This is only zach404’s second single but it is already very promising and inspiring. I instantly loved the song as soon as it started because of the guitar chords, followed by his unique vocals, straightforward lyrics and catchy melodies. My favorite part is definitely the honesty, the vulnerability and the simplicity behind this song. It is beautiful.

I’m pretty sure this song is going to do so well, so make sure to check it out !

“love song” is out now !

Introduce yourself - what's the story of zach404?

Hiiiii I’m zach404 (real name is Zach DeGaetano but my last name is a disaster to pronounce). zach404 definitely started on accident while on tour with Tate McRae via just being bored in green rooms + hotel rooms and making songs on a little mobile studio rig I brought during the first half of 2022. After being on the road for like 6 months straight I realized I had like 30 songs and wanted them to not just live/die on my laptop so I started my first solo artist project!

What did you grow up listening to?

A weird mash of 90s superpop, grunge and punk thanks to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack.

When did you know music was more than just a hobby?

Hard to answer because I’ve been playing shows/ in bands since the late 2000s and I’m still under the delusion it’s just a hobby but I’ve been writing songs for others and film/tv for about 8 years now solely so I suppose 2014!

At what point did you know you had to release your original music?

I think once my desktop got full of a bunch of demos I realized I should probably do SOMETHING with them and I’ve never done a solo thing so what the hell?!

Who was the first person to ever believe in you?

MY MOM.

"love song" is your new single - what's the inspiration/story behind this song?

I had an ex many moons ago who constantly pressured me to write a song about her which I always thought was a strange thing to force on someone cause usually that would just come naturally (especially if things were good, which they weren’t) so when things concluded I thought it would be funny to make it sort of an anti love song.

Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? When did you start working on it?

I wrote and tracked the song at holiday inn somewhere in the middle of the USA in spring 2022. I was just reminiscing and realized I never wrote her that song so I figured I’d do it now! There’s not much on the production, just the acoustic I had on me and my sm7b for my vocals with some light fake bass n drums.

What made you want to release "love song" as a single?

I’m taking the approach of releasing all my songs as singles until there’s enough to make an album, and then package it as such with an additional 5 songs or so at some point.

What can you tell us about the artwork?

I was joking about how insanely funny it is when people are shirtless + in deep contemplation in their artwork and then did exactly that!

What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?

I’m probably not qualified to answer this as I’m still learning about it more and more every day. I guess at this stage in my life, after being involved with labels and publishers etc for the last decade, It’s kind of like a game. Although for the first time I’m not trying to play it at all with this project and just put out a ton of stuff that feels real and authentic to me. If something comes of it, great. If not, I’m still satisfied.

As an artist, what is your goal for zach404?

For the first time I have no goal outside of steadily releasing music. Maybe do a show with my friends at some point. Anything else would be a bonus!

What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?

That nothing truly matters, which sounds nihilistic, but I mean it in a positive light where you hold all the power to choose what truly matters to you.

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