Today we’d like to introduce you to Zion Rodman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in North Falmouth on Cape Cod. Before I ever played any show, I played guitar in my basement everyday for about 3 years. Living in a small town with not too much to do gave me plenty of time. Then I started playing shows locally around the cape with some other kids from school at local VFW halls, cafes, and basements. I’ve played hundreds of shows by now but only in the last 5 years or so I think I’ve really found my own voice as a guitar player, lyrically and musically. Since then I’ve been in several bands and recorded two albums of my own: “You’re Invited” and “Did Not Wake up Today”. There’s another album that’s scheduled to come out later this year.
I got a boost of confidence after the debut record came out last summer. I got a full room at the release show at The Burren, and the next day I drove up to Saratoga Springs to open for Ellis Paul at Caffe Lena. From then on, I’ve played a lot of great shows in venues all around New England and Chicago. I’m in Chicago now because my girlfriend started graduate school and I went with her to expand my music to the Midwest, but I return to Boston several times a year to perform and see my friends and family. My most recent show here was in May at The Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, one of my favorite venues because of the local talent that the open mic night brings. I plan to return in the fall, so keep an ear out for that official announcement!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Musically, my biggest struggle has been finding a good band to play with. In high school, everyone just wanted to smoke pot and couldn’t really focus on the music. Later on it’s been hard to keep people interested and engaged, or the people who were good were already committed to three other bands. Only in the last few months I have found two amazing players on bass and drums to fill out my sound.
Another struggle has been Boston itself. Boston is overflowing with talent from the Berklee/NEC scene and independent musicians, but the cost of living is too high for most people, especially musicians. I’ve had to sleep in my car a lot. Then the fact that venues and practice spaces are shutting down does not help the situation. Regardless, writing and performing music is one of the few things I enjoy doing, so I guess I’ll have to continue struggling no matter where I am.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Zion Rodman – what should we know?
Aside from being known for my own music, I think I’m also known for hosting monthly Apartment Shows. When I was living in Brookline, my roommate had an idea that our apartment would be great for hosting little concerts. I took it to the next level by actually organizing something and getting a bunch of talented artists to perform at the apartment, mostly with friends I’d met over the years or musicians from EBASS (Emerging Boston Area Singer-Songwriters).
The first hour was an open mic, then we featured three artists and made sure they got paid at the end of the night. We always had an attentive listening room, and I got to know some amazing musicians that I might have never met otherwise. This setting is almost impossible to recreate in a bar, and is an environment that I prefer as a musician, so I was happy to get that going. It also inspired other people to host similar events at their own homes, which I’m really happy about. Now in Chicago, I still host these apartment shows for touring artists from Boston who want to recreate that scene with a brand new audience.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My girlfriend Inna deserves so much credit for not only her love for my music, but also for being savvy with editing videos and photos and promos and writing emails. Basically all the stuff that I hate doing, for some reason she thinks its fun. She said she thinks of my career as a game, I’m the avatar, and she’s trying to beat the music industry.
Also my sister Rapsody for her enthusiastic support and belief in my talent, and being a great role model. My parents for encouraging my interest in music.
Last but not least, Alex Katz deserves so much credit for recording my albums. He’s such talented musician and songwriter and producer, and the fact that he puts time in to my music means a lot to me. He did the drums on all my songs, and if you hear a nasty complicated guitar solo, he’s playing it.
Pricing:
- You can purchase my albums on iTunes or Amazon or Bandcamp (zionrodman.bandcamp.com).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zionrodmanmusic.com
- Phone: (508) 221-7527
- Email: zionrodmanmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/zion_rodman
- Facebook: facebook.com/zionrodmanmusic
Image Credit:
Alec Hutson
Yuqing Zhu
Inna Gertsenshteyn
Libro Musica
Mike Morrissey
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