thePULSEBy Jessica A. Botelho
Often compared to John Mayer and the Dave Matthews Band, 27-year-old guitarist and singer Zack Borer first started playing guitar when he was 16.
“I think that is a fair assessment because I listen to both those artists,” Borer said. “I got caught up in the Dave Matthews Band and I liked the way he was using a guitar in a non-traditional sense. He was my main influence, but I want to take that influence and make it my own.”
When he was eighteen years old, he said he began writing music and started to find his singing voice. He also plays piano, but he only plays keys on a few songs off his new five-track EP Dollars Spent On Nothing.
“I usually only play piano when I’m writing songs,” Borer said. “I think it adds certain depths to some of the songs. I have a keyboard in my apartment, but I don’t play it live. I play guitar live.”
Borer said his writing process typically starts when he relaxes on the couch with his guitar.
“I will be watching TV or whatever and then something will click with me, whether it’s a riff or a chord progression, and that’s when I start to get more focused and I create a hook,” he said. “For me, it starts with the music, the melody, and then the words come last.”
While he does not have a favorite tune off the EP, he said recording each song was a unique experience.
“Some are rock driven, influenced by reggae, or infused with funk,” Borer said. “I definitely try to draw on all different kinds of music.”
He said he also draws from his three band mates, “…an amazing group of explosive musicians,” who have great energy and charisma.
“They totally help define who I am as a musician right now,” Borer said. “They influence the direction of the music I write.”
While he currently lives in New York City, he was born in Canada and moved to the United States when he was three. His parents moved to Worcester during a time when he was still figuring out if he wanted to continue to play music.
“It was in Worcester that I found my true, original, creative voice,” he said. “I actually ended up waiting tables, but I did a lot of writing.”
He began playing the open-mic circuit and believes the stage time helped mold him as a musician.
“It was a really good experience for me and I sort of credit Worcester for where I am now,” he said. “I’m just a regular guy that decided I wanted to play music and I’m going to go for it with all I can.”
Most recently, Borer was nominated for “Best Break Out Video” for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.
“That was great,” he said. “I didn’t win, but it was still really cool.”
