ZAAC PICK RELEASES NEW ALBUM PASSAGES TODAY
LISTEN HERE
Toronto, ON – June 26, 2020 – Today marks the second album release for Canadian singer, songwriter and musician, Zaac Pick, with his new record, Passages. Having previously launched three singles leading up to today, fans are highly anticipating the full release, which can be streamed here now. Reflective and raw, the eight-song collection on Passages explores the ambiguities and complexities of desire, masculinity, mental health, disillusionment, and finding strength with a hopeful and often poetic honesty.
Zaac on Passages: “I decided to call this album 'Passages' while it was being recorded last summer, because the songs were all in some way to do with learning to navigate transitions — in myself, in relationships, and in the world around me. In the past, I've often struggled against the uncertainty and ambiguity of these seasons of change, even as I recognize they are part of a process.”
He continues, “These songs are about learning to be more present to where I'm at, letting go, and taking responsibility, all themes that have taken on new meaning for me the past few months, as nearly everything has been turned upside down by a global pandemic and a much-needed civil rights movement.”
For Zaac, Passages builds on the songwriting strengths of his previous work, but leaves behind much of the folk simplicity of his earlier recordings, diving into more diverse musical landscapes — where danceable rhythms, pulsing guitars, sweeping 70s strings, and arpeggiating synthesizers are juxtaposed against heavier subject matter, held together by his reassuring timbre. Previously released singles Lighter Side Of Blue, Ladder To The Sun and Atmosphere touch on the varied subjects of; hopefulness in times of darkness, people changing as a result of a person’s success and the tension between the knowing, and mystery, in long-term relationships.
The album’s focus track titled Strong Enough appears third on the album and showcases Zaac’s acute lyricism highlighting a rumination on identity against the backdrop of gender stereotypes. “When I wrote Strong Enough, I was thinking about the things I've heard or seen in my life that reinforce unhealthy gender stereotypes. The song is about moving past the idea that strength and vulnerability are mutually exclusive and learning to embrace both,” shares Zaac.
Additionally, the album features contributions from a number of well-regarded fellow Vancouver singer-songwriters and instrumentalists, including Jordan Klassen, Taylor Swindells (The Tourist Company), Bre McDaniel, Skye Brooks (Co-Pilots, Fond Of Tigers), and string arrangements by sibling duo Brian and Caleb Chan (Dear Rouge, Holy Hum).
Based in Vancouver, BC, Pick originally moved from his native Medicine Hat, Alberta in the early 2000s, becoming immersed in the region's burgeoning indie-folk music community as guitar player and songwriting member of the band Doubting Paris. After being dropped from their US record label, Pick ventured out on his own, releasing a string of EPs and an LP that earned him regional songwriting awards and nominations, generous national radio (CBC) support, opening slots for the likes of The Civil Wars, Noah Gundersen, and Bahamas, and numerous features for his songs on major network television shows.
