Start Listening To: Zach Stephenson

Ahead of his first solo record, Hockey Dad’s Zach Stephenson talks piano demos, anxiety songs, wearing suits and trying to make music without second-guessing himself.

After more than a decade making music with Hockey Dad, Zach Stephenson is stepping out under his own name with I Needed To Hear Me Say It, a solo record that began with piano sketches, home demos and the urge to see what might happen outside the usual band framework. Written with fewer rules and recorded with a trusted group of friends and collaborators, the album finds him testing out new ways of writing while still keeping the humour, looseness and odd little instincts that got him there in the first place.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

My name is Zach Stephenson from Wollongong, Australia. I’ve been making music with my band Hockey Dad for over 10 years now. Mostly surf/indie rock. I’ve just recorded and am about to release my first solo record. Trying something fresh and having fun along the way.

When did you first realise you wanted to make a solo record, and what was the first song that made it feel like a real possibility?

Maybe around two years ago I first had the thought of doing this record. I’d just written ‘Roy’, which is a song on the record. It was written on a piano in a green room in the UK whilst on tour. It was kind of the first song I’d written entirely on piano and definitely had a different feel to most stuff I’d been doing previously. That was the song that made me think I could try something different and make it a new project.

You’ve called the album I Needed To Hear Me Say It. What did you need to say, and did putting it into a song help you believe it?

I didn’t need to say anything in particular. I just wanted to use my own singular voice and see if I could do something with just me at the writing helm without any other input from bandmates or friends. That song is kind of wacky and intense. It definitely gave me confidence to make shit weird and have no hang-ups around what people would think.

You’ve talked about letting go of creative expectations, including your own. Which expectations had become hardest to shake after years of making music with Hockey Dad?

I think mostly my own expectations to create music fitting in within the Hockey Dad universe. I think I also expected, since I’ve just been a guitar player and that’s my main instrument for so long, that I couldn’t really write anything good unless it was based around guitar. This album has a bunch of songs which started off with my very novice piano playing, which gave me a new avenue to explore. It’s been fun to let go of any expectations of shredding on an instrument and letting the beginner brain emerge through the songs.

‘In N Out’ began as something you could use during moments of anxiety. How did you arrive at the idea of writing your own meditation guide?

It really just started with the idea of having heavy breathing almost as lyrics themselves. I’m not a terribly anxious person day to day. It just felt like the right road to take it down when getting the image of huffing into a paper bag.

That song changed quite a bit from the early version with the loud breathing and wheezing mellotron. At what point did you realise it could become something sunnier, and did that change what it meant to you?

The first version of the song was really kind of silly and strange. I was just experimenting and having fun with weird sounds at home and having no real expectation of it ever leaving my room. I think once we did some live demos with my friends we started playing it and just tidied it up. The whole song just flowed and felt like a true keeper after that. It’s fun to see these ugly jokes you make in demo world grow up to be fully formed songs that still have the original spirit you started with hiding deep beneath.

Was there anything you tried on this album that felt completely unfamiliar, or that you might previously have talked yourself out of?

Definitely playing piano as a main songwriting starting point was new to me. It’s not like I’ve ever been scared to do it but it’s just never fit in the band context with our previous records. This record was more an exercise in trying things I’ve always kind of wanted to try but never had the real opportunity present itself. Also working with a different group of musicians to make the record has been a new experience and really fun.

You recorded with Wade Keighran, who you’ve worked with before. What did he bring to these songs, and did making a solo record change the way you worked together?

I love working with Wade. He’s a beautiful human and just a great hang. I knew I wanted to do the record with him months and months before plans were even being made. I just trust his musical compass and judgement and I knew he would be able to see what I was striving for and help me achieve it. The great thing about this record for me is even though it’s a solo record, the recording process didn’t feel solo at all. It was a great period collaborating with Wade and the other crew playing on the album. I’d had enough of being alone in my room making these demos for years. Making a record with other people is so much more fulfilling for me anyway.

How did you bring the musicians for this record together, and what did they contribute that you hadn’t imagined when you were writing?

When I first decided to do the record, Stu (drums) was the first person I called. We’ve been great friends for years and I’ve always loved his drumming style. I was very keen to see what he would do to these demos with Logic Drummers on them haha. It’s more the subtle changes and ways he played that really excited me. He never overplays but always keeps me engaged.

Josh (bass/guitars) and Nick (horns/keys) are from a great Sydney band Crocodylus. Our bands have played together so much over the years and most recently did a tour of New Zealand together. They are just great people to be around and have the chops to match. I’m not looking for virtuoso prodigy musicians. I want people I can spend a week in a van with and have sore cheekbones by the end. Steve (bass player from HD and solo extraordinaire of his own) came along to help out with any parts that needed to be done in the process. We’ve been playing together for so many years now he just gets what needs to be done and I trust him completely.

Maisie Everett sings across the album and features on ‘Jeans In Japan’. What’s the story behind that song, and what made you want her voice alongside yours?

‘Jeans In Japan’ was really a last minute inclusion to the song pile. I wrote it maybe a week before we went to record the album. I was on the fence about it but had sent the demo to Stu and he really liked it. We gave it a go in the live room and it became a favourite to a bunch of the crew. Maisie was scheduled to come up in the last days of recording to add some vocals and we really didn’t know what song she was going to feature on. ‘Jeans’ kind of stood out and lent itself perfectly to the duet we ended up doing. Initially Maisie was just going to sing on that track and maybe do some backing vocals to one or two more songs we already had solid ideas for. Then we kept showing her more songs and she kept coming up with great ideas and was kind enough to sing on almost every track. For me it really took the record to another level. Our voices worked so well together and she is a true professional.

After years of touring, how has your idea of a good life as a musician changed, and where do you hear that coming through on this album?

I don’t know if it’s changed that much. It’s funny, the older I get the more I love touring and travelling. I just think I did it the silly young man’s way early on and hopefully have become wiser and more thoughtful with my time and my body. This record for me is kind of an acknowledgement of my past road sins and naivety. Ready to be forgiven out there on tour once again.

What do you love right now?

Wearing suits.

What do you hate right now?

Weather unsuitable for wearing suits.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you.

Hi-Fi Way by You Am I.

You Am I might be my dad’s favourite band. This album just has such a strong connection to my youth and my life through music. When you play it the thing is still undeniable. Top notch Australian songwriting backed by a band at their absolute peak energy and synergy wise for me anyway. You listen to ‘How Much Is Enough’ and tell me you don’t get goosebumps. I’ll tell you that you’re an AI bot.

What has making this record taught you about your songwriting that you’re curious to take back into Hockey Dad?

I think this record has got me excited to get back in the band room with my homies and just have fun rocking out. Back to basics like the ol’ days.

Photography By: Nikola Jokanovic and Brett Randell