Zak Abel
“Negative perspectives are always available to us at any given time, but it’s so much more powerful to show people that while you can be aware of that, you are still hopeful nonetheless.“ Zak Abel is in the process of writing his second studio album, a much-anticipated follow up to his 2017 debut LP that he hopes will feel rooted in hope and optimism, and the soul music that shaped his childhood.
Born in Hendon, North West London, Zak was raised by his mother and grew up on a diet of Ray Charles, Amy Winehouse and James Brown — music that inspired him to start writing his own songs at the age of 14.
His jump off point came after signing to Atlantic Records in 2014 five years later, where he was introduced to electronic music producer, Joker, whom Zak released four-track EP, ‘Joker Presents: Zak Abel’, with in 2015. Further collaborations with Canadian super-producer Kaytranada (‘Say Sumthin’) and fellow crooner Tom Misch (‘Beautiful Escape’) soon followed, marking Zak out as a talented, compelling singer, songwriter and performer.
These collaborations formed the perfect groundswell for Zak to release his debut album ‘Only When We’re Naked’ in 2017. Inspired by the great pop writers of his era, it was an expansive, shimmering debut record that saw Zak push his music and his songwriting further than ever before
Its impact quickly saw his writing stock rise too, with Zak drafted in to pen songs for Paloma Faith (‘I’ll Be Gentle’ ft. John Legend) and the late global dance phenomenon, Avicii, for whom Zak would play their collaboration ‘Ten More Days’ in memoriam at his tribute concert in Stockholm alongside artists like Rita Ora, David Guetta and Aloe Blacc in 2019. He also penned and featured on ‘Freedom’ for Kygo, which has since gone onto amass over 79 million streams on Spotify alone to rank as one of his most impactful collaborations to date.
2019 also saw Zak play a sold-out, multi-date European Tour, culminating in a landmark sold-out, 3000-cap show at The Roundhouse in Camden — a stones throw from where Zak grew up in Hendon. Other memorable 2019 shows included headlining The National Park Festival on London’s embankment — with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in attendance — and The Royal Albert Hall, where Zak performed as a special guest at DJ Spoony’s lauded Garage Classics concert alongside the likes of Paloma Faith and Craig David. At the back end of 2018, he also sold-out a 2000-cap show in Seoul, South Korea, where he was greeted by an army of screaming fans at the airport — a nod to his ever-growing global reach.
Now signed to Vertigo (Universal Music Germany) and Island in the US, Zak is gearing up for the release of his second studio album. Heavily inspired by the soul records of his childhood, the sonics are warm and smoky and the message is overwhelmingly one of hope and positivity; “It deals with a real range of emotions and topics, but there’s also some light-hearted tracks in there which I feel are a very important at a time like now”, Zak explains.
Part-record in LA with finishing touches applied in London, it signals the start of a new chapter in Zak’s career, which now sees him feeling closer than ever before to his team, his fans, and most importantly, his music. “I used to drive past the Roundhouse in Camden all the time when I was younger and wonder who was playing there”, he recalls as he reflects on selling out the venue in March 2019, “and I’d love to go keep playing venues like that all over the world.”
With a series of special, hand-picked singles on the horizon leading into the new album, it’s hard to bet against Zak Abel doing exactly that for a long, long time to come.