Zach Paradis – Hurricane

By starrymag | June 4, 2025

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I’m in the pop/singer-songwriter neighborhood but just a tad more indie. Like if Ed Sheeran and Dominic Fike had a music child together.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Ed Sheeran, Allen Stone, Bryson Tiller, Dominic Fike, The Lumineers, Drake and tons more. So much music has shaped me over the years.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Hurricane.”

A) Yeah, “Hurricane” is about finding peace in someone while life is chaotic. Even if it won’t work out in the long term with this person, they can become a source of quiet and calm with their presence. It is a thank you note to a relationship that didn’t work out for me but was still very meaningful.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think it’s a bit of a canvas for people to insert their own story in. I’ve heard several people relate to the song in ways that I didn’t intend and it proves to me that I’m just setting the scene with what I write and the audience fills in the details. But I think my own vulnerability and melodies allow people to see themselves in the song.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) It’s different for each song but this song started as a concept first. I had the final line of the chorus first, “I’ve seen the eye of the hurricane and it was deep brown” and I worked backwards from there. Sometimes I’ll have a full instrumental in place before I work on vocals but this was written on guitar and the melodies, chords and lyrics were pieced in at the same time. And somehow I already had a picture of how I’d like it to sound, so I tried to capture what I was imagining. 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I produce most of my music. Every once in a while, I’ll work with a producer who will take the brunt of the work but I love creating my own works. For “Hurricane,” I co-produced the song with my good friend Justin Cho and he brought a depth to the track I couldn’t create by myself.

Q) With “Hurricane” out now is this a prelude to a full album or EP?

A) Yes, it’s a lead up to a full album. I’m aiming to release it late summer!

Q) You’re on tour with Abe Parker now. What are some of your favorite songs to perform live?

A) I love singing “High Note” – my collab with Kevin Chung. I perform the song acoustically but it’s such a beautiful song and I get to savor it each time in the set. I love singing “Hurricane” and “Parking Lot” as well, which is a song Abe and I wrote together years ago.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) Anywhere that the fans are ready to have a good time is my favorite place. We’ve had a few stops that we didn’t know what to expect and they blew us away. Honorable mentions include Denver, Portland, Phoenix and Detroit. The fans were just so engaged and lovely particularly at those locations. I’m also very excited to play our Ohio show in Columbus. There will be lots of family and friends in attendance.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I would love to get Allen Stone or Ed Sheeran on a track. Those two shaped my music profoundly and I would be floored to be able to work with them.

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) Dominic Fike is probably my favorite right now. Love his guitar work and just the overall vibe of his music. I also have been diggin’ John-Robert, Mac Miller (may he rest in peace), Role Model, “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves and tons others. All of these artists have just tapped into a super interesting and authentic way to tell unique stories in their songs and I love it. It’s very inspirational to me.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you so much. It’s not enough to just say thanks but, truly, thank you so much for listening, sticking around, coming to shows, buying t-shirts – all that. Work as an artist is not possible without people engaging with the art, so it’s not a stretch to say there’s no me without you. I really appreciate you and buckle up because there’s so much on the way!