Bad Robot Jones
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Bad Robot Jones

Takoma Park, Maryland, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2016 | SELF

Takoma Park, Maryland, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2016
Band Alternative Progressive

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Interview with Zach Parkman"

Zach Parkman fronts local band Zach Parkman & the Damaged Goods. Their unique blend of bluesy rock with a twist of funk made me wonder about the origins of this band, how they ended up in Ohio, and what drives the music they create. I recently interviewed Zach to discuss his band, here’s what he had to say:

SZ: First the background questions. On your website you mention that you grew up in Texas, and have travelled for military living assignments, also lived in Virginia, and now Ohio. How have these different places shaped you as a musician and influenced your music?

ZP: Most Texans that you meet have a hyper-identification with their state, so being a native Texan I was automatically influenced by a sub-set of musicians ranging from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lightning Hopkins to Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett and Kris Kristofferson to Buddy Holly to Janis Joplin, etc, etc, etc. Even today I identify more as a Texas singer/songwriter even though I haven’t lived there for almost a decade. My military experience really only did two things: a) it sent me to the Middle East, so I got to experience first hand an entirely different culture with a distinctly different historical reference to musical tonality and phrasing, (using minor scales almost exclusively) and b) lighting the fire under my ass to start taking my own music seriously and basically start my career as a musician. Living in Virginia and now Ohio has brought me in contact with quite a few different musicians and musical communities and solidified in my mind just how similar we all are in our need to connect with one another through music.

SZ: You play lead guitar and sing lead vocals on the album Part-time Paladin, which you have made available on your website. Which other instruments do you play and what are the names of the people currently in the back up band and what do they play? How long has the current back up group been with you?

ZP: I took piano lessons as a child, but didn’t stick with them and I remember singing in children’s choir at church at a young age, but that is really the extent of my formal training until later in my adult life. I started fiddling around on guitar at about the age of 12 and haven’t looked back since. I am fairly competent on bass guitar, but every guitar player will tell you that. I also play piano now, but I still play it from the perspective of a guitar player. It’s kind of like I can speak a little Spanish, but I have to translate the words in my head before I can say them. I really want to learn how to play the lap steel guitar and the cello, too. The band I’m with now is The Damaged Goods (we perform under the title Zach Parkman & the Damaged Goods). I am the primary songwriter & arranger, but we do play three or four songs by Brandon Ashcraft who also sings and plays guitar. Mike Cotter plays bass, Kel Williams plays drums and percussion and Don Johnson plays drums and percussion. We are looking for a competent keyboardist/pianist. This version of the band has been together since February 2011. Brandon and I are the only original members of the band that was started in November of 2010.

SZ: Can you talk a little about your music writing process. Some musicians compose in a group, some pick it all out on a keyboard first, some musician have the basic tune in their head for a long while before sitting down, etc. So how is it for you; when you are starting to write is there a consistent process you tend to go through? How does a song first come to you?

ZP: I am a “binge” writer. I am always working on something in the back of my head and I carry around several notebooks of unfinished songs every where I go, but I usually have very fruitful periods of about 2 weeks where I complete a lot of songs at the same time. Outside of that, I am a prodigious note taker. If I have a cool turn of phrase or lyric go through my head I will scribble it down on a napkin or a receipt or whatever is available. Normally I write the melody line and music first, with a basic cadence of how the lyrics should sound and then fill in the blanks at a later time. This usually leaves me with several different versions of the same song. Every once in a while I will have a song just pour out of me complete with lyrics and all, but that is the exception and not the norm.

SZ: Your music spans across several genres, Blues, rock, funk, when people who haven’t heard your music ask you to describe it to them or ask you what genre it’s in, what do you tell them (beside just listen to it)?

ZP: That problem has actually gotten worse over time (the problem of assigning a label). I used to play acoustic guitar exclusively, so I could easy reference another acoustic guitar performer like Jack Johnson or Dave Matthews or early John Mayer, but now that my repertoire has grown to include so much more it has become more and more difficult to describe. My first musical love is and always will be the blues, but I also love classic southern soul and western swing and early R & B and country. I have started just referring to it as “roots music”. All of those genres and styles found their way into modern popular music from Rock to Rap.

