A Lounge Called Leopard

Back in 2009 I was blessed with an incredible opportunity.  I had been on the hunt for a fun songwriting competition to take part in and came across Facebook Idol, which was sponsored by Sweatshop Studios.  I submitted one of my tunes and pretty much forgot about it for a while.  With online competitions I had, at that point, pretty much decided that most of them were a load of junk.

Well I soon found out that I had made it in to the top 15 of the contestants.  To make a long story short, while I didn't win the competition I was contacted by Sweatshop and offered a contract.
In a matter of months I found myself behind the mic in Katona, New York, at the incredible facilities of Sweatshop Studios, recording my own songs.  It was a dream come true.

After spending an amazing eternity in studio, we ventured out to a venue on the east side of NYC called the Sinsin Leopard Lounge (no, I don't know who named the place).  I was honored to perform there for a packed house alongside a couple of the other Facebook Idol finalists.  Such an amazing evening that was!!!

Here is a little snip from the trip.  The song you'll here I actually ended up re-writing with gospel lyrics, but i still like going back and listening to the old version every now and then.  This is "Cut Down" live in New York City.

"Lush"

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My Funny Valentine featuring Edan Dover

Back in 2009 Sweatshop Studios snagged me and flew me out to their AMAZING facility in Katonah New York.  Seriously folks, this place is GORGEOUS.  I had been a part of the Facebook Idol competition they hosted and, while I was not the official winner, Sweatshop liked my music enough to pursue making some more of it and thus the adventure began (I've included an extra video below the first one.  Its an excerpt from my 'Zach Trandum Takes New York' DVD. Watch it to learn more about the trip!)
After a long day in studio, we skittered down (skittered!?) to the Sinsin Leopard Lounge in Eastside New York City and played an amazing show for an incredible and loving crowd.  Edan was kind enough to join me on stage for a couple songs, one of those being a great old jazz standard. Enjoy!

I'll Be Your Friend

As a songwriter, I think many of us pull from our own experiences and emotions.  But I also believe that many songwriters have developed the ability to put themselves in the shoes of another and write from a totally different perspective.

While I was waiting for the train, headed to the airport in New York from Sweatshop Studios, I started a conversation with a young Hip-Hop artist who really had some great creativity going!  He threw down a few lines of his most recent song right there.  The song was written from the perspective of the hat, tie, and shoes, of the aspiring, hard working, starving artist as they observed him pouring his blood sweat and tears in to his dreams.  Loved it!

Well, this song, I'll Be Your Friend, has absolutely nothing to do with hats, ties, or even shoes, but I did write it from the perspective of one reaching out to a friend in the midst of extreme pain, though I wasn't experiencing anything like that at the time.

I hope you enjoy the tune!