ZANDER BLECK
The name alone stops you in your tracks. Solid and powerful like a gleaming block of steel that will not be ignored. Already, you want to know more.
The man behind the name is just as magnificently stunning, with his piercing eyes, chiseled jaw and mane of dark flowing locks. He is long, cool and lean with moves that are silky smooth - and when he opens his mouth, he has a voice that would be the envy of angels.
Zander Bleck is the amazing and truly talented solo artist who has been compared to legendary rock icons such as Jim Morrison, Bono and Freddie Mercury - and the comparisons are dead on. Bleck has got all the right stuff that rock legends are made of, but in today's overcrowded, fame-crazed society, he hasn't quite received the recognition he deserves.
After having two record deals not quite reach their full potential, Zander Bleck is back to shine again, this time so bright, you will have to don shades to see him.
With the release of his brand new single "Alive", we had the pleasure of chatting with Zander about his life, music and what lies on the road ahead of him.
GETTING TO KNOW ZANDER
Zander Bleck grew up in rural New Jersey in a household filled with music, "I come from a whole family of musicians." he said, "My ear was trained from a young age, but didn’t start really singing until way late, when I was about 18."
Influenced by some of the greatest artists of our time, Zander was inspired to develop his musical talent to a higher level. "Without a doubt Freddie Mercury and Bono’s performance at the 1985 Live Aid, single handedly influenced where I wanted my vocal ability to be," Zander enthused, "Also Roger Daltry," he added, an obvious Who fan.
Zander Bleck's driving passion for the arts helped him make the decision to move to New York City to break into the entertainment business. Though, his true love was always for the music, his unique looks and style landed him a successful stint in modeling, getting featured in top publications such as Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair.
After taking a break from modeling, he finally turned all of his focus towards music. Putting his master talents of writing songs and performing with his band 'Zander' out there for the world to see.
Since that time, Zander Bleck moved to Los Angeles and has cut an album and singles with major record labels as well as Independently. He knows the ins and outs of the music business and is now ready to take it on this time, for real.
THE NOW
With his latest single release "Alive", there is a comparable difference from Zander Bleck's past material up to now. His vocals are stronger and more compelling. Lyrics like 'I broke my wings, couldn't sing, lost my crown that I wore as a king.' are brutally honest and quite powerful. This time Zander seems to be bringing something much more emotional to the table. "After two record deals hadn’t panned out, I was in a pretty dark place and had to really look inward to keep going. I am so glad I did," Zander continued, "But I think the song resonates on a very general level too. We all need to celebrate every day that we are alive."
Zander has a history of really cool music videos behind him (just look him up on YouTube!) But the video to accompany "Alive" is more than visually gorgeous. It is sublime. Unfortunately, many artists such as Zander Bleck have put a lot of effort and creativity into their music videos, only to be overlooked by corporate moguls like MTV and VH1. When talking with Zander, we asked what he thought about booming online networks such as Youtube, Itunes and Vevo becoming the destined future for successful video airplay and international exposure. His perspective was refreshingly positive.
"Music videos are having quite a renaissance at the moment. I believe they are more important than ever with fans consuming so much video content daily. Also video technology has advanced so much that its easier than ever to make something epic. I love making videos as much as I love writing songs. I am just at the tip of the iceberg right now for where I want to be."
Zander Bleck may be a musically gifted, attractive and confident man, which in some cases make someone seem untouchable, but on the contrary, Zander is a fun loving, down to earth kind of guy who has more talents than his obvious musical ones. "I'm a pretty damn good photographer. I also have a vast array of weird hidden talents." And we can't help but wonder what those might be, Mr. Bleck.
Any way you look at it, Zander Bleck is a rockstar. The image, the style, the cool attitude. He's unlike no other in this mostly 'pop music' dominated era. It's exactly what rock music fans have been waiting for these days. The fervent hope is for rock music to surge it's way back into the mainstream once again - and if it comes down do it, Zander Bleck is ready for the challenge!
"I think the tides are ripe for a change and I believe it will be in my direction," he said with a smile.
Then there are the live shows. Cool Magazine actually had the privilege to witness a few Zander Bleck performances when he played with his band in New York City. The energy was positively astounding. Bleck's vocal power was enormous, while his backing band was driving and robust. The perfect combination for a live rock show. We were impressed.
There is only one reason why a rock show can really come together and blow people's minds, and that's when the band loves what they do. This is most certainly a quality that Zander Bleck possesses. Bleck adores his audience and has been busting at the seams to get back out there to play for his fans. "I've spent so much time in the studio really honing in my sound and am finally in a place I am so, so, so excited to get back on stage. It's been a while since I’ve truly performed. But I am excited to say, as I write this, tomorrow I am back on stage and will continue to be quite often in the near future."
Luckily for his fans, Zander also has an upcoming album in the works. "I have a lot of music that's just been finished and waiting on the launch pad. It's gonna be a really awesome next 12 months." And as for touring? "You bet" he assures us, and we are very satisfied, because a Zander Bleck performance is just too good to miss out on! But, of course, you will have to see one to judge for yourself.
Before we ended our chat with Zander, we wanted to ask him one final question that would sum him up in a nutshell. We wanted to know what he thought were the best three words to describe himself. Zander gave us four. "Ambitious, confident, humble, dashing..." he joked.
So, now we know he has a playful side too.
Finally putting together the full picture of all that we've learned about this extremely talented, uniquely exquisite man with a sense of humor, of course we would want to feature him in this magazine, because there's just no denying that Zander Bleck is one, all around, 'cool' guy.
By M & J Shepherd
August 2017
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