SZ: When I listen to some of your guitar runs, I seem to hear a classical influence so are there classical composers that have influenced your music if so which one or two in particular and in what ways.

ZP: I was raised in a household that listened (and still listens) to NPR and part of that included classical music. I am a huge fan of J.S. Bach and have learned several of his works on guitar. I wouldn’t say that it is a primary influence, but it is still part of the way that I perceive melody. Bach was a genius; he could tell a story using only musical notes. It is such an easy thing to say, but having such a refined ear for harmony and counter point and to compose multiple layers at the same time is truly amazing.

SZ: For a while you were in a Christian rock band. I think readers will find this interesting and would like to know what you took away from that experience or if you found the actual experience of playing music in that setting different than what you experience now.

ZP: Now that I can put some distance from me then and now it doesn’t seem all that alien. I definitely went through a “what was that about?” period. I was raised in semi-religious family, Dad’s side was Southern Baptist and Mom’s was Episcopalian, and like most families the farther you go up the generational ladder the more fervent the belief. So, growing up I realized that people had different religious and spiritual beliefs and that was fine. In my early twenties I went through a bit of a spiritual crisis in that I had all these ideas and philosophies, but nothing concrete to identify with. That is pretty common I think for most folks in their twenties. So sufficed to say I went with a friend to a Christian coffee house in a small town in East Texas and fell in with these guys that had the same story as me. Raised in the church kinda, grew up, went astray in some form or fashion and were looking for “something” to fill the void. They had a band and were looking for another guitarist. I performed with them for about a year and did some regional touring and really learned a lot about playing with other musicians. Most of what we played you can hear on contemporary Christian radio and an album’s worth of original music. It was probably exactly what I needed at the time. It taught me a lot about not only what it means to be a working musician, but also about standing up for yourself personally and not allowing someone else to dictate who you are, what you are and what you want to do with your life. The “brand” of Christianity that the bandleader adhered to is probably best described as “evangelical Pentecostalism” minus the speaking in tongues. Like any fundamentalist world view it doesn’t leave much room for variety or differences in opinion and I don’t know how an artist can work inside those parameters. And that is all I’m going to say about that.

SZ: In the frenetic society we live in, readers are always interested in how successful people strike a balance between what they do and the rest of their lives. What advice do you have for younger musicians wanting the music life, but also wanting a healthy relationship and a sense of well being in the pursuit of music?

ZP: Well, I want a pony!!! That is not necessarily a question about the music industry (I use that term broadly), but how a person handles their own inner life. My wife and I both work in the Arts and it can be a fairly transient life, but with new technology you can still get a lot of networking and creative communication via the web. The real question to ask yourself is can you live a contented life doing anything else. I finally arrived at the point at about the age of 26 or 27, when I had been sort of a part-time musician for awhile, that if I didn’t pursue music I wasn’t being true to myself and I would regret it for the rest of my life. If that is your truth then pick it up and run with it. Play in front of anyone that will stand still long enough to be an audience. Take yourself seriously as a musician, don’t take no or silence as an answer. Most importantly, involve yourself with your local music community. You don’t have to move to Los Angeles or Nashville to have a career in music, but you do have to make yourself known as a reliable and constant figure in your own community. That is true of any career. That will be $20 please.

SZ: So how would you compare where you are now, the music you are currently working on for the next album with what you did last time around? Are your inspirations different this time, has being settled in Ohio now come into play at all in the writing process, are there themes you have now that weren’t in the music before, messages you want to get out there, any politics, or other sorts of threads through your current work?
The songs that went on The Carpenter & the Chemist, which was recorded in 2008, were written from 2000 – 2006. I am extremely proud of that album and several of the songs are in the current set lists we play. I came out of that album knowing that the next one would be a much “rawer” album, both sonically and lyrically. It is strange to talk about this now, because while I am recording the “new” album with the band (in which all the songs are written and arranged and now being mixed and over dubbed) I am also recording demo tracks for an even “newer” album which is much more introspective and softer I think.

