MID-WESTERN BORN ZACH CLEVEN IS THE SCAT-ACOUSTIC FUNK ARTIST BEHIND ‘THE Z-MAN EXPERIENCE’. WE GOT A CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT Z-MAN AND HIS MUSIC IN OUR CHAT RIGHT HERE. READ IT BELOW AND BE READY FOR MORE.

What is your names? 
The Z-Man Experience 

What is your genre of music? 
It’s a style I like to call scat-acoustic-funk

Give us a little bio about you. 
Midwestern-made, Zach Cleven, is an eclectic singer-songwriter who goes by as “Z-Man” He is known for his idiosyncratic style and new genre of music, which is best described as a fusion of scat-acoustic-funk. His energetic stage presence, and focus on his original works, has fueled his passion for sharing his music globally and audiences find deep appreciation for his talent and love of music.

What made you go into music? 
I was in a point in my life where I was going nowhere and I was lost. I was struggling with drugs and alcohol at the time and I needed to find myself. I needed a sense of belonging and soon to find out music was the answer. I had this old schecter guitar just sitting in my closet collecting dust, I was still in and out of counseling and was really upset about where my life was going, so one day I decided to take a chance and listen to my heart and finally learn how to play guitar. So I went to this old guitar shop in my hometown called Dicks Music in Green Bay, WI. I spoke with this guy named Dennis Panneck who quickly turned into one my good friends and was my guitar instructor for 7 years. The first song I learned was Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and then before I knew it, something happened musically where I felt like this was my compass and began to write and sing songs naturally. Till this day I am so thankful and blessed to see how far I’ve come along the way and knowing if it wasn’t for my passed I wouldn’t have the same spirit.

Who are your influences? 
That’s a tough one! Where to begin… I love The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, T-Rex, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Mathews, Bob Dylan and Jack Johnson to name a few!

Are you a signed? 
No, currently I am an independent artist.

You released your new single ‘Give It Away’, tell us more about the single. 
Give it Away is all about finding yourself and being true to who you are in this world. It’s important to find what your passionate about and to chase your dreams.

Describe the track in two words. 
Atmospheric & imaginative

Who did you work with on the single? 
My producer Jeremy Ford

What was the writing and recording process like? 
The song came together in my old room when I was still living with my mom. I just started hearing these lyrics and chords inside my head and it just fell into place. The recording process was a lot of fun! We started with the drums where we recorded on an SM 57 microphone, then the acoustic guitar and lead vocals where we used an SM 58 mic on both. Once we had the foundation of the song in place we just started adding some color like lead guitar parts, drum fills and backing vocals to fill in the sound.

Will we see a music video for ‘Give It Away’, and if so what can we expect from it? 
Yes! My single release is paired with an official music video! It’s available on Youtube right now and you can find my channel under The Z-Man Experience

Will we see an EP or Album and if so what can we expect and when can we expect it? 
You will see an EP release this coming fall! So stay tuned 🙂

What else can we expect in 2022? 
I will be producing and releasing one single every 2 months. Except for when I launch my waterfall release which will be that EP I mentioned earlier come this fall.

Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years? 
Continuing to write, perform and release music. My goal is to tour the country and the world.

What quote or saying do you always stick by? 
In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different

When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget? 
WATER 
Extra mic and guitar cables 
Extra guitar strings 
My camera 
My setlist

Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you? 
Instagram 
Facebook
Youtube
Website

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