Cleveland-native Nick Zuber is an affecting singer-songwriter. A tireless performer, he thrives before a microphone, his name found on concert schedules throughout the region. In this Q&A with OhioAuthority, Zuber discusses an unlikely guitar hero, finding his voice as a singer and songwriter, Cleveland's music scene and the inspiration for "San Francisco," the song he performs during his session of "Live From Bad Racket."
OhioAuthority: You discovered the guitar relatively late, when you were 18. What inspired you to start playing, and did learning the instrument come naturally to you?
Nick Zuber: I discovered the guitar after hearing my mom play it for the first time when i was 18. It blew me away, and I figured if she can do it, it must be in my blood, so I gave it a shot. Then I became addicted! It never came natural. In fact, music in general does not come natural to me. I've met so many good musicians that can harmonize on the spot or pick up the key of a song within two seconds of hearing it. Not me. I work very hard at what I do, and its those kind of people I aspire to be one day.
OA: Did you sing prior to picking up the guitar and how has the instrument evolved your vocal style?
NZ: I was in choir up until seventh grade, but i was always the tall guy in the back row just moving his lips along with the song. The guitar has evolved my vocal style a lot. It all happens when you try to learn other peoples' songs, which forces you to hit notes you wouldn't normally hit on an original track. It makes you learn different techniques and discover what you can really do with your vocal range.
OA: What artists do you listen to most often, and how do they influence your music?
NZ: I listen to everyone and almost everything. My friends think it's funny: We will be driving in my car listening to Kanye West, then three minutes later it's like Britney Spears' new record, then it's Peter Gabriel. I'm a very "bi-musical listener" who is not ashamed or afraid to admit when a good song is a good song. Nothing pisses me off more than when people listen to certain music because they think it's cool to listen to, then hide in their basement and pop in Go West's Indian Summer.
OA: Your EP, Out on a Limb, represents "a year of recording," according to your bio. Tell me about your songwriting process – where your ideas come from, whether lyrics or music comes first...
NZ: The writing process is always "subject to change." I mean, for me, it comes down to: what am I feeling at the moment? Are my fingers hungry for the guitar today? What is the weather like outside? Is there any recent drama that has happened to me or someone around me I can possibly relate with? How many energy drinks have I had today, and is it enough to motivate me and give me enough brain power to finish these lyrics today? In all seriousness though, when it comes to writing lyrics … it's a pin hole of time you have to take advantage of, because if you let it pass, you won't get it back. And it almost always starts with an idea on the guitar. I always listen to what the guitar is telling me to write about.
OA: Many of your lyrics, such as in "Born to Wait," "Heart and Fist," and "I'm Over It" relate to coping with loss, disappointment and failed relationships. How much of your lyrics come from personal experience?
NZ: All my lyrics come from personal experience. It's so much easier to write that way. I feel if I write a song and I'm not being honest with me, not only can I tell, but everyone else around me can as well. I mean, music is a very personal thing, especially when you are the one writing the music.
OA: Cleveland has a strong music scene, with numerous venues and a supportive attitude among bands. How has the local scene allowed you to pursue your interest in music?
NZ: I don't know that I really agree that Cleveland has a strong music scene – that will do anything great for the local artists that deserve fame. I think every artist trying to make it that's living in Cleveland right now is trying to get out. Cleveland was once one of the greatest places for an artist to be. I just wish I had been alive at that time to see it. I'm not picking on Cleveland, I love Cleveland! It's my hometown, and I think Cleveland has been bullied and beat down for some years by its bigger classmates like L.A., New York, Seattle... But I also believe Cleveland is in progress for its comeback. The most important piece of the puzzle is not just the musicians playing the shows, but the fans that come to support them. It's the fans of those underground local artists that create the "buzz" and make the people say: "What's going on over there. Maybe we should check it out. A lot of people like it, so I will probably like it, too".
OA: Tell me about the track you performed for "Live at Bad Racket" – when you wrote it, the inspiration and why you choose to record that for this session.
NZ: "San Francisco" was written in 2008 after a dinner I had with a girl I was dating at the time. She basically told me that she wanted to leave for San Francisco in search for a better life and she had shown no remorse in her voice or face while telling me this, knowing I would be left behind due to that decision. I chose that song for Bad Racket because when I was on tour with Howie Day, that was the song most people wanted to hear and yelled from the crowd for me to play it. And I wanted to give Bad Racket something I had a lot of faith in. I think my song "San Francisco" is one of the songs that will be my buddy for the rest of my life, and every day I'm trying to give him a little brother or sister to hang out with.
WATCH: Nick Zuber - "San Francisco"
"Live From Bad Racket" is a monthly music video series that invites local acts to perform in Adam Wagner's Bad Racket studio in Cleveland. To watch Cleveland's Tom Evanchuck perform at Bad Racket click here. To watch The Alarm Clocks exclusive Bad Racket performance click here.
Photos and video by Aaron Freeder; additional camera work by Phil Hoyt.