SZ: Tell the readers about any upcoming gigs where they can come and hear you play; I understand you will be at the Paw-Paw festival in Albany. When is that?

ZP: We will be at the Paw-Paw Festival, Friday, Sept. 16th from 4 – 5 PM http://www.ohiopawpawfest.com/index.html.. On September 17th we will perform at the Blue Room Sessions at InSea Sound Shop in Nelsonville starting at 7 PM. The Blue Room Sessions are kind of an institution for this area; just about every band does one on some occasion. It is a very intimate venue, the recording studio at InSea probably fits 20 people; the sets will be primarily acoustic and are recorded. Tickets are $10 and MUST be bought in advance at www.insea.biz. The band plans on releasing the recordings as a live album. We are really looking forward to it.

- AltOhio music.lifestyle.good


"Zach Parkman & The Damaged Goods Interview @ AJ & DBS"

How did the project come into existence? = Singer/Songwriter Zach Parkman had been writing and performing for over a decade when his wife began her graduate studies at Ohio University in Athens, OH. Zach had recently finished recording his first full length studio album, The Carpenter & The Chemist, with producer/musician J.P. Goggin at Red Cell Studio in Virginia Beach and continued to perform in support of the new album in and around Appalachian Ohio. The album was released in 2009 and received good reviews from fans and the local press, but without a backing band it was impossible to recreate the feel and scope of the recorded work in a live setting. In 2010, while performing at a Hocking College music event with an early version of The Damaged Goods, Zach was approached by fellow Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Brandon Ashcraft about collaborating. With Brandon on board the currently band roster soon followed with Mike Cotter on bass and Kel Williams on drums. The band is currently working on the follow up album to The Carpenter & The Chemist which will be released later in 2011.


Who are the members of the band if any and please tell us about it? = Zach Parkman & The Damaged Goods began as a way for a songwriter to recreate an album worth of material in a live setting and has now grown past that to encompass the creative visions of the rest of the band. The current roster includes Kel Williams on drums, Mike Cotter on bass, Brandon Ashcraft on vocals, guitars, harmonica, and Zach Parkman on vocals and guitars. Parkman and Ashcraft are the primary songwriters for the group.


How would you describe your sound/genre? = The band's sound is a mixture of the roots rock, blues and alt. country sensibilities of Parkman colliding with Ashcraft's tilt towards hip-hop, funk and alternative rock.


What formal training or previous experience do any of the members have? = All the members of The Damaged Goods have performed as either solo acts or with other bands in the past. Brandon Ashcraft, Zach Parkman and Kel Williams are all involved in Hocking College School of Music's Production program and have some formal training. Zach Parkman has been writing songs and playing guitar for 20 years and has taught guitar regularly since 2007. Brandon Ashcraft has performed in several bands and produced several projects in the Nelsonville area. Kel Williams performed primarily in the punk genre before getting the gig with The Damaged Goods. Mike Cotter is currently in Hocking Colleges Eco Program and is the resident hippie for the group.


Are you working w/ a producer on your upcoming album? = The upcoming album, The Part-Time Paladin, is being recorded at Studio A in Hocking College's School of Music in Nelsonville, OH. With 3 members studying Music Production the album will be produced by the band.


Who would you say has been the biggest influence on the bands sound or that you have used as inspiration for your music? = Zach Parkman's influences are all over the place. As a songwriter he takes cues from Tom Waits, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Bob Schneider and Dylan, of course. He also has a great love of the blues and admires guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Lightning Hopkins, Mark Knopfler and John Mayer.

What advice would you give to others starting out? = Take every gig available to you!!! Play for free if you need to, but get a following and put yourself in positions to have your music heard. Badger venue owners until they have to book you just to get you to shut up. If you really love music, stick with it, take your lumps, take criticism with an open mind and keep positive role models. You don't have to be an alter boy, but if your manager is blowing all the gig money on coke you may have a problem.

