Artist Zander Bleck is going to resurrect rock and roll music, and he’s going to do so with the release of his album Monument.
The New Jersey-raised rocker pulls inspiration from rock greats like Freddie Mercury and Bruce Springsteen. He’s even been compared to legendary U2 frontman Bono.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Kevin Rudolf: “Who Would’ve Thought I Would End Up Signed To Cash Money”
GlobalGrind caught up with Zander to talk about the state of rock and roll, his new single “Temptation,” and his new album Monument.
Check out our exclusive interview below!
GlobalGrind: So what was your inspiration behind “Temptation?”
It’s a lot of things. It represents so much to me because it’s the song that I wrote that got me essentially to where I am today. I think the inspiration behind it actually was just going through life and trying to deal with the temptations of everything that would veer someone off course from what they’re trying to do. Just dealing with ex-girlfriends, there’s just a lot behind it.
You worked with Red One.
Yeah. It was fantastic.
He’s [Red One] compared you to a lot of huge people link Bono and Freddie Mercury. How do you feel about being compared to those great legends?
I would never put my name in with them yet, but those guys are obviously my idols. Just from a vocalist’s standpoint, the way those guys would sing, and command with so much power and so much soul in the voice. That kind of power in the voice has just been gone for so long I think. If it wasn’t me singing, I would want somebody to take the reigns and bring that kind of powerful vocal style back. I think it’s such a magical thing if you can do it right. I’d be honored to just be in the same list, but I would never put myself with those guys on the same level. (laughs) At least not yet.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
I really come from a classic rock foundation. That was really my first love. All those front men from Mick Jagger, to Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury – that’s the foundation. I love electronic music at the same time. I love a lot of the DJs right now. I love Daft Punk. I love Skrillex. I want to take some of those elements of rock & roll foundations and update it with modern productions. They’re rock songs, but you can play them in the club and you can dance to them. They sound great.
You come from a musical background; your dad was an artist. How has that affected your music?
Actually, growing up I was really a jock. I was a big basketball and baseball player. But music was my life. I was always, from a really young age just listening to parts of songs and becoming obsessed with them. I was exposed to a ton of music at a really young age, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I was like, ‘OMG, this is what I have to do with my life. This is what going to make me my happiest.’
What can fans expect from your upcoming album Monument?
I really think there’s something really fresh and new about my album. It’s friendly to the ears. I wanted to create something that people are really going to have a good time listening to, but I also wanted it to resonate. I wrote songs about personal experiences of mine. I think that’s something that comes through in the album. I recorded it all over the world. It was such a journey and an experience making the album. I just want people to enjoy it. To hear something a little bit different than what the norm has been for a while. I think the timing right now, people are ready to embrace a different sound in pop music, and hopefully mine will be it.
What do you say to music critics who say that rock & roll music is dead?
To a lot of degrees I would agree with them. I was talking to a bunch of people about it this weekend over at Coachella. I was just blown away at the Sahara tent – all electronic music.
What rock & roll fails to do today is that it’s almost become this nostalgic, ‘OK, we can only play through a marshall amp’ and it’s just a very nostalgic sound. And there’s something to be said for that. I feel the way the world is right now, you have to be able to embrace technology in your producing and everything about it. You have to update the sound. Rock & roll has failed to re-invent itself, and that’s why I think that rock doesn’t have that same impact as it did. People will always love rock & roll songs. That’s why you can listen to the radio and they play the same 100 rock songs over and over again, because there’s such magic in those songs. Rock and roll hasn’t been re-invented. It hasn’t been re-born. Hopefully, I can achieve something of that nature.
Do you remember the first show you ever did?
(laughs) I remember very well.
Did you have a fun time?
The kind of person I am, and how I’ve always been is, I’ve been a really big dreamer. And sometimes my dreams were bigger than where I was at the moment. I’m always throwing the cart before the horse (laughs). I had a ton of opportunities to play some shows in New York probably before I was ready to do them. Hopefully, people don’t dig up those first few shows (laughs).
If I sent you to a deserted island and you could only bring three albums with you, which three album would you bring?
Oh, what a great question! I would bring Dark Side Of The Moon (Pink Floyd), I don’t know if you know this French duo named Air. Their first album called Moon Safari is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time. And, maybe The White Album (Beatles) or something classic. I would bring Tommy (The Who).
Do you have any pet peeves about the music industry?
(laughs) Yeah I do. But I do in the sense that we live in a culture now that’s very difficult for live music to survive. As much as I absolutely love these DJs, the concept of having a DJ has really killed live music. Live music can’t compete with a laptop. The logistics are too different. It’s really challenging. That’s one thing that I wish was different. Also, just the dynamics of the industry, and a little bit of the politics, the things you deal with on this journey. But I have no complaints. I’m as happy as I can be right now. I’m ready to go.
If you could work with anybody – a dream collaboration – who would you want to work with?
Oh, man. I have a few. I love film scores. I love Hans Zimmer who did Inception, and Batman and all those movies. I would love to work with someone cinematic like that. I think that would be great. I would love to work with Pete Townshend of The Who. I think he’s one of the most underrated writers and talents that there ever was. And I would really want to work with Skrillex and some of these new DJs that are just absolutely re-defining the way that we listen to music. It’s incredible what these guys are doing.
What’s your favorite thing to do besides making music?
I’m really into photography and video. I’m always filming things and making little videos on my computer. I kind of grew up doing that stuff. And with technology today you can get these amazing cameras that look like a film camera so easily. It’s fantastic.
Can you tell us one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I think one thing is that I’m a closeted jock. I can dunk a basketball. People definitely wouldn’t expect that from me. (laughs)
What’s one thing that you can’t live without?
Honestly, I would have to say music in general. Just because in this day and age, we can have music all the time.
Do you have any celebrity crushes?
(laughs) You know, I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with Taylor Swift. I don’t know if it’s exactly a crush. I just kind of want to get her vibe.
Yeah, you’re intrigued by her, right?
Yeah. Our paths have crossed millions of time, but I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with Gaga. We’ve had dinner a bunch of times, but she’s so on her A-game when she’s around everybody. I would kind of just want to get her one on one.
