New To Hot Press: Zack Boone

Zack Boone has crossed over into the world of comedy with his new album Escapades. Fusing fresh pop hooks with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Boone explains how he took inspiration from stand-up comics. “I have a huge admiration for stand-up comedians,” he notes. “I think when they do it right, they can be braver than any musician. I started looking at their timing and their way of storytelling. I’m a music maker first, but if have the trojan horse of humour and make it subtle, it works really well.”

The album was written as a form of escapism, allowing listeners to remove themselves from modern life and simply enjoy themselves. When preparing for the LP, Boone discarded his television and radio set in order to completely avoid the content of today’s world.

“It was just an irritation with what was being fed to me on the news,” he reflects. “I wanted to rebel against subtle manipulations. This was an attempt at escaping the humdrum nature of everyday life. There’s no politics on this album.”

A highlight of Escapades is the stripped back, acoustic treat ‘Tristan Da Cuhna’, named after one of the most remote places on the planet. “I used to fantasise about living there as things in Dublin were getting a bit crazy,” says Boone. “The lyrics are very accurate. It’s a story about the island, which has less than 200 people. It’s a desire for escapism.”

Escapades is released on December 1.