Where can people go to learn more about you and hear your music? = The internet seems to be the place these days, so we have a plethora of sites:

www.zachparkman.com
www.reverbnation.com/zachparkman
www.sonicbids.com/zachparkman
www.facebook.com/zachparkman&thedamagedgoods
www.facebook.com/brandonashcraft
www.facebook.com/zachparkman
www.myspace.com/zachparkman
YouTube + iTunes + CDBaby, etc.

If you could play anywhere in the world or with anyone you wanted where and who would it be with? = Austin City Limits would be at the top of the list. The Kerrville Folk Festival, MerleFest, Coachella, Bonneroo, Buddy Guy's Legends and maybe some little dive bar down on Bourbon Street. Performing with any band on the Lost Highway label: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Hayes Carll.


What has been your greatest experience so far either individually or as a whole? = In 2008 Zach Parkman got invited to perform at the R.O.O.T. Music showcase at SXSW and also perform with the Sheila Swift band at MoMo's in the same week.


Do you have any upcoming events or news you would like to tell our readers about? = The new album is coming out this year, The Part-Time Paladin, and it will be a much funkier and rawer album than the previous one. Brandon Ashcraft will be heading up an organic hip-hop side project this year as well, more will be revealed.


Where do you see yourselves or hope to be in about 5 years? = As a band we hope to still be making music together, writing and recording original music and making a living in the music industry.
- AJ & DBS Music Blog


"Student Showcase 1: Zach Parkman & The Damaged Goods"

By Lisa Sells

Everyone can agree that music is food for the soul, and a live music performance is better yet! If you haven’t taken the time to stop by the cafeteria on Tuesdays during the lunch rush, you’re really missing out on the vocal and instrumental talent of the Hocking College music students! The concerts begin the 5th week of the quarter, and are held in the John Light dining hall between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. The live performances are really beneficial to the students, as it gives them experience in dealing with timing factors, setting up equipment, sound issues, etc. that would have to be dealt with at real venues.
For me, watching the facial expressions and body language of the artists is just as enjoyable as the music itself. For them, this was an opportunity and great practice to create a style all their own, while learning to just “let go” and establish a connection with the audience.
I was impressed this past Tuesday with “Zach Parkman and the Dam- aged Goods,” and wanted to put the spotlight on them in our June newsletter. I’ll let the creator of the band, Zach Parkman, take it from here...
Zach Parkman & The Damaged Goods is an Indie Blues-Rock & Soul band based out of the Athens/ Nelsonville, Ohio area. In 2009 singer/songwriter Zach Parkman released The Carpenter & The Chemist, an album of original material spanning several genres of musical styles. After exhaustively promoting the album and playing in scores of
coffeehouses, small venues and busking on street corners, Zach started recruiting musicians for a backing band to better realize the full sound of the album and begin performing in larger venues in the region.
After a few roster changes and speed bumps, The Damaged Goods emerged as the eclectic juke-joint, honky-tonking rhythm section they are today. The band consists of percussionist, Kel Williams (a punk rocker from the Cleveland area), drummer, Don John- son (a former Army infantry grunt from Yellow Springs), bassist, Mike Cotter (an Eco-dude from Cincinnati), guitarist/ vocalist, Brandon Ashcraft (a hip-hop/
reggae freak from South Carolina) and guitarist/vocalist Zach Parkman (a former surfer and beach-bum troubadour for the Texas gulf coast). Zach Parkman & The Damaged Goods perform across the Appalachian & Midwestern Ohio region into West Virginia & Pennsylvania. They are currently recording a follow up album to 2009's The Carpenter & The Chemist called The Part-Time Paladin due out in late 2011. The band has also booked the first half of their summer regional tour which will include three FREE B-B-Q BASHES with fellow local band and friends Religion of Love. - HOCKING COLLEGE ARS ET SCIENTIA Arts & Sciences Dept. Newsletter (JUNE 1, 2011) VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5


"Zach Parkman and the Damaged Goods and The Easy Winners / April 15, 2011 / Donkey Coffee"

Before the madness of High Fest this Saturday, spend Friday with Zach Parkman and the Damaged Goods and The Easy Winners at Donkey Coffee.

