The first voice a listener hears after pressing play on Zach Scribner’s 2023 album Seldovia Songs is that of Scribner’s grandfather, Walter McInnes, who spoke during the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. describes where he and his family were.
“My stepfather was in front of City Hall when the earthquake happened,” said McInnes, who passed away in 2017.
This earthquake remains the largest ever recorded in North America and is the inspiration for the opening track of Seldovia Songs.
“It’s just a very important historical staple for that town and for all of Alaska,” Scribner said. “I didn’t want this to be the opening track or anything like that, but one of the first ideas for the album was to write specifically about it.”
This dreamy track sets the stage for the version of Seldovia that Scribner will perform on the album’s next song. “1964 / What once was is no longer.”
Scribner, 20, is a graduate of the Susan B. English School in Seldovia, where she attended grades one through 12. He started making music from the age of 14, participating in his school’s rock band class and middle school talent show. Scribner has performed with his brother as a member of Darryl and the Scribes. They currently perform as Seward’s Folly in Portland, Oregon.
Although he describes himself as “primarily a drummer,” he plays multiple instruments and created all the sounds heard on “Seldovia Songs.” The album is tagged as “folk,” “indie” and “lo-fi” on Scribner’s Bandcamp page, but Scribner said he doesn’t like to be tied to a specific genre.
He said “Seldovia Songs” was inspired by singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, who sometimes dedicated entire albums to one place (he also wrote “Michigan” and “Illinois”). reference).
“I thought this was a really cool and creative idea,” Scribner said. “I wanted to do something like that too, but it was something directly related to where I grew up. …It sounded like a cool idea and I felt like I could make it happen. . And I did.”
“Seldovian Songs” is a mix of songs about people and nature, he said.
The album’s opening track is one of three songs featuring his grandfather’s voice. Mr. Scribner and his brother are teachers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, part of the Oral History Program, which Mr. McGinnis aims to collect and organize audio and video recordings on various aspects of Alaska’s history. He said he discovered a recording of an interview he gave to Project Jukebox and wanted to sample it. Do it with music.
Scribner said listening to the recordings was a way for him to learn more about Seldovia and forge a new connection with his grandfather.
“Part of it is that I kind of regret not (not) talking to him growing up because I didn’t do that a lot,” he said. “I spent a lot of time as a kid buried in screens. This is a way of getting back to the many specific things he had to say that I never paid attention to. Something like that.”
“Seldovia Songs” also features “field recordings,” which are ambient sounds from the city that Scribner recorded using his cell phone. The sounds of boats in the harbor, crows, and the unique weather phenomena of Yakolov Bay.
“You hear a sound like thunder, but that’s the sound of snow falling from the mountains in Jakolov Bay in the spring,” he said. “It makes this crazy thud.”
“Graduation Prelude” is Scribner’s favorite song on the album and begins with the words he said are some of his favorite lyrics he’s ever written: They were born to be / This is what I became / Messenger / Climber // It’s something you have to do at least once in your life. ”
He said the song is about achieving goals and is about the summit of Graduation Peak overlooking Seldovia.
“I climbed it once and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever climbed,” he said. “I could barely walk all the way to the end, but I was able to see everything. I was able to see the curve of the Earth and have the experience of being there and looking down on everything. It was so surreal. It’s a great experience.”
In another song, “Red Mountain,” Scribner sings stories about the local city that his mother used to tell him when he was young. According to the story, the residents of Red Mountain woke up one morning to find that all of their cattle had been abducted by an alien spacecraft. He is then said to have run naked down the mountain into town.
This story is just one of many “little legends” unique to Seldovia that Scribner said he would have liked to know more about.
“(They) are very interesting to me and I feel like there’s some kind of deeper meaning hidden within the artwork,” he said.
Mr. Scribner no longer lives in Seldovia and has no plans to return. He will be based in Portland starting in 2022 and is currently working on starting a new band. He released a 34-minute song called “My Heart Is Closed Like a Fist” earlier this month, but said his only instruments at his disposal now are guitar, bass and synthesizer.
“I think I’m trying to take a new path,” he said. “Releasing (‘Seldovia Songs’) made me feel like I was making some progress.”
The album ends the same way it began – with Walter McInnes’ gravelly voice talking about Seldovia’s bygone days. The final track is equal parts love letter and mournful meditation to a city that no longer exists, simply known as “Seldovia.” I know/when I think I’m alone//you’re always/away from me. ”
Scribner said people will interpret his work in different ways, but ultimately he is making music for himself. He said these songs are very personal and may not be of interest to anyone outside of his inner circle. He said his work is free to the public and the best way for people to support him is to just listen.
“All I want is to consume it,” he said.
Listen to “Seldovia Songs” and other music by Scribner at zackscribner.bandcamp.com.
Contact reporter Ashlyn Ohara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
Zach Scribner performs live at Seward’s Folly on January 5, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo provided by Zack Scribner)
