(antiMusic) We continue our inside track special today with up and coming indie artist Zak Smith. His music stands out in today's emo infested bog for it's honesty. Far more a child of the late 60s musical sensibility meets early 70s southern rock with a little modern rock tossed in for good measure, his evocative guitars and soulful vocals remind us that there are plenty of great artists still left out there; you just have to look for them and very few will be found on major labels. Today Zak walks us through the tracks on his new CD "Traitor's Way". Minstrel Show- Yes, yes, there shalt be a reckoning. There's more violence and sex in records Muddy Waters made 60 years ago then there is in a 50 Cent or Lil Wayne record. It may sound like sex and violence but it's really what a board meeting of a bunch of record executive's sounds like. And there's nothing more sickening to listen to, or that I hate more, then that.
Hollywood- This song is about wanting to be famous or about wanting to be with a girl. It's half joking and half serious. Some of the lyrics are silly, but when you really want to be famous or you really want to be with a girl, to someone on the outside sometimes what you say can sound funny.
Under Your Possession- There's nothing I like better then getting high off pills. I started a couple years ago and plan to keep taking them forever. I get a lot more work done on them.
Choke This Republic Boys- For reporters, for network news anchors, for cable news anchors, for cowards everywhere. You may not know what you are, but I wrote this song for you because I know what you are.
K- I haven't seen her for a couple years. I wanted to marry her I loved her so much.
Have You Looked Outside- This song should have been recorded a little harder, sometimes I think I'll go and re-record it like that sometime. I used to play it with my old band in New York and we'd open shows with it. I kind of wrote it as a show opener but I wouldn't open it at shows now. Woody Guthrie had "This Machine Kills Fascists" written on his guitar, so that's where that line comes from.
Girls Touching Girls- I like the hook on this song, it's kind of hypnotic. I like being around girls.
Shots- There's a cello on this song. When I used to play it live I used to play it heavier, with more guitar distortion. I like how this came out though. I changed the lyrics a lot since I first wrote it. First it used to be about drinking and now it's also about religious stuff.
Traitor's Way- It's a question that's hard to answer. I think the answer is the human race, but you could also phrase it as "the human race or the ones you love" and then I don't know.
The Last Beat- I like this song a lot. The woman who played violin on it laid down a couple different tracks of it so it sounds like there's almost a string section. I wrote this song to be a song to end shows with.
Check out Zak's site to learn more and hear some of the songs!
