Exclusive Premiere // Zachariah 'Winter Doesn't Wait' Music Video

If you don’t know LA-based singer-songwriter Zachariah, get ready to fall in love with his emotive lyricism, mellifluous vocals + smooth production. We’ve had his latest single ‘Winter Doesn’t Wait’ on repeat since it was released on February 15, and we’re so stoked to bring you an exclusive first look at the music video. We chatted with Zachariah all about the track, nostalgia + the making of the video (spoiler alert: there are a lot of snakes!). Watch it here first:

Asymmetric Magazine: We love your recent track Winter Doesn’t Wait! Can you tell us what it means to you?
Zachariah: It came about from a trip I took back to Martha’s Vineyard with my boyfriend. It was during the summer, and it was beautiful and raining the whole time. I didn’t want to go back to LA, my part-time jobs and my apartment. I just wanted to stay in that moment. It’s about a longing for a moment that came and went and wanting to hold on to summer. When you’re in a relationship—especially at the beginning of the relationship—it feels like everything was made for you. Summer was made for you, places were made for you—it’s so exciting. I was inspired by that aspect of relationships.

AM: You said back to Martha’s Vineyard—is that a favorite place of yours?
Z: It’s really beautiful. I grew up in LA, so I’m not used to the east coast islands, and it’s such a gorgeous, magical place. It’s like a Harry Potter forest mixed with the ocean. I really wanted the sonics of the song to match that mood.

AM: What was the inspiration behind the video?
Z: We wanted to go in a route you wouldn’t expect for this song. The song is pretty warm, so we wanted the visual to be colder. I like that the video can kind of mean anything to anyone. To me, the video represents being at peace with my inner demons and becoming comfortable with all my fears and insecurities.

It represents being at peace with my inner demons and becoming comfortable with all my fears and insecurities.

AM: What was the biggest challenge working with the pythons?
Z: It was a little scary because they’d wrap around my neck, but it was cool to work so closely with them. I was nervous going into it because we had initially planned on using only one snake, but we ended up using all six. There's a shot with all six of them all over me. It was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

AM: Are there any consistent themes you pursue through your music?
Z: I think right now, it’s important for me to be as open as possible in my music. Honestly, a big theme in my music is that I’m gay. It was hard for me for a while to say ‘he’ in my songs, so embracing that is definitely a common theme. I’m also inspired a lot by nostalgia. I’ll write songs months after something happens when I’m longing for that time again. I had a joke with my friend that I wrote every song for years about one night I had with her. It happens all the time; if I have a beautiful night, I’ll reminiscence about it for years and years.

AM: We’re based in LA, too, so we’d love to know if being from LA has played any role in your work or approach as an artist.
Z: I grew up in Venice Beach, which is definitely a strange place to grow up as a teenager. I went to high school in East LA, so I would be all across LA all the time. It’s my favorite city for sure. My boyfriend used to have an old convertible, and we would just drive up in the hills. It made me feel like I was someone when I really wasn’t. It’s so inspiring to look out over the city like that. I actually like to reference LA and a lot of traditional landmarks in my music. Honestly, the weather really inspires me, too. When it’s super hot in LA, I just want to write really sexy music to get naked to.

AM: What other music are you listening to right now?
Z: I love Rosalía—she’s amazing. And Lana Del Rey is my queen. I also love Radiohead, Ariana Grande, BANKS, and Troye Sivan. I listen to a lot of jazz and bubblegum pop, too—I like a lot of different genres.

AM: What can we expect to hear from you next?
Z: I’m hoping to release my EP by the end of the year, and I’ll be releasing more singles over the next couple of months. And shows will be coming up, too!

// photo courtesy of Impulse Artists
// Listen to more Zachariah on Spotify + SoundCloud.