Zach Top thinks modern country isn’t as soulful as it once was, and believes that why’s there’s been a move by country fans to find music that’s more genuine.
The rising country star that’s famously helped revive the country sound of yesteryear has had a whirlwind couple of years in Music City. He was originally form Sunnyside, Washington, and it was there that he found his neotraditional sound. When he moved to Nashville in 2021, he was already started to get some buzz online and in industry circles.
Why? Because the first time people hear Top, they think he’s from a different era. That’s half by design and half a byproduct of what the country singer prefers to play. He’s always been partial to bluegrass (more on that in a bit), and from what he’s been able to tell, fans want a final product that provides some malleability, as he told Rolling Stone:
“From my perspective, it’s pretty parallel to the reason that my music is as popular as it is right now. We had a long time, at least in the country world — everything is really perfect and everything’s tuned. Everything’s pocketed just right. I think some of the soul got left behind in that.”
Yeah… there’s a misconception that people want perfect. In reality, most music fans love to be able to listen to records and hear the imperfection. After all, that one day might be the only thing that allows listeners of music to differentiate between actual songs and tracks created by artificial intelligence. Take Zach Bryan for example… he grew a rabid fanbase on his first few albums which were rather poorly produced by conventional standards… but it didn’t matter. It was REAL…
In an effort by country fans to find music that’s “a little more raw and real,” Zach Top has leaned all the way into being perfectly imperfect. And he believes that the bluegrass avenue that he finds himself on provides the best opportunity for an artist’s soul to come through:
“You’re not trying to chase perfection. You’re trying to just play good music and put your heart and soul into it. People enjoy that. And that’s what bluegrass has always been to me.”
Hard to argue with that.
Ever since Top burst onto the scene, he’s stayed true to his bluegrass roots. He’s even previously said that leaning bluegrass – and not being everywhere all at once – really helped him stay scarce and thus sought after in his early days. One of his friends told him early on that he didn’t need to play every gig that was offered to him, and he stuck to the advice that his good friend gave him.
Although, I’d venture to guess that really only applies when you’re really, really good, and really experienced. Zach was both.
That mystique that Top went for kept fans intrigued, and his success story proves that sometimes wonder is worth more than knowing. Obviously, once fans see and hear Zach Top, there’s a slim chance that they wouldn’t want to hear more from him.
But just in case… the “I Never Lie” singer kept his appearances sparse – and set out to make music that’s raw and real, and it certainly looks like it worked out for him.
