Out in the suburbs of Minnesota, the winters are long, harsh, and biting. However, it all feels a little warmer with local singer-songwriter Zack King around. Life is simpler out there, and he, armed with an acoustic guitar and a heart of gold, just wants everyone to stop for a moment and take it all in. A fanatic for ‘90s nostalgia a la Matchbox Twenty, Zack toyed around with music his whole life before turning it into a professional pursuit after graduating college. Like many, he found himself feeling lost after graduation, and turned to his music to confront those feelings. which is evident in his new single and video for “Take It Away.” Captivating from start to finish, King brings to life music that evokes emotion. We had the honor of catching up with Zack for an exclusive interview below.

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? 

Have you ever felt that awful, lingering, gut wrenching feeling from a breakup? ‘Take It Away’ brings the listener on an emotional journey sharing how it feels when you can’t get that person out of your head. “Every night I lie awake thinking about her and what we used to have. Tossing and turning in my sleep… She’s the only thing on my mind. What do I have to do to get these memories out of my head? Someone please take it away.”

I chose to visualize this song because there’s so much emotion behind the story and the lyrics. Constantly replaying those memories in your head of all those nights you shared and those moments you shared. That’s why it was perfect to shoot one of the scenes in a bedroom. Lying awake, tossing and turning, throwing a tantrum because you can’t get her out of your head. 

What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)? 

Scene 1: We wanted to give as much interpretation as possible with ‘Take It Away’ and what it feels like going through a breakup. That’s why we had a projector in the background with videos of couples spending time together. After a breakup, it’s so easy to replay all of those memories in your head over and over again, that’s why we had the images behind me – showing that those were in the past. At the end of the video, it shows me walking away from the screen – symbolizing I’m moving on from her and all of those haunting memories. 

Scene 2: I wanted to reenact how most people feel when they go through a breakup or tough time in their lives. Laying awake, tossing and turning in your sleep, and trying to get those feelings out of your head. We made sure to make the scene capture the frustration I am going through – I’m screaming, throwing blankets and pillows, and overall giving the audience insight on how it feels to be going through a breakup. The red lights in this scene helped capture the frustration I’m going through, and what it feels like to be going through a breakup. 

What was the process of making this video?

First, we went to Taylor Sound in Hopkins, MN where they have a big open white room with a screen. We spent half of a day recording Scene 1 – making sure the video lined up with the correct lyrics and overall the scene stylistically fit the song. 

Second, we went to my home to shoot the bedroom scene. We rented a fog machine and bright blue and red lights to capture the emotion of the song. The fog machine added a distinct feel to the scene, giving the viewer a sense of anger and heartbreak. After 10 hours of filming, changing ideas, and overall direction of the video, we finally got the look we wanted for both scenes, leading up to the release of the music video.