Byron Zanos' lifelong love of music began in his parents' living room, listening to his father's opera collection. As a kid, Zanos had a more classical bent, with his first instrument being the piano. That all changed though, when he bought his fir [+]Byron Zanos' lifelong love of music began in his parents' living room, listening to his father's opera collection. As a kid, Zanos had a more classical bent, with his first instrument being the piano. That all changed though, when he bought his first album: Guns 'N' Roses Appetite for Destruction. "It was like a bowl of Lucky Charms after eating oatmeal my whole life," Zanos says. "It made me want to get off the piano and pick up the guitar, so I did." His turn towards rock wasn't a rebellion so much as a revelation. Interestingly enough, the first song Zanos learned to play on guitar was the Cat Stevens classic, "Father and Son", a touching dialogue between parent and child ending with the son's decision, despite his father's wishes, to make his own way in the world.
Native New Yorker Zanos went on to college at Fordham University. "The original plan was to go into the financial services," he recalls, "but I found that my textbooks served me far better in an amp tilting capacity." So, in keeping with his character (performance driving and poker are among his favorite hobbies), Zanos decided to take the risk and gamble on a career in music.
Despite his early love of hard rock, when it came time to craft his own sound, Zanos' influences were more diverse. His songwriting idols span many musical styles.
"Dave Matthews Band has a certain big band musicality to it that I love," Zanos explains, "and Dave's guitar playing really changed the way people viewed the acoustic. He's a big influence in guitar style. The band Live has always had a certain energy in their songs and the writing was always kind of dark, always in minor keys. I was a huge fan of theirs growing up. They, along with Jeff Buckley and Sting, are also major vocal influences. Sting has this ability to constantly reinvent himself," Zanos continues. "His staying power is what I like, and The Police, Billy Joel, and especially the Beatles have just written incredible songs, which are timeless." Song craft is the common thread that runs through all of Zanos' influences and is the talent he most hopes to emulate.
Great songwriting often begins with emotional turmoil, and Zanos' tunes are no exception. "Most of the songs...were written about my relationship with one particula
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