Zach Parkman and the Damaged Goods play a wide range of styles, from alternative country rock jams to soft acoustic folk tunes. The lyrics, written by Parkman and guitarist Brandon Ascraft, are very real; not shallow in the least. They speak of love and journeys, of equality and empowerment. In “A Protest Song,” Zach calls listeners to do away with apathy and to care a little more: “In my ignorance, it's where I live / it's where I like to go when the world is too big / but would you do the same to me / if I was pleading?”

Parkman himself is an accomplished singer-songwriter that has been making music for over two decades. Following his return from a tour with the Army in the Middle East, he began to write, record and perform with a newfound fervor over the last five to six years.

Playing music all the way from Texas to Virginia and then finally to Athens, he eventually debuted his first album, The Carpenter and the Chemist, at Donkey Coffee in early 2009. Two years later, he returns with a preview of the upcoming album, The Part-Time Paladin which was made with the newly formed component of “the Damaged Goods.”

“The first album was very introspective. This one still is, but it's also a little bit more political,” Parkman said. “I'm just reminding people that in the face of economic hardship or whatever is going on in your life... there is a tendency to want to close ranks to anybody that's different, and we need to be wary of that. It's a very dangerous road to go down.”

You can listen to songs from both albums on Parkman's website under the header “Tunes.”

Parkman also spends time teaching guitar to people in the Athens area, in the comfort of their own homes. On why he enjoyed providing this service, Parkman said, “I think it's important for people, especially kids, to have that kind of outlet. I would say music saved my life. Adolescence is difficult enough for a person, but not having a voice... can be pretty detrimental.”

Also at Donkey will be The Easy Winners. They are of a different breed, unique in their mastering of two very different styles of music. On the one hand, they perform classical music, which is structured and precise. On the other hand, they play old-time jazz and ragtime, which sounds as if it belongs in a sleepy Chicago bar.

The band, which consists of Chris Tomazic, Diane Cline and Troy Wilson, is largely instrumental. It appeals to audiences with its frequent use of the soulful violin and the humming string bass. Unassuming and mellow, they are the perfect choice for a night of coffee and conversation.

Join these two talented bands for a melodious evening at Donkey Coffee this Friday. Music starts at 9 p.m. with a cover charge of $3. - ACRN - The Rock Lobster (Hannah Back, Staff Writer April 12, 2011)


"Controlled Folly, Zach Parkman & the Damaged Goods and Pretty Marge & the Big Smiles / June 3, 2011 / The Smiling Skull Saloon"

Coming to the Smiling Skull this Friday will be three local bands all looking to help jump start their playing careers and put their bands on the map. Doing so will be Pretty Marge and the Big Smiles, Zach Parkman and The Damaged Goods and Controlled Folly.

Now, jump starting doesn’t mean these bands haven’t played before, as Big Smiles and Zach Parkman have been around for close to a year each. On top of that, Zach Parkman himself has been performing for three years in the area and has put out his own CD.

“I had released an album of all material work and really wanted to reproduce the album live. So I got together with some of my fellow students from Hocking College’s School of Music,” said Parkman.

The Damaged Goods are listed as country, blues and rock, and hold firm to a classic rock feel while performing. Although Parkman agreed they can be classic rock-y at times, he feels their real roots fall in the country aspect of their music.

“Its pretty eclectic. We haven’t worked a lot of the acoustic songs into our set yet, so [our shows] have been blues oriented and I guess you could say classic rock. We have some songs that sound like The Allman Brothers. Personally, as a song writer I lean heavily towards roots style music like country and blues,” said Parkman.

This country filled set will serve as the “juicy middle part” of the show according to Parkman, as the other two bands produce a jam band sort of feel. In fact, Pretty Marge and the Big Smiles describe themselves as a band “playing awesome music so awesome people can dance awesomely.”

This show is set to run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday night and kicks off with Controlled Folly. The cost is a grand total of $3.

