Lex Zaleta is a talented and prolific songwriter from Pennsylvania who moved twelve hours nearer to Nashville in August of 2004. He has songs available in many genres: christian, comedy/novelty, country, country rock, folk, folk rock, rock, and spoken word.
Mr. Jan Destner from Sweden has performed, produced, and recorded some of Lex's work: "Filling in for Jesus," "How Much Does It Cost to Be Free?," "The Great Gray Sky," "It's Daddy's War," "Walking Dead, "A Bedtime Prayer," and "Medusa's Wild (The Snake Eyes Song)."
Kephas, an exceptional artist from Miami, has released a full album of Lex's "religious" songs titled LZ. King Arthur, a highly original talent from Phoenix, has released REX Z, and Bret Alexander of the Badlees has released an all-acoustic album of Lex's work, The Pleasures That Last. Lex's own albums include Take A Good Look, The Edge Of Somewhere, The Crop, Last Tomorrow, Filling In For Jesus, The "Quite A Handful" Compilation, Tough's Not Enough, What's A Guy Gotta Do?," Shadow People, This Is Who I Am, Still, And One From Every Album, Asking For Forever, Say Something In Poetry, And No Place Like Home. All of these albums are distributed through Tunecore to the major online music stores like iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, AmazonMP3, and Napster.
Transcipt from an Interview with Lex Zaleta
Why this name?
My mom and dad are responsible - jointly.
Do you play live?
I think I'm alive while I'm playing my guitar. I plink; therefore, I am???
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
The possibilities are now infinite. For example, Jan (in Sweden) got an offer (from Canada) to do a movie theme song (from England)- with a 72-hour deadline for submission. He e-mailed me (in Pennsylvania) an mp3 of the music, and I e-mailed him back some lyrics. A few more back and forths and we had a song ready in time. Imagine how long this would have taken just a few years ago with cassette tapes crossing and recrossing the Atlantic?
You wouldn't be listening to my tunes right now without the Internet .... hmmm, maybe there are drawbacks to the Internet :-) !
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
I'm not sure. I'd feel more comfortable at a smaller label - and even more comfortable with someone else doing the performing. I've always described my attempts at playing and singing as AUDIO PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY.
Your influences?
I've been enrolled in the BOB DYLAN School of Songwriting since 1963. Some people say I sound like TOM PETTY (who can sound a lot like Bob), but he's considerably younger than I am - so I guess he sounds like me. Like my blurb states ... "BOB DYLAN meets TOM PETTY, ERIC ANDERSEN, and WEIRD AL - in CHURCH" ... I'm in there somewhere.
Favorite spot?
Any tranquil place in Nature, under God's sky and his watchful eye.
Equipment used:
ZOOM 1044, TASCAM 2488, Cool Edit Pro, and industrial strength Antares AutoTune.
Anything else...?
Looking for bands and A&R people who are looking for me. I write quality lyrics with the right mix of sound and sense, but my limited musicianship does not allow me to translate that quality to recordings very well. The right professionals are out there, I know, to help me achieve my one goal - to sign my first royalty check over to my father (still a roofer at 87). ** Amended on 11/14/08 ... my father passed away today, and a dream has died.
Official Website: http://www.lexzaleta.com/