Meet Zach Jackal

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zach Jackal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Two things: overcoming insecurity and pure spite.
Being a pretty sensitive person, as creative types often are, I’ve always been the token weird dude. I faced a lot of dogging from family, friends, and peers growing up for my emotions, difference in opinion or style, hyper-fixations, and occasional lack of social understanding. It’s a great way to grow feet of clay, and I spent a lot of my adolescence feeling very depressed and self-conscious over the things that make me who I am without even trying to defend myself. I expected that it would subside when I got older, and in some ways it did, but in some ways it got worse. Kids are naturally pretty short-sighted, it comes with a developing mind and a lack of life experience, but adults are dangerous because they think they know a thing or too and are saddled with baggage that they’re desperate to pawn off to other people. When I got active in the Nashville scene, I decided I wasn’t gonna kowtow to anyone’s shit anymore, it was mainly out of desperation. I’ve found it’s a lot more rewarding to exist loudly, it makes people less afraid to be themselves, as corny as it sounds. We all affect who’s around us in one way or another, and I would rather do what I want and see who salutes my flag regardless of what anyone else has to say about it. It’s a win-win line of thinking because it’ll help you gain some spine and inspire others to do the same, and it really pisses off the right people, which is fun. Saying “fuck you” to naysayers or obstacles is always great. I’m a musician, that’s my main calling in life, and you need to have that spirit otherwise you’ll just be a bitter, jaded piece of shit that quits and blames the peanut factory for your own personal failures.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have a band called The Skrewups. We’re based out of Nashville and we play our own brand of punk that’s heavily inspired by rock n roll and true crime, kind of like a Misfits meets Motörhead thing. We call it “murder punk” because we play loud and fast, and I’m singing mostly about death and violence. It’s pretty melodic too though, helps balance it all out I think.
I started The Skrewups back in 2022 as a solo project for me to cover punk and psychobilly songs I liked, but once the band I was in around that time went on hiatus in 2024, I had these original Skrewups tunes that I was playing around with, and I wasn’t about to just do nothing, so I got a band together and we recorded an EP, which we released in November last year. We have been gigging to support it since, and not just in Nashville either. The goal is to take it around the world, and whether we end up playing big clubs one day or stay in small dives, I don’t care. I’ve wanted to tour across the globe doing what I love since middle school, and I’m gonna do it. We are currently working on another EP and plan to put out an album in the next couple of years.

I also write books. They’re prose and journal books inspired by Henry Rollins, Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller. I have two out on Amazon already: one under my legal name called Twenty Yard Fight, and another one under my new moniker called At Risk. I used to do open mics and poetry shows, and I plan to do more in the future. I haven’t gotten around to it so much lately because of the band, but there will be more. I am also working on a comic book right now, a horror anthology that is also inspired a lot by true crime, so I hope to have that out by late 2025.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Quality? Passion.
Skill? Stubbornness.
Area of knowledge?
I don’t know, you learn as you go.

I’ve been playing in bands since I was 16, and I’m just now starting to make good stuff that’s getting noticed a little at 22. A lot of my early stuff is sub-par at best, as it tends to be when you’re starting out, and I remember my family and some of my friends telling me to either pack it in or be a studio guitarist. Involving myself in the scene exposed me to a lot of potential inspiration, and it certainly got me in touch with the people I need to be around, but the core of why I improved is I never stopped singing or writing, and I don’t ever plan to because I love it so much.

Here’s some advice that no one asked for but so many people need: don’t give up, and don’t get complacent. It’s elementary, but I’ve seen too many of my peers stop dead in their tracks after getting in their heads about their art because of some arguably bullshit criticism, and I’ve seen so many mainly older people spin their wheels in one place saying “one day” this and “I’d like to” that, just to quit or get mad that something didn’t work out when they didn’t do anything to make it happen. Just do it, it’s not that hard, and the clock is ticking.
Cold call people, ask stupid questions, buy the tools you need, whatever. Try to do what is needed to achieve that goal even it seems out of your scope, don’t make excuses. If you make mistakes, learn and keep going, and don’t fucking quit, even if it takes years. What people who aren’t involved in what you’re doing have to say is irrelevant, they’re either too busy making excuses for their own shortcomings or too involved in what they have going on to get it.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Get In the Van by Henry Rollins. The guys and gal in Black Flag were putting their own music out, booking their own tours, and although there were fighting against ignorant audiences, bully club owners, and the fucking LAPD, they left an incredible legacy and built a dedicated fanbase they rightfully earned. Each member, in one way or another, felt so strongly about achieving that goal of getting out there and playing music that meant something to them, regardless of whether or not it was accepted by the punk crowd or the world at large, that they did it anyways.
Henry’s raw recollective of that time frame, though it certainly wasn’t always positive, really drove home the sense of adventure there is in living life on your own terms and/or chasing a dream, as well as the uphill struggles that come with it. Reading it solidified my dream of being a touring musician, but also showed me the tough realities of making it happen on your own accord, even if my bumps in the road aren’t the exact same as theirs. He ended the book with a really cool line that said that essentially said as rough as it was for them, fighting against violent crowds and abject poverty, there was fun in the battle. Sometimes “no pain, no gain” really rings true, especially if you’re trying to achieve something big for yourself, whether it’s playing music at filthy dives to ten people, getting your education, or getting through bootcamp. Shit hurts sometimes but if you overcome it and come out better on the other side, you appreciate it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theskrewups.bandcamp.com
• Instagram: @zachjackal
• Youtube: The Skrewups, Zach Jackal

Image Credits

Max Kelley

Hunter Joyner

Brett Culver

Venganza Photos

Madison Norris