Artist Interview: Q&A with Zack Fedor
The Chicago-based country artist talks about his journey from pre-teen performances in dive bars to the release of his debut album with his current band, Zach Fedor and The Long Goodbyes.
Zack Fedor. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Chicago-based Zack Fedor is a tireless performer who brings classic country twang to self-aware songs packed with sharp, often tongue-in-cheek observations about personal experiences and human nature. In January, he released his first album with his current band, the self-titled Zack Fedor and The Long Goodbyes. We caught up with Zack to learn how he got his start in music and chat about the new record.
Carol Roth: Hi Zack, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! I understand you’ve been on the live music circuit in the Chicago area and beyond for over 12 years. Can you take us through your journey thus far?
Zack Fedor: I grew up outside Waverly IL, a small farming community south of Springfield. Much to my father’s confusion I never showed much interest in sports. I asked for a guitar for Christmas around age 10, but as long as I can remember I’d been making up silly songs to sing. Within a year I was learning, writing, and performing songs around the house.
By 11 years old my father—not a musician but a long-time good timer who knew where musicians hang out—took it upon himself to introduce me to the world of bar musicians. He was at a loss with my disinterest in sports but saw my emerging interest in music as an opportunity to instill discipline, competition and teamwork. We’d attend open mics and shows 3-7 nights a week, which was excellent bonding for us. I guess he figured since he wasn't coaching me or driving me to tournaments or practices, live music was a perfect alternative.
By 12-13 I was taking on paid gigs at dive bars, pizza joints and town festivals. There was real expectation attached to these endeavors that I enjoyed the accomplishment of meeting. I was looked after by the older musicians, bar owners and live music fans in the area, which was important given how rough and dirty most of the places I played were. I guess the adults appreciated my spirit. I was obsessed not only with the music but also the sense of identity that being a musician gave me, especially at a time where I lacked much else to have confidence in.
I spent the rest of my teenage years playing shows nearly every single weekend with a variety of bands as well as solo. I was very active in the central Illinois music community. By the time I was 16 I was trusted to book my own shows and take my journey virtually anywhere I wanted—all over Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. The respect my father gave me didn’t go unnoticed, and I recognized the risks he took giving me so much freedom as a teen.
By 2019 I was eager for a change; I’d played just about every musical watering hole that central Illinois had to offer. So in a quick decision I moved to Chicago where you ended up meeting me, Carol. I’ve spent the last few years learning how to be an adult and how I might make this crazy world work out for me. I learned a lot about how the music industry functions differently in a major city vs small towns and how those differences should matter to me. I put together the band I knew I needed in order to pursue my dreams and got to work. That brings us to where I am now.
CR: That’s a pretty epic origin story! I love all the classic country influences in your sound, though your lyrics are wholly original. To me they feel like a running commentary on life, part sarcastic, part heartfelt. Who are your biggest songwriting heroes or influences, musically and lyrically?
ZF: I guess it all starts with my grandfather's insistence that I learn Johnny Cash tunes to play for him. I couldn't have predicted then how much learning those old country songs for him would affect my direction in life later.
By 2010 I grew very uninterested in the songs I was hearing on country radio stations and discovered bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Casey Donahew, Turnpike Troubadours, and others from the red dirt scene.
I was a HUGE Lynyrd Skynyrd fan as a kid. Really though, I played in a large variety of bands. From southern rock and blues to 90s alternative and pop rock. Whatever the gig or opportunity asked for I tried to meet the challenge of, whether it was musically appropriate for my talent type or not.
My creative direction narrowed closer to a defined target as I got older, and every song I learned on my way here influenced the songwriter I am today. I never exactly decided what type of music I wanted to make. In a lot of ways, my musical journey and experiences decided that for me.
Zack Fedor and The Long Goodbyes album artwork.
CR: And now you’ve released your debut record—congratulations! What spurred you to record an album now?
ZF: The time has always been “now.” The only things holding me back from making a record before were (1) maturity—as Willie said “you can’t make a record if you aint got nothing to say”—and (2) not having the right band put together. I’ve had recording projects with bands in the past, but this Long Goodbyes record is my first recording project with a band where my name was on the front.
CR: Are the songs on your record all recently written, or do they span a longer period of your music career?
ZF: All of the songs on our debut record were written between 2019 and 2022. The record follows the timeline of me leaving my small town and moving to the city, and the observations and thoughts I've had during that time. I like to say that the setting of the first LGB record is Central IL, Chicago, and the long stretch of highway in between the two.
