Zach Heckendorf knows where he will be on Saturday, August 18 – he hopes to see you there!
In many ways Zach Heckendorf grew up in front of Colorado audiences.
Zach, who plays Daniels Hall at Swallow Hill Music on Saturday, August 18, started making a musical name for himself about ten years ago while a student at Cherry Creek High School. Since then he’s lived the life of a touring musician, released multiple recordings, and grown as a songwriter.
He is currently based in New York City where he is a student at Columbia University.
We recently caught up with him via email for our latest Q&A while was in Mexico. He’s working on new material, including some songs he hopes to debut at his Swallow Hill concert.
See Zach Heckndorf with Nina and the Moonlighters in Daniels Hall on Saturday, August 18. Get tickets and full concert details here.
It’s been about a year and half since you last played Swallow Hill, you’ve been very busy, can you tell us what you’ve been up to?
Since my last show at Swallow Hill I released an album called Artifacts, an EP called Meditations in D, and moved to NYC to finish my studies at Columbia.
Since 2014 you’ve released two albums and an EP. How have you evolved as a songwriter over those projects? What has remained constant?
As a songwriter, I feel like there’s an essence that has stayed consistent throughout all my projects over the years. That said, I definitely think that my songwriting has become sharper, more direct, and to the point. I have a better grasp on what I want to say and I think that leads to songs with more clarity for the listener. I’m also just unabashedly proud of what I’m making right now which, as a self conscious songwriter, is new for me!
Do you have any new recordings in the works?
Yes, I’m currently in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. My trip down here was partly to set up a space to write and record. I have a crop of new songs that I want to debut at Swallow Hill.
What can audiences expect when you play Daniels Hall on Saturday, August 18?
People can expect both old and new songs, special guests, a wonderful opening act (Nina and the Moonlighters), and a headliner who is very excited to get back to Colorado and share his new songs with everyone:)
What are you listening to these days? Who – or what – do you look to for inspiration – musically or otherwise?
This summer has been wonderful for inspiration. I had the chance to play my first European show this summer in Florence, Italy and I picked up a lot of inspiration there. Of course, there’s plenty of inspiration here in Mexico. Musically, I’ve been riding an electronic music wave for about a year now. I started out not understanding electronic music, almost fearful of it in a weird way, but now I’m obsessed. Artists like Denis Sulta, Prodigy, Polo and Pan have been particularly inspiring. Outside of the electronic realm though I’ve been really into Kacey Musgrave’s new album Golden Hour. Her songwriting has definitely been inspiring lately. Ooo, also a new R&B artist called Raveena. The inspiration is endless, really.
Zach Heckendorf