KAMP Student Radio sat down with the band A R I Z O N A and talked with them about their new album and how the band came together.
The 24/7 free radio, KAMP, shared those excerpts of the on-air interview with the Daily Wildcat.
KAMP Student Radio: Well, first off, Zachary, congratulations on ASYLUM. I understand this is a pretty emotional album for you guys for many reasons. What was the process of getting this album together for you guys for your sophomore album?
Zachary Charles: It was interesting because we were supposed to get it done a lot quicker than we did. Basically, you always look at something like six months, right? You’re trying to get an album done in like six months, because you have to be on the road and then you’re busy and you’re all over the place. So, you tell yourself, “Hey, let’s just carve out half the year to be super creative and not worry about everything else.”
But the thing is, we were coming off our first album and we didn’t know that. So we got done with GALLERY, and GALLERY’s process was so natural because it was our first one …
Basically showing up and being like, “This is going to be fine,” and [then] life punching you in the face for two years is kind of what this album is about.
It’s not necessarily all terrible, terrible, terrible things. I think the whole idea behind this album is that after the two years that it did take for us to get it together, I think what it really came down to was the fact that … life has been very unexpected. There has been lots of uncomfortable moments. We hear things that we’ve all gone through as people, and I think that this album kind of does reflect that …
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KAMP: I’ve noticed your sound is sometimes nostalgic, uplifting … almost somber, in the best way possible. But how long did it take you guys to develop your sound would you say?
ZC: Well, the three of us have been friends for maybe, I don’t know, 10 years on the short end and 15 years on the long end, I think …
We all kind of had some different ideas of what the practical thing in life for us was going to be. Some of us actually did it and did music on the side, and some of us actually ended up trying to pursue music. Either way, we were always interested together.
We were producing music or songwriting for other people, and we were doing just lots of different musical things and creative things. So, working together naturally has always been something that we’ve just done without kind of thinking about it. Because it was never for us, right?
One day we kind of got just bored or burnt out or whatever of doing what we were doing, and we kind of gave up. But instead of giving up entirely, we said, “Well, we’ll just take a summer to work together as fun.” We’ll just make some music and not think about it, and that should be fun. No one is going to like it or care about it, but it’ll be fun anyway.
That’s kind of what it was. We sat down and we started making music the same way we had been for years and years and years, except it was just us doing it, I guess on the track per se, and not someone else doing it on the track … for someone else. I just thought that was it, you know, and honestly, like, there hasn’t been no other half of the answer of the evolution of what it’s become today …
KAMP: It’s like a personal friendship jam sesh that just got recorded pretty much.
ZC: That’s basically what it is every time, and if you knew how many things ended up in a track, like jokes or like things that we laughed at in the moment …
KAMP: I mean, there’s nothing like not only enjoying success with your friends, but working hard with your friends and getting that success at the same time. So cool that you could bring everyone together, you know?
ZC: Dude, started from the bottom, dog.
KAMP: Started from the bottom and now we’re here. Well, now you guys are here.
ZC: That’s what it’s about, man. It’s like, if you can’t have fun with your friends, then what’s the point of doing something that’s gonna consume that much of your life? You know, that’s kind of why the band is based on that — so we can do it as a career.
KAMP: So yeah, Zachary, with Dusk on the horizon right now, what are you looking forward to the most playing out here in Tucson?
ZC: Well like I said, Arizona has always been lit. I mean, I’m just trying to get down, so that’s number one. But I guess number two, we have definitely had enough time now to prepare some of these new songs to be able to go out there and play them live as a band.
So, I think playing Dusk and, like, bringing some of the newer songs from the album out there, and I mean, there’s a lot of them. It might be the first time we played them actually, at Dusk, live, some of them.
KAMP: Oh, that’s awesome. That is awesome actually.
ZC: So that’s going to be pretty cool. I dunno, just like, there’s a couple of places particularly where the best part about the show is the people that show up …
So it doesn’t matter what we do or what kind of weather it’s going to be — the best part about it for me is the people that show up …
KAMP: So, Zach, I have one final, like, a really important question I have to ask you here. So, looking at pictures online, I see that you have, like, a glorious mustache. How do you maintain a wonderful ‘stache like that? Honestly.
ZC: Ooh man, okay. You gotta just cut it at the corners of your mouth, my dude … Just look at, I don’t know, Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds … But that’s the big one, don’t let it get too far below the lips and trim around the corners of your mouth. That’s really the big secret right there.
This interview was edited for clarity and length. For the full interview, please visit KAMP Radio’s website.
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