Zach Top shook up the mainstream country music world in 2024 with his album Cold Beer & Country Music. He found much success with his throwback sound proving that many genre fans crave authentically country-sounding music. As a result, many have drawn comparisons between the “Sounds Like the Radio” singer and artists like Randy Travis and Alan Jackson who brought about the neotraditional movement in the late ’80 and early ‘90s.
Videos by American Songwriter
Recently, Top sat down with Billboard to talk about his success and how he found his throwback sound.
[RELATED: Could Zach Top Be This Generation’s Alan Jackson?]
Zach Top Found His Authentic Country Sound Organically
Zach Top didn’t come into the country music world with the intention of being the guy who helped swing the pendulum back toward traditional-sounding music. He also had no desire to construct a ‘90s country sound. Instead, he made music that moved him, following in the footsteps of the artists who influenced him.
Top’s journey to stardom started with his collaborator and current tour manager Carson Chamberlain. In the past, Chamberlain worked with the artists who influenced Top including Keith Whitley and Alan Jackson. Before the “Beer for Breakfast” singer moved to Nashville, he and Chamberlain were writing songs together. Chamberlain also helped him line up writing sessions with, as Top put it, “guys that wrote the hits that I grew up on and that made me love country music.”
“One of my favorite parts of the process of making music is getting to create it yourself,” he told the publication. “It makes a little more of an intimate connection with the song when it’s coming from something you lived and you make something universal out of it,” he added.
Top also shared what he believes makes the perfect country song. “Three chords and the truth are a necessity. A little fiddle and steel guitar never hurt,” he explained, laying out the basis of his sound in particular and great country music in general. “It’s songs that make people feel something and something that’s got a story to it. That’s what I love about country music—songs that make me feel understood, no matter what stage of life I’m in,” he added.
Top will be on the road with one of his musical heroes when he provides support on Alan Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road Tour.
Featured Image by Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.