- ACRN - The Rock Lobster (By Jacob Bowman, Staff Writer June 2, 2011)


"Veteran songwriter brings southwest-inspired sounds to Athens in acoustic sets"


J.W. Johnson, Jr. • Managing Editor • jj376604@ohiou.edu

Zach Parkman has lived and written songs all around the United States, but a journey outside of the country proved to be the one that stuck with him the most.

Parkman spent a little over a year in Kuwait and Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army, an experience that influenced the lyrics of his acoustic blues songs.

"I would definitely say that the longing-for-home aspect crept into a lot of the music," he said.

A native of Houston, Parkman moved around the country before settling in Athens six months ago with his wife, Kim, who attends grad school at OU. Since arriving, he has been playing shows and attempting to generate exposure for his upcoming album, The Carpenter and The Chemist, which will be released this spring.

"The only thing that I kept on doing was playing coffee house gigs, and I had all these songs written from over the years, so I had a bit of a repertoire," he said.

The 10 original songs on the album, which was recorded in Virginia Beach, Va., have been crafted and honed by Parkman over many years.

"After everyone graduated high school and went on their merry way, I kept writing songs," he said. "All of these sparse, acoustic tunes have sort of evolved into something much bigger."

Parkman's music, like much of the local music of Southeast Ohio, has roots in the country and folk genres and borrows from artists like Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams. Parkman said that his experience living in Austin, Texas, the home of the annual South By Southwest Festival, prepared him for the music scene in Athens.

"On sort of a micro level they are similar, because Athens has its own scene and style of music," he said.

Parkman has secured a weekly spot performing at the Moku Café in Athens, which he credits for helping him get acclimated to his new surroundings.

"It gives me a chance to feel out not only Athens but new material," he said. "I can see what people respond to, and it gives me a chance to bring new songs into the set and work on them."

Parkman hopes to eventually form a band so that he can make his live show more similar to that of his album, although he said he would never stop performing acoustically.

"I'm never going to give up just doing acoustic sets, but I'd love to bring in a full band to really put these songs out there and tour behind the album," he said.


- The Post (Ohio University)


"Texas-born musician displays range, diversity on new album"


Aaron Krumheuer • For The Post • ak251107@ohiou.edu

Although now residing in Ohio, the Texas roots of singer and songwriter Zach Parkman are as strong as ever on his newest album.

Parkman hails from Angleton, Texas, near Houston, but he's been a street musician in Austin, a member of a Christian rock band in east Texas and a guitar-playing Army private in the Middle East. Now living in Millfield, Ohio, his music still seems to draw from his diverse background.

His new album The Carpenter & The Chemist is a smooth mix of melodic ballads and country rock. Parkman writes the music and lyrics to all of his songs, and his ear for interesting chord progressions and vocal techniques sets this album above many other acoustic-driven artists.

Parkman's voice opens with a dead-on Lou Reed sound, but by the end of the album, he's hit everything from a gentle croon to a raspy southern twang. From years of singing, it's apparent he has learned to use his voice in all its ranges, even to the level of sounding like different singers.

The album is driven by acoustic guitar, but don't let that fool you into thinking Parkman is just another quiet coffee shop singer. There's a strong country rock presence in every song, and "Isabel" has a laid back jazz feel with influence from Jack Johnson. Some of the drumbeats sound mechanical and inorganic for Parkman's relaxed style, but "The Sun Will Rise" does see the welcome addition of conga drums.

His lyrics are soft-spoken and mature, and it seems Parkman's life experiences have given him a good deal to reflect on. For fans of country and acoustic rock, The Carpenter & The Chemist is an enjoyable album that covers a lot of musical ground.


- The Post (Ohio University)


Discography

1999 - The Continuing Monologue of an Amputee, an early cassette demo recorded entirely on a 4-track recorder and released in very limited numbers. If you find one hold on to it!!

