Zach Bailey’s latest single, “The Dive Bar,” is a tribute to the guts and soul of the open mic scene. The candy and comfy tune is a snapshot of a neighborhood coming collectively to share tales, help each other, and create lasting connections. The tune’s nostalgic shades and Zach Bailey’s emotional rhymes transport listeners to the intimate setting of a dive bar, the place laughter, vulnerability, and uncooked expertise intertwine.
On this unique interview, Zach Bailey talks in regards to the inspiration behind the tune “The Dive Bar,” and its heart-warming video. Filmed by gifted cinematographer Jackie Lee Domi, the video captures the essence of an open mic night time, from the nervous power backstage to the electrical efficiency on stage. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the dive bar as a nurturing floor for artists, showcasing the real connections solid inside its partitions.
We may even get to know the intimate particulars about his evolution as an artist, the explanations behind his inventive selections for this piece, and the importance of the dive bar setting for him as an artist and particular person. His ardour for this atmosphere that fosters help for fellow artists is obvious as he discusses the significance of listening, sharing, and studying from others.
“The Dive Bar” is a lovely piece, congratulations. It made me take into consideration the push and sweetness of a brand new romance. Are you able to inform us extra in regards to the inspiration behind it?
Thanks! Yeah, I initially wrote it a couple of cute boy who I invited out to the open mic I host. Whereas my co-host was operating the present, I invited him out to the again patio, and we talked for what felt like a looong time… it was enjoyable haha :). Though he and I didn’t work out, the tune has grown for me to be in regards to the expertise of attending to know everybody who has come out to the open mic every week. It’s been such a particular neighborhood.
The dive bar is clearly the central location in each, the tune and the music video. Are you able to discuss in regards to the significance of this setting and the way it displays your private experiences?
Yeah, the dive bar is the place I hosted a songwriter’s open mic for the previous 12 months and a half with my greatest pal Rachel Baldwin, collectively as Lazy River Presents. I knew I wanted an area that was susceptible sufficient to carry and help my tender songs, and I needed to do it in the neighborhood. So we created a listening-room-type setting the place songwriters might check out new materials and be unafraid to fail. Phrase-of-mouth unfold, and it grew to become a well-liked Tuesday night time spot.
For me, it was an ideal place to observe my songwriting craft alongside my friends.
I’d like to speak a little bit in regards to the lyrics of the tune. How did you handle to create such a vivid depiction of a dive bar?
Haha, effectively I’ve spent *weeks* of my life in there, so I hope I might comprehend it proper by now.
I’m interested in one thing, the road “Christopher offers me a glance” provides some thriller to the story. Are you able to clarify the importance of this character?
Hahaha oh my gosh, Christopher is considered one of my good associates and a staple of our open mic. He’s been coming for the reason that starting and performs virtually weekly, so we’ve gotten to know one another. So when Christopher gave me a *look,* he knew *precisely* what was going via my head… 😉
Your choice to movie the music video throughout an precise open mic was daring. Are you able to inform us what you loved essentially the most of it and the challenges it represented?
It needed to be filmed on the open mic! I wouldn’t have been capable of pull it off with out Rachel, who ran the present whereas we had been filming, plus I had a variety of associates all serving to out. The videographer Jackie Lee was an open mic common, too. It felt cozy to create it collectively; we had been all very conversant in the area and the cadence for the night.
Our largest problem was to movie all our photographs with out interrupting the run-of-show for the night. Fortunately, we had a plan going into it — principally filming as a lot as we might be forward of time — and all of it labored out easily! Plenty of associates and regulars of the scene had been featured, so watching the video looks like residence; an ideal time capsule of a typical Tuesday night time Lazy River open mic. 🙂
The video showcases varied features of the open mic expertise, totally immersing us within the story. Was there a specific second or scene that you simply felt greatest captured the essence of the open mic neighborhood?
I believe on the core of the open mic expertise is every performer’s one tune on stage (5 minutes or much less) so capturing the on-stage feeling was paramount. Jackie actually nailed that with the 360-degree on-stage photographs, paired with close-ups of key particulars — just like the disco ball, and peeking out from backstage.
Equally as necessary had been the candid photographs of oldsters speaking and connecting with one another, as a result of for my part, assembly fellow songwriters and musicians is without doubt one of the best items of an area like this. Generally we needed to “shhh” people so we might hear what was taking place on stage… people had been connecting an excessive amount of, haha.
You’ve talked about the significance of the open mic neighborhood. How do you hope this video will contribute to the expansion and help of the open mic scene?
In my expertise, the open mic scene right here in Los Angeles is prospering and vibrant. I really feel so fortunate to have been a steward of this specific area, however there are lots of different nice spots too!
It has been magical to witness a variety of new nights come about on account of people assembly at our night time — my hope for the way forward for the open mic scene is that we proceed to create areas the place we actively hearken to and uplift one another.
How has your involvement within the open mic neighborhood, notably with Lazy River Presents, formed your songwriting and creative perspective?
After listening to ~40 songs an evening (roughly ~1500 songs from ~500 performers over the previous 12 months and a half), I’m humbled by the quantity of expertise there’s right here. To hearken to what everyone seems to be placing out, and to repeatedly hone my craft on the identical time — for the primary 12 months or so, I used to be writing and performing a brand new tune every week — it was actually a masterclass in songwriting.
By way of this expertise, I’ve been capable of hone in on precisely what *I* am providing musically — which generally is a candy story, different occasions melancholy. On this case of “The Dive Bar” — half romance/half reminiscent / and a bit cheeky. 😉
I keep in mind the primary time that I carried out a brand new tune (one which I’m recording proper now) the place all the viewers began singing alongside within the second refrain (with out me prompting them to take action!) It was a kind of moments the place I believed, “Wow, that is so past me; don’t drop it, Z!”
To have the chance to carry out for and hearken to my friends, on a weekly foundation, has been a privilege.
After the discharge of the tune and this stunning video, what’s subsequent for you? Are there any plans for brand new music or initiatives?
Sure!! I’ve two extra songs within the works in the meanwhile — one is a sassy breakup tune I co-wrote with my bestie Rachel… and the opposite is a cute love tune about being any person’s muse… each I’m recording with my buddy and collaborator, Gal Petel… extra to be introduced quickly! 😉
Thanks for these fantastic questions. I admire your time. <3
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