He goes by Zack, Zackary or Zacharias. He doesn't seem to care what you call him, as long as you're down for a powerhang. Zack Sloan is loud, hairy and plays in the punkish hillbilly rock bands Dad Jr. and Carriage House. www.facebook.com/dadjunior I talked with Sloan about his bands, his stage antics and various body fluids.
How do you prepare for Carriage House shows?
Carriage House (www.facebook.com/CarriageHouseSTL) is whatever the hell it turns out to be most of the time. We don’t have a whole lot of say in the matter. I write shitty songs and Adam writes shitty beats and keys and Will writes the shitty bass lines. We like to keep it shitty, that way we don’t have a whole lot to live up to -- and it makes the songs a lot easier to play whilst drunk -- kinda. But we’ve been playing together for years and it started back with a short lived project called Captain Bluebeard’s Happy Mountain Folk Band, so we have a decent feel for each other
Do you like to perform solo?
Performing solo is wonderful -- I can fuck up as much as I want and there’s no one on stage to get pissed at me.
What is the craziest thing you've done while performing?
Legally I’m not allowed to go into detail since “The Event” is still mostly classified (and my grandparents will undoubtedly read this anyway, because my grandma just learned how to use a computer and she loves to Google her grandkids to see which ones are in jail), but let’s just say it involves a number of bodily fluids, duct tape, farm animals, one very attractive transvestite, the exhumed corpses of Diana, Princess of Wales, Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhi (aka Mother Teresa) and Adolf Hitler -- and Academy Award winning actor, Robert De Niro, may or may not have been present. I don’t know.
You play weekly at Nico, would you say your shows there are more low key?
Inherently so, maybe. I did hop on a table a few weeks back -- thusly breaking the table. I guess you could say that my genitalia mostly stays in my pants for those shows though.
Any significance for the denim vest?
Ah yes, the denim vest. It all started when I was chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool and shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school. When a couple of guys, who were up to no good, startin’ makin’ trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared, she said, “You gotta look tough, here’s a jean vest to wear -- Bum budadatda duhhhh da.” And then I asked her politely--because she is my mother--if she’d stop humming Will Smith songs at me.
What is your favorite place to play?
Hands (and pants) down, my bathroom.
Speaking of bathroom, I hear you've urniated on stage before?
I do that from time to time. Usually into cups so I can have a sip or two and share with willing friends.
Would you say your music is heavy on guitar solos?
Here and there. I’m not good at ‘em myself but I do love eagerly attempting them. I have been fortunate enough to be musically partnered with some incredibly talented musicians. That helps a shitload. -- Ah fuck, a serious answer *insert string of vulgarities*
And last year me and the guys in WWMR started a little festival we run out in St. Charles called the Whiskey War Fest that will be held on June 29th. www.facebook.com/WhiskeyWarFest
Are you recording anything right now?
Dad Jr. is about to start recording our first cd of shits and I do solo home recordings.
You can see Sloan Wednesdays at Nico off the loop and will perform with Carriage House March 23rd at Firebird.
Comments