The Boots and Hearts sit down with Mitch Zorn
Mitch Zorn arrived in Ontario this weekend with plenty to be excited about. On Sunday afternoon he would be performing on the Front Porch Stage at Boots and Hearts Festival on the same bill as Max McNown and Rascal Flatts, but before that he could also celebrate the release of his single on Friday, Nowhere Town which was co-written and produced by Aaron Gillespie, drummer and vocalist of Underoath. With the track focusing on small communities being a point of pride, there could be no better place than launching it in the township of Oro-Medonte. As Mitch arrived on site at the festival we sat down with him.
Well, welcome to Boots and Hearts Festival.
Yeah, absolutely. I'm glad to be here.
Everyone has said this is the festival to come to.
This is my first time even attending it, let alone playing it. So this is a new one for me.
So you're quite a long way from home as well.
Yeah, I'm in BC, on the west coast.
As if it wasn’t already going to be a busy weekend, your new single Nowhere Town is also out today!
We didn't even really plan that out, the release date, but it just happened to work out that it came out on the day that we were here for Boots. So I'm super excited. It's a whirlwind. We got so much stuff going on, but it's good. It's fun.
Now today has come, is it nice that it has all linked together?
Yeah, it makes it a lot easier because when you get your head on straight, you keep going, keep doing the thing. You don't have to get out of it and get back into it. So it's good.
Last night you opened up for Brett at his headline show. How did that one go for you?
It was good, yeah. We hopped up with Brett Kissel there in Strathroy, a little town west of here. Honestly, it was pretty close to my hometown, not close physically, but it seemed like it was like my hometown. It was exciting. We had a couple thousand people in there and was able of just shake the dust off for the show here. It was exciting.
Can you now relax a bit for two days before Sunday?
A little bit, yeah. We got a whole bunch of media stuff. We're doing a lot of interviews, but it'll be good to get into the Airbnb and hang out a little bit and get settled. We’ve also got time to check out some artists sets too so it’ll be good.
Well, welcome to Boots and Hearts Festival.
Yeah, absolutely. I'm glad to be here.
Everyone has said this is the festival to come to.
This is my first time even attending it, let alone playing it. So this is a new one for me.
So you're quite a long way from home as well.
Yeah, I'm in BC, on the west coast.
As if it wasn’t already going to be a busy weekend, your new single Nowhere Town is also out today!
We didn't even really plan that out, the release date, but it just happened to work out that it came out on the day that we were here for Boots. So I'm super excited. It's a whirlwind. We got so much stuff going on, but it's good. It's fun.
Now today has come, is it nice that it has all linked together?
Yeah, it makes it a lot easier because when you get your head on straight, you keep going, keep doing the thing. You don't have to get out of it and get back into it. So it's good.
Last night you opened up for Brett at his headline show. How did that one go for you?
It was good, yeah. We hopped up with Brett Kissel there in Strathroy, a little town west of here. Honestly, it was pretty close to my hometown, not close physically, but it seemed like it was like my hometown. It was exciting. We had a couple thousand people in there and was able of just shake the dust off for the show here. It was exciting.
Can you now relax a bit for two days before Sunday?
A little bit, yeah. We got a whole bunch of media stuff. We're doing a lot of interviews, but it'll be good to get into the Airbnb and hang out a little bit and get settled. We’ve also got time to check out some artists sets too so it’ll be good.
Now, music isn't also your full-time job I understand.
No.
How do you a job and then on top of that a performing schedule that includes travelling and also recording and writing too?
Yeah, it's crazy. I feel like I'm never home. I work on the road for my day job too. I'm an electrician out in the oil fields. It's a crazy life, man. I've done it for the last 10 years and I’m kind of just trying to bridge the gap between getting things going as a musician. It's crazy. It's busy, but it's rewarding.
How do you find the time then to get songs recorded? Do you do a lot of the recording and writing on the roads?
No, I do it on my time off as I work rotational. I'll work like two weeks on, one week off, or two weeks on, two weeks off, and kind of just jam all the music stuff into my time off and try to jam some home time into it as well! I don't know how I do it, to be honest. We just try to make it work.
No.
How do you a job and then on top of that a performing schedule that includes travelling and also recording and writing too?
Yeah, it's crazy. I feel like I'm never home. I work on the road for my day job too. I'm an electrician out in the oil fields. It's a crazy life, man. I've done it for the last 10 years and I’m kind of just trying to bridge the gap between getting things going as a musician. It's crazy. It's busy, but it's rewarding.
How do you find the time then to get songs recorded? Do you do a lot of the recording and writing on the roads?
No, I do it on my time off as I work rotational. I'll work like two weeks on, one week off, or two weeks on, two weeks off, and kind of just jam all the music stuff into my time off and try to jam some home time into it as well! I don't know how I do it, to be honest. We just try to make it work.
