Exclusive Interview: Zach Seabaugh Talks “Slingshot,” A New Chapter in His Artistry, and More

Zach Seabaugh is a rising singer-songwriter who found success at an early age. As he’s grown and matured in the industry, he’s continued to develop his unique sound and channeled his life experiences into timeless classics like “Same Moon” and “Somebody Who Loves Somebody.”

In the past few years, Zach has embarked on an exciting new chapter in his career as he brings pop-infused elements into his music, which can be heard on his new single, “Slingshot.”

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Zach about discovering his voice as an artist, “Slingshot,” his ongoing collaboration with Chance Peña, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Zach: It had to have been before I really knew that I was passionate about music. I come from a big family. I have four sisters, and I’m the only boy. I’m the middle child. But one thing we all had in common was the church choir. It was our duty to do that every week. We were a family that went to church three days a week, and my sisters grew out of it. I don’t think they got the music bug. But I really enjoyed it. I didn’t know that it was possible for me to pursue it as a career and that I could be an artist or a songwriter. That came towards the end of high school. But it all started for me in the church.

PC: When you look at your career as a whole, who or what has had the biggest influence either personally or professionally?
Zach: Personally, the biggest influence was my grandfather who passed away. He had a jukebox on his porch. My earliest memory of being inspired to be part of this industry was the jukebox that he had. I had to have been eleven or twelve. He loved music. He wasn’t a singer. He didn’t really play an instrument. He just loved music. Being around somebody like that really gave me the bug.

Musically, my cousin went to Ole Miss. I was really young at the time. I was learning how to play guitar, and she introduced me to Jack Johnson for the first time. That was it. I was hooked. I learned every single Jack Johnson song then, up until I started figuring out how to write my own.

PC: Speaking of writing, you’ve said in previous interviews that your process is more acoustic and stripped back and it’s your collaboration with your producer where these pop-infused elements come in. Has that always been your process? How fun is it to play with that juxtaposition?
Zach: It’s been an interesting road trying to hone in on how I go about writing songs. It’s all really different. There’s not a template that I follow. The majority of the songs that I’m getting ready to release I’ve written over the last year. The majority have been with my buddy Chance who has been producing all of this. At the time, I’d fly out to LA and stay with him. We would have honest conversations as friends. I’ve known him since he was fifteen and I was sixteen or seventeen. It’s been a friendship years in the making. Being able to talk honestly with your co-writer, you stumble upon ideas. I feel most comfortable if I have a guitar in my hand, and that’s the cool part about working with someone like Chance: he can bring all of these cool sounds and elements off of his laptop. That’s how he stumbled upon “Slingshot.”

PC: Speaking of “Slingshot,” can you tell us about the song and the inspiration behind it?
Zach: It was August of last year. I graduated college in May and entered into my publishing deal. I was on fire to write songs. I wanted to get inspired, so I went with my brother-in-law to the High Sierra Mountains in California. We spent a few days out there, just hiking in the woods. I got back to LA to work with Chance. I felt really inspired. I was really happy. I felt like I was on cloud nine the whole time I was out there. It was an evening when I was at his apartment. We were watching the sun go down. We looked at each other and went inside the studio and started writing it.

PC: You’ve worked and collaborated with Chance in the past. How have the two of you been able to continue to push each other as artists?
Zach: When I started writing with Chance, we were initially writing for me. He is a very gifted songwriter and I was excited to start making music on my own. I had people excited about wanting to help me put it out, and it wasn’t until probably a few months ago I was in LA and we ended up writing a song for him. So now every time we go into the room, we’re either writing for me or writing for him. It’s cool that we have similar vibes and sounds and similar stories to tell. It helps to go off one another.

PC: You’re an artist that’s been steadily releasing music throughout the years. If you had to choose one song that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Zach: Probably “Slingshot.” It’s the beginning of a new chapter for me. There’s no story arc to “Slingshot.” It’s just an emotion. I feel very happy when I sing the song. It’s very much me. Moving forward, I want to carry that energy into all of my releases.

PC: You already teased a little bit about this already, but as we look ahead to the rest of 2022, what can fans expect from you?
Zach: A lot more music. I’ve been doing this professionally since I was seventeen…which is coming up on seven years now, which is pretty crazy. I’ve had to figure out how to discover myself in front of an audience and in front of people. There’s been pressure, but I feel like that’s been taken away now. I’m able to settle into who I am and what stories I want to share. The music that I’ve been writing over the last year is exactly that. They can expect a lot of music. I’m really excited about it.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Zach: Jack Harlow. I absolutely love Jack Harlow. I’m big about going to the gym every day. It’s part of my routine. I listen to sad boy music. I love Alexander 23, Chelsea Cutler, and all of those talented people. But Jack Harlow…you can catch me singing “Tyler Herro” and all of that.

PC: First album you bought?
Zach: In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson. That was the first one, and I didn’t even buy it. My cousin had given it to me. But I’ll always remember that.

PC: First concert you attended?
Zach: The one that I remember attending first was at an amphitheater in Georgia. I don’t think it’s there anymore. It was Jesse McCartney with the Jonas Brothers opening. I come from a big family. We saw this tent with these three young dudes. They were the openers. We went over there to be nice because you know how openers are. I’m in that position now where I’m like, “Please come say hi. You don’t know me.” It was the Jonas Brothers.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Zach: I keep going back to it, but it’s In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson. That has influenced my songwriting. It’s influenced the melodies that I create when I’m in the writing room. I can be happy. I can be sad. I always turn that album on and it turns me around.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Zach: Red Rocks. I’m big into the outdoors. I love hiking. I’m from Georgia. So there’s something about going out west to the Midwest that just really fascinates me. I went there one time. It wasn’t a show—I was just walking around—and I’ve engraved it in my mind that I want to play there one day.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Zach: A must-have? Headphones. I’ve got to have my headphones. I’m the type of guy—and I hate to admit it—but if I’m in the grocery store, I’ll have my headphones in and I don’t have to have music playing. I’ve just got to concentrate and get in there and get out. But I always have to have headphones on me.

To keep up with Zach, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Pick up or stream “Slingshot” today.