With the year winding down and the hustle and bustle of every day starting to slow down, we all need a cozy soundtrack that feels like a warm hug. Lucky for us, Zach Seabaugh never fails to deliver in that department! His latest offering, “Girl in a Coffee Shop,” captures that quaint café feeling while exploring those “what if?” moments when we run into someone incredible in public but don’t approach them. The atmospheric noise in the intro and outro frames the story so well, really sending you to a coffee shop before delving into the daydreams Zach is having about a girl he sees across the room.
“I wanted to write a song about two people having a misconnection,” Zach tells TREMG. “I think there are a lot of people that sit on an airplane or in a café and have these misconnections in life. This song paints the story of two people in a coffee shop, with one of them hoping the other may look over and feel the same way.”
One of the standout qualities of Zach’s music is how stunningly he can craft a story based on a fleeting moment or idea, and another track that showcases that power is the recent single “Christmas Lights.” The perfect listen for the holiday season, “Christmas Lights” takes a more heart-wrenching approach to the unrequited love that pops up on “Girl in a Coffee Shop,” and as consecutive singles, they highlight just how versatile Zach is in his storytelling.
“We were joking around one night and Spencer Jordan said ‘it’s like leaving my Christmas lights in June, it’s embarrassing how long I wait for you,'” Zach explains. “And we all looked at each other and got really excited. We finished writing the song that night on the beach in the dark, so I find it funny it’s called ‘Christmas Lights.’ We recorded it the next day and I wanted to make a video of us singing it to see if fans would respond to it at all. A few days later, we had it up for pre-save. Pretty crazy to see how fast it all came together and to see the response people have given it.”
Zach has come such a long way since appearing as a fan-favorite contestant on The Voice in 2015, and this is only the beginning of the heights he can go. 2022 has been a colossal year for Zach, offering some of his most impressive work to date and bringing incredible collaborations with Chance Peña (“Slingshot”), Anna Hamilton (“Maybe in the Morning”), and Jaxson Free (“Thoughts”). As for 2023? “Music, touring, more music. It’s going to be an exciting year.”
You can find “Girl in a Coffee Shop” on your favorite streaming services now, and get to know Zach Seabaugh on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and his official website! Keep reading for more from our conversation with this fast-rising superstar.
Congratulations on your new single, “Girl in a Coffee Shop!” How does it feel to finally share the song with the world?
I spend so much time with the music I write before it gets released into the world. I wrote “Girl in a Coffee Shop” in February, so for it to finally be out is very exciting.
What does “Girl in a Coffee Shop” mean to you?
I wanted to write a song about two people having a misconnection. I think there are a lot of people that sit on an airplane or in a café and have these misconnections in life. This song paints the story of two people in a coffee shop, with one of them hoping the other may look over and feel the same way.
One of our favorite lines on “Girl in a Coffee Shop” is “if we locked eyes right here in this crowded room for just one second, it’d be just us two.” Is there a certain lyric on the song that you’re particularly proud of?
That is one of my favorite lines. It’s real to me. I was terrified to write it ’cause I questioned if people ever thought the same thing. So for it to be a favorite line answers the question I’ve kept in my head. The more vulnerable lines are terrifying, but that normally means someone else is thinking that way too, and it’s worth writing about.
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Your lyrics have such a powerful way of bringing a setting or story to life, and that especially shines with the imagery and storyline on “Girl In A Coffee Shop.” When you’re in that kind of inspiring situation, like a chance meeting in a coffee shop, do lyrics tend to come to you on the spot or do you come up with lyrics while thinking back to those moments later?
Songs like this paint a movie in my head. So I had the idea already there in front of me. Once I found the melody for the song, I just started singing what I was thinking. Hopefully, when you close your eyes and listen to the words, it paints that same visual for you.
With Christmas right around the corner, we have to ask about your recent single, “Christmas Lights!” What inspired the song, and what has it been like to see how much fans love it?
We were joking around one night and Spencer Jordan said “it’s like leaving my Christmas lights in June, it’s embarrassing how long I wait for you.” And we all looked at each other and got really excited. We finished writing the song that night on the beach in the dark, so I find it funny it’s called “Christmas Lights.” We recorded it the next day and I wanted to make a video of us singing it to see if fans would respond to it at all. A few days later, we had it up for pre-save. Pretty crazy to see how fast it all came together and to see the response people have given it.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with your music already, which of your songs would you recommend to them to get a feel for who you are as an artist?
“Christmas Lights!”
We at TREMG love getting to know new artists who haven’t gotten the success or attention they deserve. Who are some of your favorite underrated artists at the moment?
Sam Johnston has an incredible record the world needs to hear. Go listen to Cannonball.
What can your fans look forward to in 2023?
Music, touring, more music. It’s going to be an exciting year.
Is there anything else you’d like to mention that the questions didn’t touch on?
I don’t think so? You did great. People can find me on socials @zachseabaugh but other than that I think we covered all our bases 🙂
