On Friday, Alabama native Zach Hood lit up the Kaleidoscope concert series with his distinctive and heartfelt sound. Hood has gained over a million Spotify monthly listeners who are intrigued by his meaningful songs such as “how to change a tire,” “dopamine” and “not them.”
His latest releases, “Weatherman” and “Fireflies & Southern Weather,” are impressive additions to his discography and continue to showcase his authenticity with topics of love, yearning for affection, and facing new obstacles in life.
When asked about his favorite parts of the music process, Hood shared that shows allow him to connect with fans in real time. Seeing fans “crying, laughing and jumping up and down” is “why I make music its for other people, not for me,” Hood said.
“My favorite part, I would say, is writing, because that’s where I thrive the most,” Hood said.
Hood, who is from Gulf Shores, Alabama, has previously taken stage at Hangout Fest, an annual three-day festival held on the shores of Alabama’s beaches.
Hood said his inspiration for music started at a young age and flourished into him posting snippets of his music on TikTok during his junior year of high school.
One difficulty Hood spoke about is balancing friendships and his passion for music.
“The first thing I would do is put all my stuff down, get a snack, go in my room, then sit there on the piano and literally just sit on my phone for like four hours writing, and when I wanted to hang out, my friends were all asleep,” Hood said about his routine after school.
In addition to playing the piano, Hood also plays guitar and looks forward to getting better as his career progresses.
“When I was 8, my mom got a Bruno Mars CD, the ‘Doo-Wops and Hooligans’ album, and ever since then I just never shut up,” he said. “Then [in] junior year of high school I started taking writing kind of seriously.”
While performing, Hood shared that he doesn’t necessarily have a set style, since his songs include a range of emotions from sad to upbeat: “We’re gonna get very happy, jump around and stuff, but also we’re gonna cry. It’s the whole shebang.”
At the Kaleidoscope show, Hood played a few unreleased songs that he had been teasing on TikTok. Hood was most excited to perform “Weatherman,” which came out in May and had fans “really connected.”
He always looks forward to performing with his band who he has gotten close with throughout his musical journey. His favorite performance took place in New York about two years ago, where he had the opportunity to open for Johnny Orlando.
He hopes to perform at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater in Colorado someday because it’s “such a beautiful venue.” Outside the country, Hood hopes music can take him to London, Australia or anywhere abroad where he can share his music.
“I genuinely enjoy this. This is all that I have ever wanted to do,” Hood said about performing. “I am so grateful and blessed to be able to do this for a living.”
