"When people find out I grew up in Canada, they naturally expect that
I played hockey. But I didn't - I was the kid that begged his parents
for piano lessons."
Zac Wrixon's love affair with music started early. "There was a really
great mix of music at home", he recalls, "everything from Gordon Lightfoot
and Kenny Rogers, to classical composers. I started playing classical
piano at age six, but at the same time I learned every word to
"Lucille" and played those Lightfoot records until I wore them out. My
parents still have a picture of me, four years old, wearing these giant
headphones, conducting in front of the stereo."
Eventually the pull toward the guitar was too much to resist. "My
brother had this cool old Peavey that I used to sneak into his
room and play when he wasn't home. I loved 80's pop music", he says.
"Still do. I had a friend two doors down that introduced me to Chicago, Journey,
Bon Jovi - stuff I still listen to."
But a turning point came the first time CMT came on. "I remember seeing the
video for "The Bluest Eyes In Texas" by Restless Heart. The sound of that song
just hammered me - the melodies, the harmonies, the musicianship...it just
sucked me in. I became totally obsessed with those sounds."
For Zac, the progression to writing country music was natural, but far
from deliberate. "I wanted to be a blues guitarist", he recalls, "but
I couldn't write it. Everything I wrote was country. I couldn't write
anything else. Eventually I embraced it and realized it was what I was
supposed to do."
Frequent trips to Nashville led to a Canadian connection at ASCAP and
an introduction to Dan Hodges Music and a staff writer deal. "He liked my songs and offered to set me up
with one of his writers. We got a major label hold with that first song, and
I'm really excited about what the future holds for my music."
Zac has had over 30 songs recorded by a diverse range of artists in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.