CR: Your band sounds amazing on the record. I remember seeing you open for Logan Ledger in Chicago a couple years ago with just a pedal steel backing you, but maybe that was just a one-off occurrence. How long have you been playing with The Long Goodbyes?
ZF: It's all so blurry now; it’s hard to remember where we were in the forming stage back when I opened for Logan. I believe around that time I was just beginning to put the band together.
CR: I really like “Peanut Butter & Water”; there’s a kind of world-weary determination to go your own way and learn by trying, even if no one else understands or agrees with your path. Can you share the inspiration behind it or a little about what that song means to you?
ZF: First, I was listening to a lot of Kris Kristofferson at the time and I was obsessed with a story he told in his song “To Beat the Devil.” In a lot of ways I related to the message in the song. The chorus is my own personal nod at Kris. I hope other Kristofferson fans can hear that.
Secondly, I was very depressed, poor and frustrated after moving to the city. I went from playing 100 shows a year to none and had to learn that experience grants you nothing but skills. I felt very different from the rest of the music scene, not in a positive way. It felt a lot like high school to me. I wasn't making friends fast and I wasn’t getting gigs fast either.
For the first time in my life, I felt very judged for being from a rural community. I remember at my first job there, a coworker asked if Springfield was “below the Mason-Dixon line” ... the ignorance blew my mind. I was never called a redneck in my life before moving to Chicago, and believe it or not I don't consider myself one. I grew up embedded in rural culture. I grew up on a cattle farm even, but growing up I was far from the most stereotypical “country” kid there. I guess I didn't like the way they used the word “redneck” in Chicago either. Back home people took pride in the term. In the city they mean something entirely different.
I often hid from my family how much I was struggling. Long story short, I ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches and swallowed them down with a lot of tap water.
CR: I’m also intrigued by “Song for Free”; when I listen to it, I imagine you heard someone actually say that odd phrase “If I didn’t feel so blessed I’d wonder why you did me wrong” and wanted to see how it sounded as an ironic summation of various bad situations. What’s the real story or meaning behind that one?
ZF: The worst thing you can be in life is resentful. It’s the spirit of Cain if you want to think biblically. I was very frustrated, especially during 2020, for a number of reasons. I was lucky to have the presence of mind to realize I was becoming resentful and hated seeing it in myself. I was and still am very aware when someone does dirty business, but since I began writing “Song For Free,” I’ve been making a big personal effort to channel the ways I feel into something more positive than resentment. At the end of the day, if life isn't great, I have a responsibility to at least try and make it better before I can or should complain about it. That goes for my personal life and my feelings about the world in a greater sense.
CR: Do you have a current favorite on the album, and if so, what do you like about it?
ZF: I don't have a favorite. However, I am proud of “Songs About You” more than most would expect. It’s a series of stories told from the perspective of sitting in a bar watching the wheel turn. One guy is frustrated with a girl. Another guy lost his job. The last guy is in a bad mood and leaves and goes to jail. It's a silly song, but the inspiration is more complicated than simply a breakup or something.
CR: Just for fun, what current act would you most love to share a bill with?
ZF: Andy Frasco. Not a country artist, but he easily has the most energetic and fun-loving show in the game right now. I don't care too much about continuity in the shows I play. At the end of the day it's all about fun and the love of good music, right?
CR: Yes! Speaking of, what other longstanding Chicago-area acts do you admire or wish folks knew more about?
ZF: Lawrence Tome. If your thing is “cowboy,” I’m here to tell ya there is no one more cowboy than Lawrence in the city of Chicago.
CR: What’s next for you? Where can we find you if we want to see you live? Got anything else cooking?
ZF: We’re currently working on album #2, which won’t be out for a number of months or maybe a year. We have a single from it coming out sometime before Memorial Day that we’re very excited about.
We have many shows we are excited to play this year. I’ll give you one well in advance so maybe you can come see us! September 27th we’ll be headlining Carol’s Pub in the city of Chicago. Carol’s is a legendary venue where a number of artists I have untold admiration for have played.
CR: Sweet! I’ve heard of that place (and am happy to share a name with a legendary joint) but never been, so I’d love to make that happen.
Mark your calendars for Zack Fedor and the Long Goodbyes appearing at Carol’s Pub in Chicago on September 27!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Carol Roth is the primary writer, social media manager, podcast producer and event-calendar updater for Adventures in Americana. By day she’s a marketing writer/brand strategist. In addition to playing guitar and songwriting, she writes self-proclaimed “trashy” novels under the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley.
