Zachary Cole Smith

Last updated
Zachary Cole Smith
DIIV @ the Regency, San Francisco, 4-18-2013.jpg
Smith performing with DIIV in April 2013
Background information
Born (1984-11-07) November 7, 1984 (age 39)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • model
  • music video director
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • drums
Years active2009–present
Labels Captured Tracks
Member of DIIV
Formerly of
Website diivnyc.tumblr.com

Zachary Cole Smith (born November 7, 1984) is an American musician best known for being the founder, frontman, and principal songwriter of the indie rock band DIIV. Previously, he played in the bands Soft Black and Beach Fossils. Initially called Dive, the band started as Smith's solo recording project. Smith released his debut studio album with DIIV, Oshin , in 2012, which combined elements of krautrock, post-punk and shoegaze. He has directed music videos for DIIV and Sky Ferreira. Outside of his work in the music industry, Smith has modeled for Saint Laurent on multiple occasions. DIIV's second studio album, Is the Is Are , was released on February 5, 2016. [1] On October 4, 2019, DIIV's third album, Deceiver, was released on Captured Tracks. [2] On May 24, 2024, DIIV released their fourth album, "Frog in Boiling Water", to critical acclaim.

Contents

Early life and education

Smith was born in New York City on November 7, 1984. [3] [4] His father, also named Zachary, is a musician and songwriter. His mother, Deborah E. MacIntyre, was a fashion editor for Vogue magazine.[ citation needed ]

Smith has played guitar since he was a small child. He started a short-lived band with future DIIV bandmate Andrew Bailey in high school. At the time, he considered music more of a hobby than a calling. [5]

Smith had disciplinary problems as a teenager and was often suspended during middle school. As a freshman in high school, he and his friend threw rocks at truck windows in a Wal-Mart parking lot in the pursuit of cigarettes. Both boys were arrested, and Smith was expelled from school. He attended six different schools in five years, including St. Luke's School and The Beekman School. Smith graduated from Wooster School in Danbury, Connecticut. [4] [6] In 2004, he enrolled at Hampshire College to study music and film. He did not graduate.

Career

After leaving Hampshire College, Smith worked construction and landscaping jobs in Northampton. In New York City, he worked at Angelica Kitchen, an East Village vegan restaurant established in the 1970s. He became involved with New York's underground music scene through the artists and musicians that frequented the restaurant. In an interview with The Fader , he said “It was just something I knew how to do.” He began playing guitar in Soft Black around 2009, and after meeting Dustin Payseur he played drums for Beach Fossils in several gigs. [5] He left Beach Fossils to travel for a year and rejoined in 2010 as a guitar player for the band's tour. [4] Smith also played guitar on tour with the indie band Darwin Deez. [7]

Smith started focusing on writing music in 2010. [8] In the summer of 2011, he booked a show for a new band he called Dive and asked Andrew Bailey, Devin Ruben Perez and Colby Hewitt to join. The group renamed themselves DIIV, were signed by Captured Tracks, and released several singles. DIIV released their debut album Oshin in 2012. [4] Smith co-directed the music video for "Doused", which was released in September 2012. [9]

Smith directed the music video for Sky Ferreira's song "Omanko", which was released in December 2014. [10] In May 2015, Smith was featured in an episode of Noisey's "Under the Influence" series detailing the influence of krautrock on contemporary music. [11] DIIV released their second studio album, Is the Is Are , on February 5, 2016. DIIV's third album, Deceiver , was released October 4, 2019.

Modeling

Smith was signed by Re:Quest Model Management in the summer of 2013, and along with Cara Delevingne, was photographed by Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent's Fall 2013 campaign. [12] In June, he walked in Saint Laurent's spring 2014 menswear fashion show during Paris Fashion Week. [13] [14] Smith walked in Saint Laurent's Spring 2016 menswear runway show in June 2015. [15]

Musical style and influences

Smith performing with DIIV in San Francisco in 2013 DIIV @ the Regency, San Francisco, 4-18-2013.jpg
Smith performing with DIIV in San Francisco in 2013

Smith's work with DIIV has been described as krautrock, post-punk and shoegaze. [4] [16]

Smith's favorite albums include Arthur Russell's Love Is Overtaking Me (2008), Red Krayola's The Parable of Arable Land (1967) and Faust's The Faust Tapes (1973). The songs on Oshin were influenced by German psychedelic bands such as Kluster, La Düsseldorf, Neu! and Can. [17] Additionally, Smith cited Nirvana and world music as sources of inspiration. [18] According to Smith, Is the Is Are was influenced by Elliott Smith and Royal Trux. [17]

Personal life

Smith was in a relationship with singer and model Sky Ferreira. [19] On September 13, 2013, the night before DIIV was scheduled to perform at the music festival Basilica Soundscape in Hudson, New York, Smith’s unregistered Ford pickup truck was pulled over in the nearby town of Saugerties and police found "42 decks" of heroin on him as well as ecstasy on Ferreira. [5] Smith was charged with "two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of stolen property and one count of aggravated unlicensed driving, all misdemeanors". Additionally, he was charged with "violations of unregistered motor vehicle, driving without insurance, unlicensed driver, and having an inadequate exhaust system". He was ordered to go to rehab for 11 days in January 2014. [8] [20]