The new single is co-written and produced with Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie. How did that co-write come around?
My manager is signed with a publishing company, Jonas Publishing, which makes him he's kind of tied into the country world. Obviously, he's a punk rock guy and a legend at that and we got together and wrote this song. It was the first song we wrote together, and it just happened to be one that he felt like he could produce and take down a lane that I was going to go down anyway. It just worked out perfectly and here we are with it now released.
Do you think you found quite a good mix of your sound with his background as well?
Yeah, for sure. To be honest, I was a big fan of his growing up. Growing up in my little town, I was obviously a fan of country music, but I was obviously a big rock fan, a big punk fan. It was kind of a natural bridge between the two. Hopefully, one day we can get together and make a punk rock record or something. I’m a big fan of his still today and it was certainly a full circle moment.
My manager is signed with a publishing company, Jonas Publishing, which makes him he's kind of tied into the country world. Obviously, he's a punk rock guy and a legend at that and we got together and wrote this song. It was the first song we wrote together, and it just happened to be one that he felt like he could produce and take down a lane that I was going to go down anyway. It just worked out perfectly and here we are with it now released.
Do you think you found quite a good mix of your sound with his background as well?
Yeah, for sure. To be honest, I was a big fan of his growing up. Growing up in my little town, I was obviously a fan of country music, but I was obviously a big rock fan, a big punk fan. It was kind of a natural bridge between the two. Hopefully, one day we can get together and make a punk rock record or something. I’m a big fan of his still today and it was certainly a full circle moment.
This weekend you play on Sunday, the same day as Tucker Wetmore, max McNown and obviously Rascal Flatts headlining. Is it nice to see on a festival lineup artists who may complement your sound throughout the day?
For sure. You never really know what to expect with lineups and ultimately, you get what you get, and you just show up and play. Sunday though does seem like it's a good mix and definitely makes it seems like they knew what they were doing. So I'm excited.
I don't think you would have worked on a day like Saturday with Carolyn Dawn Johnson and The Chicks.
No, no. Super traditional country. I mean, I love that music, but obviously it's not what I'm singing. It's going to be a fun weekend.
Being a newer artist, how did your call for Boots and Hearts come about?
I'm with an agency here in Canada and I've got a team and a label and stuff, but I'm also just a good friend of the girl that runs the festival, Brooke. She actually approached me at CCMAs last year and she just said, it's your time. You get your shot. Obviously, I was surprised, but super excited and really grateful that she decided she was going to open that door for me. So I'm excited. I’ve got my girlfriend and sister here with me this weekend too so they get to experience it with me.
Do you think being here early will take away some of the nerves on Sunday?
Yeah, for sure. I think if I can just stay busy, that's what I always say. Even before shows, sitting in the green room for a couple of hours, my nerves get going. If I can just keep busy and just keep doing stuff, then I don't really have time to think about anything and that's kind of what keeps me ready to go for the shows. That's the best way.
Enjoy the weekend and good luck on Sunday.
Yeah, absolutely. I'm sure it's going to be an absolute blast.
Hopefully the next time we get to see you it will be over in England, although that's even further from BC!
Well, I've got a lot of friends out there too, so I'm sure we'll make it out there one day.
Listen to "Nowhere Town" HERE
For sure. You never really know what to expect with lineups and ultimately, you get what you get, and you just show up and play. Sunday though does seem like it's a good mix and definitely makes it seems like they knew what they were doing. So I'm excited.
I don't think you would have worked on a day like Saturday with Carolyn Dawn Johnson and The Chicks.
No, no. Super traditional country. I mean, I love that music, but obviously it's not what I'm singing. It's going to be a fun weekend.
Being a newer artist, how did your call for Boots and Hearts come about?
I'm with an agency here in Canada and I've got a team and a label and stuff, but I'm also just a good friend of the girl that runs the festival, Brooke. She actually approached me at CCMAs last year and she just said, it's your time. You get your shot. Obviously, I was surprised, but super excited and really grateful that she decided she was going to open that door for me. So I'm excited. I’ve got my girlfriend and sister here with me this weekend too so they get to experience it with me.
Do you think being here early will take away some of the nerves on Sunday?
Yeah, for sure. I think if I can just stay busy, that's what I always say. Even before shows, sitting in the green room for a couple of hours, my nerves get going. If I can just keep busy and just keep doing stuff, then I don't really have time to think about anything and that's kind of what keeps me ready to go for the shows. That's the best way.
Enjoy the weekend and good luck on Sunday.
Yeah, absolutely. I'm sure it's going to be an absolute blast.
Hopefully the next time we get to see you it will be over in England, although that's even further from BC!
Well, I've got a lot of friends out there too, so I'm sure we'll make it out there one day.
Listen to "Nowhere Town" HERE