Exploring Zach Gill’s Manic and Musical Multiverse

Pre- and Post-Pandemic Ponderings with Goleta-Based, UCSB-Educated Rock Star

By Roger Durling | Published September 3, 2020

Surrounded by an ever-growing collection of instruments both standard and obscure, Zach Gill hones his songs inside the studio that he’s developed out of his Goleta garage. | Paul Wellman

“It’s a time of renewal,” says Zach Gill, full of his trademark optimism. “I’m using this time to understand what really matters. What do you let go of? How will all things look?”

I’ve written this story about Zach a couple of times. Each time I finished a draft, there was another interruption. My first deadline was March, and then the world stopped.

By the time I wrote this version, the punctuated process felt appropriate, reflecting this music-maker’s many layers and constant evolution, from UCSB student to devoted family man, from performing in Isla Vista driveways to jamming on the world’s largest stages. The disruptions meant we had to meet again and regroup, providing repeat chances to uncover more about this multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter, who lives in the Goleta suburbs but typically can be found touring the globe as the integral fourth member of Jack Johnson’s band, or leading his longtime band ALO, or performing solo.