Smith is a vegan. [16] He lived in Catskill, New York before returning to New York City in 2015. [8]

On February 3, 2017, Smith announced he was checking in for "long-haul" inpatient treatment. [21]

On February 9, 2020, Smith married his girlfriend Dani Nelson. The ceremony was held at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park, CA. The ceremony was attended by their families and close friends, including members of DIIV, Beach Fossils, Deafheaven, Mac Demarco, and Launder. [22] Andrew Bailey, current guitarist for DIIV and whom Smith has been best friends with since they were 13, [23] served as Smith's best man.

Bands

Discography

with DIIV

with Launder

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Levin</span> American bassist (born 1946)

Anthony Frederick Levin is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (1981–2021) and Peter Gabriel. He is also a member of Liquid Tension Experiment, Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (1998–2000) and HoBoLeMa (2008–2010). He has led his own band, Stick Men, since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tantric (band)</span> American rock band

Tantric is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The group was founded in 1998 by Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest and Mat Taul after they left Days of the New, and joined forces with vocalist Hugo Ferreira. Ferreira is the only remaining member of the band from the original lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earthless</span> American rock band

Earthless is a mostly instrumental psychedelic rock band from San Diego, California, consisting of guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Ferreira</span> American musician

Hugo Fernando da Silva Ferreira is an Angolan-born American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for being the lead singer and songwriter for the American rock band Tantric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deez Nuts (band)</span> Australian hardcore band

Deez Nuts are an Australian band that formed in Melbourne in 2007. Equally influenced by hardcore punk and hip hop, the band currently consists of vocalist JJ Peters, guitarist Matt Rogers a.k.a. Real Bad, and drummer Alex Salinger. The band has released one EP and six studio albums.

Soft Black is an American, Brooklyn-based band, fronted by Vincent Cacchione. Much of Soft Black's lyrical content deals with Cacchione's dreams and nightmares. The band's sound was described as "a kind of bizarro-world Neil Young," as well as "[going] against the grain of [Brooklyn]’s more fashionable musical styles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Ferreira</span> American singer-songwriter, model, and actress (born 1992)

Sky Tonia Ferreira is an American singer-songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloodshy & Avant and a recording contract with Parlophone in 2009. She released her first extended play, As If!, in 2011, which combined elements of electropop and dance music. Ferreira's second EP, Ghost (2012), however, incorporated pop with more stripped-down song structures and featured collaborations with Jon Brion and Shirley Manson, as well as the critically acclaimed track "Everything Is Embarrassing", which she composed with Dev Hynes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin Deez</span> American indie band

Darwin Deez is an American indie band from New York City signed to music label Lucky Number Music. The group's frontman, Darwin Deez, grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, attended Wesleyan University, and has been a guitarist for Creaky Boards. Darwin Smith lives in Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DIIV</span> American rock band

DIIV is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 2011. The band consists of Zachary Cole Smith, Andrew Bailey (guitar), Colin Caulfield and Ben Newman (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach Fossils</span> American indie rock band

Beach Fossils is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2009. They are currently signed to Bayonet Records, having previously been signed to indie label Captured Tracks. The group's live band currently includes founder Dustin Payseur, Jack Doyle Smith (bass), Tommy Davidson (guitar), and Anton Hochheim (drums). They are known for their lo-fi, atmospheric sound, confessional and nostalgic lyrics, and Payseur's laid-back vocal style.

<i>Night Time, My Time</i> 2013 studio album by Sky Ferreira

Night Time, My Time is the debut studio album by American singer Sky Ferreira, released on October 29, 2013, by Capitol Records. The album was originally set to be released in 2011, following the singles "17", "One", and "Obsession". However, they became commercial failures and caused her label to postpone the album repeatedly. As a result, many recording sessions were held for the album; some of which went towards two extended plays (EP), As If! (2011) and Ghost (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Ferreira discography</span>

American singer and songwriter Sky Ferreira has released one studio album, three extended plays, 10 singles, three promotional singles, and 15 music videos. She signed a recording contract with Parlophone in 2009, and released the song "One" through the label in 2010. It was written by Ferreira, Bloodshy & Avant, Magnus Lidehäll, and Marit Bergman, and peaked at number 64 on the UK Singles Chart. It was followed by "Obsession" later that year, which was written by Ferreira, Jerrod Bettis, Justin Franks, and Ryan Tedder. It reached number 37 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. During this time, much of her lyrical content incorporated themes of rebellion and teenage romance.

<i>Oshin</i> (album) 2012 studio album by DIIV

Oshin is the debut studio album by American rock band DIIV, released on June 26, 2012, by Captured Tracks. The album was produced by frontman Zachary Cole Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart in Hand (band)</span> English band

Heart in Hand were an English band from Bournemouth and Southampton, formed in 2008. Their musical style was a melodic blend of hardcore punk with heavy metal influences, described as both melodic hardcore and metalcore by reviewers. Their first release was the Heart in Hand EP in 2009, followed by 3 studio albums. The band's final lineup consisted of vocalist Charlie Holmes, guitarists Ed Hartwell and Ollie Wilson, bassist Gavin Thane and drummer Sam Brennan.

