Meet Matt Zane | Vocalist, Producer, Photographer, Director & Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Zane and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is tantamount to luck in becoming successful and both are equally important. Unfortunately there isn’t much we can do about luck except pray but taking calculated risks is within our control. I can spout advice and observation until the end of time but real world stories always drive the point home more effectively in my opinion.

A good example of taking a risk is when I decided I wanted to get into producing tracks for Hip Hop music seemingly out of nowhere. I had zero experience in Hip Hop or working as a strict writer/producer. What I did have was DMC’s (from RUN – DMC) email because I directed a music video for him and Wayne Static.

Imagine that scenario, I produced a track on my own dime then took a risk sending it off to DMC asking if he wanted to rap on it. This is a guy in the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame and was on the Grammys in 2020. I’m nobody comparatively but he ended doing the track and another after that. Never would have happened if I didn’t risk the money, time and send it to him.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe what sets me apart from others is how flexible my creativity is. It seems I can almost go anywhere in any medium creatively. In just music alone I’ve released heavy rock, acoustic singer/songwriter material as well as stuff in the Hip Hop genre plus spoken word. That’s just music. When you throw in my directing, photography, books and then the performance art such as suspension you’d be hard pressed to find people as eclectic.

My proudest moments are Download 2005 where I suspended with my band making rock history in front of 50,000 people and working with DMC. I’m also incredibly happy I was able to make a rock doc this year about my recently deceased bassists DV Karloff called The Altered Noise.

The journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve had people within certain parts of the industry actively working against me for years. The stories I could tell you as far as that is concerned seem like far fetched fiction but overcoming the challenges has been because of pure persistence and allowing myself to think bigger.

The main lesson I learned is that no one wants you to succeed. They will destroy you if given the chance to eradicate you from the game. The pie is only so big.

In the end I want my brand or association to me to be considered boundless. No rules or limitations.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend from childhood did visit me a few years back and I basically took him on the the gold package version of the The Doors history tour. I love the Doors so bringing him around all the significant hot spots regarding the band was easy and fun. Jim Morrisons Love Street house, Barneys Beanery, Alta Cienega Motel, Doors former workshop building on Santa Monica etc…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Father was the one who gave me a chance to build my life into what it has become. He provided the initial loan to begin my record label Slacker Jesus Records. It’s through that label I released my first album in 1999 and then was able to tour North America. My band Society 1 later signed with a more established international label but it was that first album that really started all the momentum.

If I never built my name through those years I think jumping into music videos, photography, documentaries and producing wouldn’t have been as seamless.

Website: society1band.com

Instagram: lordzane

Twitter: lordzane

Facebook: facebook.com/mrzanerising

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Society1