Photo: Dustin Giallanza
Ask singer Zee Machine to describe his music, and he smiles broadly.
“It’s a flamboyant kind of pop-rock-electronic kind of fantasy,” the L.A.-based pop singer says. “Lately I’m going for a sound that feels nostalgic and classic but still fresh. The music I’m putting out lately is music from the ’80s — the 2080s!”
Upbeat and cheerful, Zee Machine has come a long way since three years ago, when he was struggling with drugs — including methamphetamine. The singer (born Joe Bissell) was trying to pull out of his spiral.
“From an early age, I had always had an addictive personality,” the singer says. “So when I was struggling to find my footing after college, it snuck up on me.”
“At first [drugs] were like a comforting friend to turn to once in a while that made everything feel OK,” he recalls. “But that turned to every couple weeks, watch turned into every weekend, which turned into every day. It’s really insidious and frightening when you can see everything falling apart, but you just can’t stop.”
Now coming up on three years of sobriety, Zee Machine is hardly alone. He is making a splash with his upbeat songs that first gained traction in the LGBTQ+ community. Now, he’s caught the ear of powerful producers and DJs, includingMark Ronson, who featured Zee Machine’s work on his own social media.
For an independent artist like Zee Machine, social media — and the attention of music megastars — has been instrumental in getting his music heard.
Zee Machine is now booking appearances across the country — and the venues and opportunities are growing.
“The idea of worldwide fame and acclaim terrifies me,” he laughs. “As long as I can create a life for myself that involves making art that people can connect to and that I can look back and be proud of and fulfilled with, I think I’ll be satisfied.”
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One thing that Zee Machine won’t do: tone down who he is for a wider audience.
source: people.com
