to edit it all together. Every project is different in this regard. If I have overseen a project to this point, my editing is creative more so than fixing. Finding all of the best takes can be such a crucial part of a production.

The last step for me is to mix. A lot of times clients won’t bring me in until this phase. If that is the case I am not scared to edit things to make them more cohesive. Especially if the artist produced it themselves and might not have as much experience in the studio. My general rule of thumb is that I don’t send out a mix until as a listener I like it.

As far as what I am most proud of, the easy answer is winning 3 GRAMMYS. But ultimately I am most proud of the fact that anyone who hires me knows that they are going to get everything I’ve got. I love being able to share what I have learned with people to help them better serve their art.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

For someone who has a regular 9 to 5 I think it be hard to grasp that a project is done when it is done. You can’t put a time limit on creativity. I find that when I am one with my thoughts, mind, body, spirit, and heart that I do my best work because in that moment I am creating to create. I am not doing it to pay my bills or because there is a deadline, I am doing it because I am one with the process. Usually this is when things fall in line the quickest.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I’m for anything that can generate more capital for creatives. Since Napster almost 25 years ago, the music industry has never really found a set business model again. Maybe it never will as technology is constantly changing. But I think NFTs are a great way to generate revenue, given that you have a large enough fanbase invested in you to the point where there is a demand for the extra content.

Contact Info:

• Website: zachallenaudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachallenaudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zachallenaudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-allen-42510411/

Image Credits
Danielle Shields Robbie Brooks Moore Stacie Allen