Personal touch
Meet Zak Abel, the London singer-songwriter giving soul a fresh voice
Zak Abel photographed by Fabien Kruszelnicki for HERO 17.
Taken from HERO 17, out now.
From hearing his voice, you wouldn’t guess Zak Abel was 21-years-old. The London singer-songwriter’s warm, husky tone is charged with the soul music he grew up listening to. Coupled with a plaintive delivery power, he sounds like something from a 60s Stax record.
It’s been an epic ride so far for Zak, who signed his first record deal at seventeen, collaborated with the likes of Kaytranada and Joker on his first two EPs, and has recently released his debut LP, Only When We’re Naked, via Atlantic Records. On the album, Zak’s distinctive vocals are paired with lyrics that speak of personal struggle and emotional growth, while production blends his beloved soul with genres as varied as highlife and house. By aiming to create songs that forge an emotional connection with listeners, Zak shows a dedication to authenticity, a rare treasure in the music world today.
GALLERY
Ammar Kalia: I heard that you used to be a professional table tennis player, how did you transition from that into music?
Zak Abel: I started playing table tennis on holiday in Croatia when I was nine, and I was really good compared to the other kids my age. When I got home I was rollerblading in the park and I saw this dude running sprints. I went up to him and I asked what he did for a living – I was always asking people what they did for a living – and he said he was a table tennis coach. I was with my mum and he invited us down to an exhibition, there I realised how shit I was at table tennis and that made me want to get better. I started training and gradually worked my way towards being number one in the country for my age group. I then moved to France at fifteen and played semi-professional for a French team there. At the same time, I was loving playing music and it got to the point where this overtook my how I felt about table tennis. Also, music seemed to be more popular with the ladies, so a natural transition followed [laughs].
Ammar: It must have been a tough decision to pursue music, having already moved to France for table tennis!
Zak: Yeah, I moved back to the UK and when I started doing my AS Levels I got glandular fever, it was really shit. But, while I was at home, I ended up just playing loads of guitar and the music started taking off. When I was seventeen I got offered a record deal and since I wanted to do music anyway I thought, “Why go to university?”
Ammar: Do you see your sporting career as influencing the way you approach making music? Like training towards an end-goal, rather than the creative process being something indefinable?
Zak: Yeah, it’s like Eye of the Tiger [laughs]. I’ve experienced both of those things – at different periods of the creative process different mindsets are required. I’ve tried to create music in loads of different headspaces and the one that works for me is when you’re in the room, don’t think about anything, just go with pure feeling. Then, afterwards you can look at changing lyrics or instrumentation. I am quite goal-driven as it helps with enjoying the ‘now’ more. If you know where you want to go with long-term planning then you can relax in each given moment.
“When I was seventeen I got offered a record deal and since I wanted to do music anyway I thought, “Why go to university?””
Ammar: So how have you been spending your time since getting signed?
Zak: I released two EPs which allowed me to figure out different musical styles and just enjoy the process, really. I was trying out a load of shit which I’ve never done before and working with producers that I was excited about, like Joker, Kaytranada and Tom Misch. After the EPs I got a taste of what it’s like to perform songs live and that made me think about the songs I was writing in a completely different way. When you see how your songs connect with other people, you want that middle ground where you can write music that you love and that makes other people feel good too. That was my intention for this album, making music that I like but that is also useful in some way to other people. It’ll be interesting to see which songs resonate most for listeners.
Ammar: Were there songs that didn’t go down so well live then that didn’t make the cut?
Zak: Yeah, there’s a couple which I’m still sad about, it’s like I lost a child or something!
Ammar: Do you enjoy live performance more than studio work?
Zak: I like both, but they’re very different. When you’re in the studio and you do a good vocal performance there’s only one other person there that can tell you it’s decent, whereas when you do a good vocal performance live hundreds of people applaud you. You get instant validation whereas in the studio you’re singing almost for yourself.
Ammar: You must have to really trust that other person in the studio with you.
Zak: Exactly. The majority of this album was made with a guy called Sky Adams, I really trust his judgement when it comes to producing.
Zak Abel photographed by Fabien Kruszelnicki for HERO 17.
“I’m really influenced by 70s funk and soul music, the likes of Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye, Al Green.”
Ammar: Who are your musical influences?
Zak: I’m really influenced by 70s funk and soul music, the likes of Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye, Al Green. After I made Everybody Needs Love, which was inspired by the Isley Brothers sound-palette, I realised I wanted to resonate more with people my age. I got really inspired by highlife music and I noticed that some of the biggest artists in the world, like Drake and Justin Bieber, were taking their influence from there also. I thought I’d try and re-produce some of the straight soul songs that I’d written before with a highlife beat to them. That’s how Awakening came about.
Ammar: Do you have other influences outside of music?
Zak: I really like this guy called Tim Ferriss, he’s all about optimisation and he has this amazing podcast which is all about breaking down the processes of world-class performance. I find it interesting to listen to podcasts because you can become consumed by music – most of the time I’m in the studio for ten hours a day – so it’s nice to hear something different every once in a while. I’m also still in contact with my table tennis coach, Eli Baraty, and he’s been an integral part of my growth as a human being.
Ammar: Has Eli come to any of the shows?
Zak: Yeah, he’s a sports coach and has done some Ju-Jitsu and Krav Maga before so he’s quite a tough guy. I remember once there was this really drunk dude who wouldn’t leave me alone, he was quite strong and kept grabbing me. I was trying to be polite and move away but Eli ended up getting in between us, so he’s been like my protector as well as mentor!
Ammar: Some of the lyrics on the record are very personal, like your singing about the absence of your father on Deserve to be Loved. Do you find it hard to write about such experiences, or is it cathartic?
Zak: The most rewarding writing sessions for me are the ones where I feel like I’ve tapped into something inside of myself and also something that I’m proud to say. I wrote that song with a guy called Eg White, who’s written some of the biggest ballads of all time, like It’s A Wonderful World for James Morrison and Chasing Pavements for Adele. He always wants to put some truth into his songs, he wants to find out something that’s personal to you and then something that’s universal for the listener also. We spoke for an hour before writing this and I feel it’s one of the best sessions I’ve done.
Ammar: We’ve lost some real musical greats over the past twelve months or so, has any one had a larger impact on you than most?
Zak: [Michael Jackson songwriter] Rod Temperton passing away really affected me because one of my lifelong goals was to write with him. It’s really interesting how Michael Jackson saw his music, it was so scientific for [Rod] and the people around him really trusted his intuition. He blended so many genres, he took sounds from all around the world and put them in a form where anyone could connect with them.
‘Only When We’re Naked’ by Zak Abel is out now via Atlantic Records.