<i>Is the Is Are</i> 2016 studio album by DIIV

Is the Is Are is the second studio album by American indie rock band DIIV, released on February 5, 2016 on Captured Tracks. Self-produced by vocalist and guitarist Zachary Cole Smith, the album was recorded at Strange Weather Recording Studio and The Bunker, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was preceded by the singles, "Dopamine", "Bent ", "Under the Sun" and "Is the Is Are".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry Glazerr</span> American rock band

Cherry Glazerr is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2013. The current lineup consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Clementine Creevy, bassist Sami Perez and drummer Tabor Allen. The band's sound has transitioned from lo-fi and garage rock on their debut release Haxel Princess in 2014 to a more polished rock sound, with elements of grunge, punk and new wave on their subsequent releases Apocalipstick and Stuffed & Ready. Their fourth studio album, I Don't Want You Anymore, was released on Secretly Canadian on September 29, 2023.

<i>Somersault</i> (Beach Fossils album) 2017 studio album by Beach Fossils

Somersault is the third studio album by American indie rock band Beach Fossils, released on June 2, 2017, and produced by frontman Dustin Payseur and Jonathan Rado. It was the first Beach Fossils album released through Payseur's own label, Bayonet Records, which he started in 2015 with his wife and former label manager of Captured Tracks Katie Garcia. Somersault produced five singles that are considered to be among the band's best-known songs, which include "This Year", "Saint Ivy", "Down The Line", "Tangerine", and "Social Jetlag". The album marked a change in the band's style from the energetic jangle pop of previous records to a layered and more textured sound rooted in baroque pop and indie rock.

<i>Deceiver</i> (DIIV album) 2019 studio album by DIIV

Deceiver is the third studio album by American indie rock band DIIV. It was released on October 4, 2019 by Captured Tracks. Produced primarily by the band themselves along with producer Sonny Diperri, the album was recorded in Los Angeles in March 2019.

<i>Beach Fossils</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Beach Fossils

Beach Fossils is the debut album by American indie rock band Beach Fossils. The album was written, recorded, and produced entirely by frontman Dustin Payseur and was released on May 25, 2010, through Captured Tracks.

<i>Frog in Boiling Water</i> 2024 studio album by DIIV

Frog in Boiling Water is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band DIIV, released on May 24, 2024, through Fantasy Records. It was produced by Chris Coady and preceded by the release of five singles: lead single "Brown Paper Bag", "Soul-net", "Everyone Out", "Frog in Boiling Water", and the final single, "Raining on Your Pillow". The album received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. "Is the is Are by DIIV". iTunes . 5 February 2016.
  2. Aubrey, Elizabeth (2019-07-24). "Listen to a hypnotic new single from DIIV as band announce return with new album, 'Deceiver'". me.com. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  3. Ferreira, Sky (November 7, 2014). "It's @lovealienzzz birthday". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 DeVille, Chris (July 28, 2014). "How Does It Feel: DIIV's Zachary Cole Smith Rolls On". Stereogum . Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "What Happened to DIIV?".
  6. Norris, John (June 2012). "Deep DIIV". Interview . Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  7. "sxsw part 1: lowered expectations (andrew)". Darwin Deez . Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 McDermott, Patrick D. (August 11, 2015). "What Happened To DIIV?". The Fader . Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  9. "Premiere: DIIV Thunders Through 'Doused'". Rolling Stone . September 6, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  10. Geslani, Michelle (December 19, 2014). "Sky Ferreira shares "Omanko" music video, directed by DIIV's Zachary Cole Smith — watch". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  11. "Under The Influence - Krautrock". YouTube. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  12. Cowles, Charlotte (May 30, 2013). "Cara Delevingne Lands Saint Laurent Campaign". New York . Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  13. Frank, Alex (July 1, 2013). "Zachary Cole Smith of DIIV Walked the Runway at Saint Laurent Paris". The Fader. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  14. Blanks, Tim (June 30, 2013). "Saint Laurent Spring 2014 Menswear Fashion Show: Runway Review". Style.com . Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  15. Lambea, Julien (June 30, 2015). "Let's Go Surfing en Saint Laurent". GQ France (in French). Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Charles, Thomas (July 18, 2012). "DIIV's Zachary Cole Smith on Loving Nirvana, 'My So-Called Life'". Spin . Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Cohen, Ian (June 26, 2013). "Update: DIIV". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  18. "Interview: DIIV". berlinbeat. January 23, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  19. "DIIV's Zachary Cole Smith talks sobriety and split from Sky Ferreira". NME . 30 August 2017.
  20. "Tonight's Law & Disorder: Sept. 15, 2013". September 16, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  21. Smith, Zachary Cole (February 3, 2017). "So I guess..." Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  22. "Instagram".
  23. "Zola Weddings".