DJ Interviews: The Talking Tears

 Presenting my interview with the Talking Tears

How'd you get started in music?  

Hey!  Jack Zenith here.  I started writing silly little pop songs when I was about 4 years old.  Taught myself to play guitar when I was 9.  When my best friend and I were 20 he passed away. I really took a deep dive into music then, and have never stopped.  Music was a way of connecting with him in his passing, a way of expressing my grief.  

Who are your inspirations or influences?  

Too many to list, honestly.  I like David Bowie, Beck, Nirvana, Garbage, Tricky, Lizzo, Tyler the Creator, BTS, PJ Harvey. My tastes are pretty eclectic.  In the past year I've really grown fond of a lot of indie unsigned artists.  If a record company was to hire me as their A & R I could really help push some new talent out there.  I think so many people are sick of the same old cliche music.  I don't want to hear the same 3 songs on the radio over and over again, let's hear something new.

What advice would offer aspiring performers?  

If you love to make music, do it.  But don't think that it's going to be easy, or be an instant fame situation.  It's pretty rare that that happens.  Try to be humble, be true to yourself and others.  Think about the reasons you make music, and remind yourself of that.  Remember that music is subjective, so there will always be some people that will hate you, and some people that will love you.  But their opinion doesn't define you as an artist.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

I think The Talking Tears would have been pretty big in 1992.  So the project is kind of a post-grunge experiment.  I always try to put my feelings and emotions into any song I'm a part of, and I hope other people can feel those same emotions when they hear it.  I don't think we sound like any other bands that are out there today though, we are trying to build a unique sonic soundscape with our music.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Oh man... We are just wrapping up our new album.  I know everyone loves to toot their own horn, but this album is really good.  I have a hard time realizing I was a part of making it.  It just sounds so cool!  It's the album I've always dreamed of making and it's really cool to be collaborating with Jason from With Every Passing Breath.  We've become great friends and we talk all the time.  I can't say enough good things about the guy.  And his brother Jeremy is mastering the project which is really putting it into some next-level territory.  I think people will really be surprised when they hear it.  Look for the new album everywhere soon.  And I'd love to play live shows.  It would be cool to do like a little indie artist tour!  I've actually never played live yet as The Talking Tears, and that's definitely on my radar to do soon.  This new world of soundbytes and tiktok clips is tough for someone like me to navigate.  I'm old fashioned, I want to listen to a whole album, and I want it to mean something and tell me a story.  I want music to move me.