Features

Man At Work: Zach Deputy

One-man band Zach Deputy spent most of 2008 and 2009 performing his self-described brand of “gospel ninja soul” for small crowds at tiny bars and venues across the country. Deputy’s hard work paid off in 2010 as he landed plum festival gigs at High Sierra, Mountain Jam and Jam Cruise that helped introduce his music to a much larger audience.

“In those first two years, the only way you could see me—if you never heard about me—was if you just happened to stumble into a random bar or a random venue,” says Deputy. “So for us, 2010 was the year of our first chance.”

Though he performs alone onstage—Deputy simulates a full-band sound via live looping and vocal effects—he credits his success to more than just himself. “I say ‘our’ and ‘we’ because I always incorporate the whole family behind Zach Deputy,” he says. “We all have a hand in the music.”

Once Deputy was able to slide himself into the festival scene, the audience for his own headlining shows grew exponentially. “The response we got from the audience—from old fans to new fans—and the support that we’ve had has been way more than I ever expected,” Deputy continues. “And I’m an optimist!”

Last summer’s High Sierra—marking Deputy’s first trip to California—was a turning point for the Folley Beach, S.C. native whose sound pinballs around reggae, soul and acoustic-rock. Arriving as a relatively unknown performer, by the weekend’s end he couldn’t walk very far without being stopped. Having played sets on both official stages and at least one atop a U-Haul moving van, the heavily bearded Deputy welcomed the attention. “I love people so much and it was awesome knowing that they are receiving joy and you had a hand in it,” he says of meeting fans.

Next up for Deputy is more coast-to-coast touring and the release of his third album, Another Day, which he characterizes as an “old-school, organic soul and songwriting album.” He hopes that this record will help make him, in his words, “a household name.”