While the Lakers are battling the Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs, a native Nebraskan (who now calls L.A. his home) will be cheering them on. He’ll do it from Florida, Georgia, and possibly Texas. Then, depending on how far the Lakers go in the tournament, he may make it home just in time to see Kobe and the boys compete for the title.
Seems complicated, doesn’t it? Such is life on tour.
Meet Zack Hexum, an avid Laker fan, who is in the middle of a two month trek to support the digital release of his debut effort, “The Story So Far.” The album itself was released on What Have You Records, a label owned by Zack’s brother Nick Hexum, who has fronted the band 311 for well over a decade.
With such a successful brother, Zack strives to make his own unique mark. However, he realizes the benefits. “It’s a great tool to open doors, regardless of how misleading it might be to refer to me as ‘the younger brother of the guy from 311.’”
The two have completely different tastes. Whereas Nick grew up listening to punk and hip-hop, Zack was drawn to jazz. “People who go to my shows expecting my music to be ‘312′ or whatnot are going to be disappointed,” he says.
So, what can one expect when seeing Zack perform live?
“Lots and lots of pyrotechnics. Wear your asbestos,” jokes Zack, who doesn’t need all the glitz and glamour of a stage show. The man plays somewhere in the neighborhood of nine instruments and boasts a solid background in jazz, which he studied at the University of North Texas. It’s hard to believe he just started singing at the age of 22, considering the confidence and skill he brings to his live performances.
On his current tour, Zack’s doing a little bit of everything. “The first month of shows was all solo - just me and the guitar. I’m using a bass player and drummer through Florida, so that allows a bigger, dynamic range,” Zack explains. “I also play soprano saxophone on a song or so each night.”
The rotating cast of characters is one of the reasons Zack’s live shows are so spontaneous. He has no set band, and different friends and musicians pop in and out at random.
It’s similar to the set-up he has at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles, a place Zack refers to as his ’second home.’ Although he has played there many times before, this past February saw Zack’s first run as a weekly resident. He hosted the ‘Zack Hexum Couple Skate,’ which paired him with another emerging artist every Tuesday.
“I played with four of my best friends who are all supremely talented musicians,” says Zack. “Joel Martin played guitar and lap steel on the first one, Jessie Baylin sang with me on Valentine’s Day, Charlie Paxson and I did a White Stripes-style duo gig, and Brandon Rogers sang and played piano for the finale.”
His musical collaborations don’t stop there. Zack’s played saxophone for both Michael Bublé and indie rock band Dredg, and he has toured with both 311 and Tears for Fears.
Zack also has plans for future mergers. “My former tour-mate Tom Freund and I talked about starting a sextet - a six piece band, not an internet porn site,” he jokes. “I would also like to get an instrumental group together when I’m back in L.A. … and I’d like to learn Spanish.”
While waiting in anticipation for “La Estoria Hasta Ahora” to hit the shelves, one should try to catch one of Zack’s remaining tour dates.
“Bring as many friends as you can possibly find if you’re coming to a show. As an independent artist with no radio or major label support, the trick is simply to get as many people out to the concerts as possible,” Zack explains.
With everything he has going on combined with his plans for the future, Zack has little time for anything that isn’t music related. “Between March and August, I’ll only be home in June,” he says.
Hopefully he’ll be able catch a Laker game.
- Emily Smith
You can hear Zack Hexum right here on BTR and @ www.zackhexum.com
