Right now you're doing a solo career?

Zac: Yea.

How's it going so far?

Zac: It's going great.

What was the latest record that you released?
Zac: I did "The Yellow EP". It has five songs that I released a few months ago. Before that I did a full length album called "Life". So far so good.

What are some advantages and disadvantages about being solo?
Zac: When you're solo it's all really on you. Whether it's good or bad. If I have success it feels good - it feels better. When I started I wanted it to be a solo project in the truest sense. The Nixons were a band... a democracy - four guys with very strong opinions. I just wanted to do my thing to see if it worked. So far it's working well enough that I'm able to continue to do it. That really is all you can ask for these days.

Would you ever reunite with anyone from The Nixons?

Zac: The drummer that worked on "The Yellow EP" and toured with me for a few months was in The Nixons. The bass player who played on my album was the bass player of The Nixons. I still keep in touch with those guys. A full fledged Nixons reunion - I don't know about that. We talk about it occasionally - there's a definite possibility. John is in a band and they're doing well - Ricky's in a band called Edgewater and they just got signed to Windup Records. And I have my thing going so everyone is so focused on other things - it'll be hard to say.

Why did you guys break up?
Zac: To be honest with you - in my opinion... and this is just my two cents... it didn't run it's course - it ran through a cycle. It seemed like a good time to try new things. I thought everyone would be better served to try something else. And now they're doing some pretty cool things. Luckily it's worked out well - if we all would have ended up a bum on the curb we'd probably be clamoring to get back together, but Luckily we've gotten to do some things that we're very proud of and will probably continue doing for a while. It was just time to do something new - I can't speak for the rest of the guys... that's just my opinion.

I was disappointed to hear when you guys broke up - I thought "Latest Thing" was one of the best albums...

Zac: That was my favorite too. There was some typical inner-band turmoil around the time that album came out.

You were out for such a long time - it was bound to happen sooner or later...

Zac: It doesn't have to happen - that's the sad thing. Some of my favorite bands are the ones that truck on - like U2... even though I'm not a fan of later Aerosmith music, but you have to give them a huge amount of respect for being able to stick together. So it really doesn't have to happen - in our case it kinda did. But as I said before we didn't slam the door on the possibility of doing something else.

Everyone says they mature between albums - how have you matured?
Zac: I really don't know that I have. Some of the later songs that I've written sound like the first songs that I've ever brought into The Nixons. I think I've de-evolved if you want to know the truth. I've gotten back to very simple songs from the heart. I think The Nixons last album "Latest Thing" we really did mature - we really came together and worked together and we clicked better than we ever have. Actually de-evolved is the wrong word because maybe it's the natural progression of things to eventually cycle back where they were. I'm not going to tell you that I've matured - I'm just as immature as ever.

I read the lyrics to "Early Morning Phone Call" - Is that a true story?

Zac: Yea, my granddad passed away. It was one of those songs that just completely poured out of me. The lyrics just came right out. That really hasn't happened to me very many times. It was the emotion of losing someone you really care about and writing down how you feel.  Luckily I have music as an outlet.  That was the result of that insident. 

Did that effect your career at all?

Zac:  Well, I think everything effects everything that you do.  So it probably did.  My granddad was old and well traveled - he had done a lot in his life.  He was proud of it and I was as well.  It's not like I sat there and said "oh my God - this is a tragedy" - you handle it and you move on.  I think everything effects what you do next - in that respect it definitely effected me.

Do you sometimes think that your fifteen minutes of fame is over?

Zac:  I don't know if I ever had it.  But I don't really care.  I write songs - I go out and play them and record them... I've been lucky enough to never have a job.  The Nixons - we had a moderate hit.  We certainly weren't household names.  In my definition of fame - I really don't think we had fifteen minutes of fame.  We had a nice little run and it was great.  We had a blast - it was stupid how much fan we had.  We were signed to a major label and were able to go out and do these things that you hear about - we opened for Kiss and Radiohead.  It was a great ride - and it still is for me because now I get to do some stuff a little closer to my heart.  Long answer but the short version is that fifteen minutes of fame thing is not really something that I ever think about.  Maybe I will - maybe we'll have another interview and I'll say that I've had it and it's over, but as of right now it's either not going to happen or it hasn't happened yet.

Which song that you have written best describes you?

Zac:  Man, that's a great question.  I have to honestly say that I haven't written one that really describes me.  Probably bits and pieces of other songs that's I've written.  "Early Morning Phone Call" and "Sister" were about family - "Fellowship" off the first album is a slice about how I feel about organized religion especially televangelists.  But no one song really - that's a great question but I don't think I have one.  Maybe I should write one.  (laughs)

What's a major influence in your writing?

Zac:  It has to be the bands that influenced me growing up.  But I have different influences... I read - I read a lot of Kurt Vonnegut.  I've read everything that he has written.  I don't want to come across as an intellectual but I like to read while I'm on the road a lot.  I read silly books too - I read all of the Harry Potter books.  So Vonnegut and all of the other writers influence my writing.