Zakir

At age 21, singer/songwriter Zakir is taking the music industry by storm from the San Francisco Bay Area with simply him and a guitar of his own. In early 2009, Zakir had been inspired to play guitar after first hearing John Mayer’s ‘Neon’. In 2014, Zakir spent a year working with 6-time Emmy award-winning producer BZ Lewis on his debut album “Road to Somewhere” which was released in February of 2015. Since then, the singer/songwriter has released a recent single titled “Rain in July”, a story about finding a timeless love like his grandparents. Having grown up in the suburbs of the SF Bay Area, Zakir has performed countless open mic nights, house concerts, and even singing on live broadcasting platforms. We caught up with Zakir to ask him some questions about his musical influences and much more:

If you could pick three artists (dead or alive) to collaborate with, who would they be and why?

“Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Michael Bublé. Boom-boom-boom.Their artistry and music have resonated with me and have also lead my inspiration to write the songs that I write. Without inspiration, nothing is original.”

What are some of your favorite things to do for fun? Hobbies? Interests?

“Eat and sleep, like every normal human being. Oh, and breathe. That’s important.”

What is one album that you can’t get enough of?

“I can’t pick one so I’ll pick four: Continuum (John Mayer), Live at Whelan’s (Gavin James), + (Ed Sheeran), Brand New (Ben Rector)”

When did you first fall in love with music?
“I’m a victim of the cliche ‘since I was a child’ phrase. But I enjoyed singing around the house when I was little, nothin’ fancy.”

What is the main inspiration and influence for the songs you write?

“All of the songs that I’ve written have been based on experiences and emotions from those experiences, which have amalgamated on the pathway to my brain.”

Out of all of the songs from the “Road to Somewhere” album, which one means the most to you?

“Funny enough, all of the songs from the album share an equal amount of importance to me. As far as performing, it has always been between ‘Jumping the Gun’ and ‘Amber Sunsets’. Those two songs are so personal to me and they’re very enjoyable to perform. On top of that, they can be twisted in so many ways to make them interactive during shows.”

Tell us a little bit more about the influence of John Mayer’s “Neon”. What went through your mind after hearing it?

“I remember listening to the ‘Room for Squares’ record the first time through. After hearing ‘Neon’, all I wanted to do was buy myself a guitar, or find one and learn how out to play it. It was a song that I’d listen to all the time and I’m still not tired of it.”

How would you describe your target audience of the music you create?

“The music I create is for anyone and everyone who has access to it. Doesn’t matter how young or how old. Although the teenage-young adult demographic have a closer relationship to it because most of the songs I wrote on the RTS album was when I was that age. I guess you could consider them kindred spirits.”

What advice would you give to young teens who are afraid to chase their dreams?

“Make your priority of succeeding higher than wanting your next breath. Success doesn’t happen overnight. The only thing stopping you from chasing your dreams is your reflection.”


Written by: Jacob MacArthur


CONNECT WITH ZAKIR:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZakirOfficial

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ZakirOfficial

Spotify: http://smarturl.it/ZakirSpotify

Official Website: http://zakirofficial.com - SF Songwriters