Zach James Douglas is an indie/alternative producer and songwriter, hailing from the South Dublin suburb of Tallaght, but brought up by a pint of Guinness and a packet of crisps in any number of city centre dive bars. Having previously had the pleasure of playing festivals such as Glastonbury and Electric Picnic with former band “Little One”, Douglas now steps out alone and is releasing his second single ‘Even As The Knife Went Through’ June 10th on ZJD Records via Faction Records. .
With musical elements reminiscent of Sylvan Esso, Grimes, Maribou State, and The Knife, “Even As The Knife Went Through” is a blistering track featuring guest vocalist Saoirse.
About the song Douglas says…“Even as the Knife Went Through” explores the scarred mental state of someone who’s been hurt by a previous partner. It details the intimacy and trust issues that a person develops within future relationships and how despite being the target of such abuse, they still tend to carry a sense of guilt and a deeply hard wired love for their ex partner.”
A recurring theme throughout Douglas’ first furor into the moody abyss of a solo songwriter, is the concept of nature versus technology. This is best illustrated through the stark contrast and combinations of natural, conventional instrumentation and synthetic glitchy soundscapes. However, it is also seen through Z.J.D’s desire to dispel the natural feelings of shame, anxiety and depression and instead, compartmentalise and methodically process these emotions in a way that humans are generally not capable of.
With the promise of lots more music to come, and the much anticipated return of live music on the horizon, 2021 is set to be an exciting year for Zach James Douglas, even if the first half of it will most likely be enjoyed through his aging laptop screen, while sitting at his parent’s kitchen table.
