The Zack Walther Band Stops in San Angelo For West Texas Tour

Saturday, July 30, Blaine's Pub welcomes back the Zack Walther Band. The New Braunfels trio is comprised of Zack Walther - Lead Vocals/Guitars, Matthew Briggs - Drums/Vocals, and as of 2 weeks ago, Corey Shetler - Bass and some harmony vocals.

Walther said, "Right now, we're doing kind of a 'West Texas tour.'  We'll be in the Alpine/Big Bend area Thursday, then Friday at noon in Marathon, and Friday night in Snyder at the 'Horny Toad.'" After that, we'll round off our weekend at one of our favorite spots: Blaine's Pub in San Angelo. We play there as much and as often as we can, but on average, every 3 months or so for at least the last 10 years."

If Walther's name sounds familiar, it's because he’s been in various bands over the years, including Zach Walther and the Cronkites.

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Originally, piano was the first instrument Walther learned, but not the last. He has an extensive background in music starting in elementary school and continuing through college. When asked about his Facebook post that says he "plays mostly the white keys" (on the piano), laughingly he explained, "The white keys are the key of 'C,'  so for anybody who takes up playing the piano, you don't have to play any sharps or flats."

Walther added, "Matt, the drummer, has been my best friend since the third grade, and we've been playing music together for the last 23 years. We've probably done about 12-15 records, and now, with the digital age and downloads, people can go online and get our music. What's neat about we do, and we're one of the first ones to do it is, recently Facebook came out with a streaming application to where our shows are shown live." 

Walther continued, "Matt has a studio so we record everything ourselves. We'll do four or five songs at a time and release an EP, and after the third time, we'll release a full record. It's a cost effective way to get music out every 4 or 5 months instead of once every two years.  

Walther said, his goal, however, with the next album is to have all the songs ready to go so the band can go in and record all the songs over three days and be done for awhile.

"We're excited as it looks like legendary singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell will be producing this next record," explained Walther. "He and I have been working together on and off for the last 5 years writing some songs, and it will hopefully be a change for the better [and] a little more polished."
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As for musical influences, Walther said he is a huge Simon and Garfunkel fan, and reflected upon listening to his parents' vinyl as a child.

"The first song I ever played in front of an audience, at age 15 with friend of mine I was in choir with, was called the ‘Sounds of Silence,’ and I still play it today.”

Art Garfunkel once described the song's meaning as "the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally, but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other."  

Walther said, "That explanation of the song couldn't be more accurate in this day and time: a lack of communication. It's a good message, and it's kind of what I've been struggling with in writing this new record. When you mature as an artist and a songwriter, you have to think about what message you would like to get across in your music. I try not to persuade people with my lyrics, yet see that the events over this last month have completely turned this nation upside down. As an artist, I'm a soft spoken person, but it's also important to listen and have an educated response." 

As for his love of S & G, Walther noted, "There's that common thread of harmonies mixed in with some incredibly prolific lyrics; it's just musical poetry in my opinion. A lot of Matt's and my collaboration is really a Blues/Rock influence, yet still in the Texas music scene. We play the song 'Hallelujah' at most shows, but most of the time, we're kind of a fun upbeat band. With the last record, I've been playing a lot of Dobro slide guitar, getting back to the basics, yet with that toe tapping-raise-the-roof-type vibe. Fortunately, not everyone can play music, as if they did, I'd be out of a job."
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Walther also had this message for fans: "Always search for something new and cool whether it's our music or someone else's. There are a lot more bands out there than there were 10 years ago who have found a way to make a niche and sound to attract a certain fan base, which has brought them success. Some dislike things like Napster, Spotify and Pandora, but I think it's great. When the music we play is lumped into other playlists on those sites, it's the best way to get people to hear our music."

He also wanted fans to know "the album we are currently working on will most likely be released in the Spring of 2017, so stay tuned."

Unsure of what the release will be called, Walther said, "We had a life changing event this past year with the passing of my infant daughter. A lot of what I'm writing will be in regards to losing somebody and dealing with that as well as some other things."

Walther said he, his wife and two daughters are moving forward, and "as time goes on, it gets a little better, as all who surround the family have been so supportive," for which he is grateful. 

For more information, please check out Zack Walther Band on their Facebook page and at www.zackwaltherband.com . For upcoming events at Blaine's Pub, check them out at blainespub.com.