2008 - Live from Summer's Past 2007, a live album containing songs recorded from several nights at Summer's Past in Virginia Beach, VA. Available for sale at live shows and online at www.zachparkman.com

2009 - The Carpenter & The Chemist, the long awaited full length studio album released in early 2009. Available online at iTunes, CD Baby & www.zachparkman.com.

2011 - The Part-Time Paladin EP, follow up album to The Carpenter & The Chemist is available for streaming preview at www.zachparkman.com + www.reverbnation.com/zachparkman + Facebook, Audiofarm.org and on MySpace. A remastered version will be available for sale and download soon.

2012 - Honorable Manhood (& Other Myths) available for preview at www.reverbnation.com/zachparkman, here on Sonicbids, at Audiofarm.org, Soundcloud.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Zach-Parkman-The-Damaged-Goods/127215327344141.

Photos

Bio

Zach Parkman, 35, is a singer/songwriter/guitarist based out of Athens, Ohio. Born in Houston, Texas, he was raised on the gulf coast, a stones throw from the fabled Brazos River. As a child Zach was involved in children's choir at church and took piano lessons, but it wasn't until discovering his parents old Beatles, Hendrix and Led Zeppelin records in adolescence that his love affair with music began to bloom. A self taught guitarist he started writing his own songs early on, mostly acoustic ditties that were inspired by James Taylor and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. He also began playing in local "garage punk" bands during high school, most of which never left the garage. After graduating from high school Zach moved to Austin, Texas and lived the life of a brooding, disenchanted, self-medicated bohemian, writing and performing songs amongst the "drag rats" and "gutter punks". In 1998-99 Zach recorded a collection of original songs that became his first demo/EP called The Continuing Monologue of an Amputee. The EP was a documentation of the end of an era.

In the summer of 2000, having gone through a divorce, a few landlords, several hospital visits and blown up two cars, Zach took a much needed sabbatical to East Texas. After trying his hand at carpentry, he landed a gig as the acoustic/rhythm guitarist for a contemporary christian band called Miracle Covenant. He spent the next year playing regular gigs, touring regionally and honing his chops. It was through this experience that Zach gained the confidence with his ability to perform with other musicians and to take himself seriously as a songwriter. Miracle Covenant was doing well too. They were on the verge of a large summer tour, were promoting their first studio album and being seen and heard on television and radio. Then three things happened: Zach was in a bad car accident, taking him off of the tour; Zach joined the Army in the summer of 2001; 911 happened. Zach still continued to perform as a solo act, write new music and do some minor recording, but it wouldn't be until 2006 that his music career would pick up again.

The winter of 2005-06 in Virginia was a wonderful change from the previous winter Zach had spent in the Middle East. After finishing his obligation to his country, Zach moved again, this time to Norfolk, Virginia to be with his new wife Kim. Making up for lost time, Zach started writing, recording and performing in the Hampton Roads area with a fervor. For the next 3 years he performed where ever he could get a gig, sometimes for free. He recorded new and old songs whenever he had the chance. By the time he moved to Athens, Ohio in 2008 Zach had become a regular player in the Hampton Roads music scene, performing several times a week at live venues across the seven cities, headlining his own shows, opening up for national touring acts, having his songs played on local radio stations as well as having an interview and live session showcased on WHRV 89.5 FM.

Zach finished recording songs for his first full length studio album in the summer of 2008, before moving to Athens, OH. The album was released in 2009 with a concert at Donkey Coffee, on of the most popular live music venues in the area. Zach continued to write and perform, making the circuit around Appalachian Ohio and northern West Virginia in support of the album. In 2010 he teamed up with songwriter/guitarist Brandon Ashcraft to better recreate the feel and sound of the recorded songs on The Carpenter & The Chemist in a live performance. They were soon joined by Mike Cotter on bass and Kel Williams on drums/percussion and The Damaged Goods were born. 2011 brought two new faces to The Goods, drummer Don Johnson and harmonica player Jeremy Wright.

The fruits of 2011's hard work can be heard on The Part-Time Paladin EP (available for streaming online), a collection of rawer blues-rock and soulful funk tunes that were the band's repertoire in the clubs and bars ar