Patti Zlaket Is Living Proof That Dreams Don’t Expire
Punk Head: You took a twenty-year break from making records. Did you feel like you were returning to music, or returning to a version of yourself?
Patti Zlaket: I felt like I was coming home. I never left music completely - I was still performing on a regular basis until Covid shut us all down. But I wasn't writing, I wasn't recording new music, and I wasn't expanding as a musical artist. During the pandemic I got into photography, and it was a great way for me to tap into a different creative outlet for myself. But it wasn't music. Nothing can ever be the same for me as making music. It's like breathing.
Punk Head: Apple Music put "Love Is For You" next to artists like Foo Fighters and Peter Gabriel. Did that kind of recognition feel surreal after such a long recording hiatus?
Patti Zlaket: Surreal and thrilling! To be recognized by Apple Music at all is such an honor, but to be placed alongside some of my all time favorite artists is a privilege I do not take lightly.
Punk Head: You describe the making of this record as "returning home." What part of the process felt the most familiar, and what felt completely new?
Patti Zlaket: Singing, collaborating, being in the studio - all of that felt completely familiar and wonderful, as always. The new part is the business itself and the way in which music is shared and heard. I am quite familiar with the "old school" model of making a record, selling CDs at shows, and hoping radio stations will play a track at some point. Online streaming, social media, and more, have changed the music environment in every single way. But fortunately, I have a team of brilliant people with me now, and they know how to participate in this new world of music, and they have been very successful. I'm lucky!
Punk Head: You earned a law degree while maintaining a life in music. Those are very different worlds. Did studying law alter the way you think about creativity, discipline, or resilience?
Patti Zlaket: Law school, and being a lawyer, challenged and inspired me in ways I can't fully articulate. I love to learn, and I felt like I was learning and re-learning so many things about more than just the law. The law touches every part of our lives, so I was immersed in the study of culture, religion, politics, business, the environment, and the human experience as a whole. All of that has informed who I am as an artist. Helping people access the justice system, and being a voice for those who don't have one, was, and is, my favorite thing about being a lawyer. That has enriched my writing, my performing, and my ability to use my own voice. I'm forever changed from the experience.
Punk Head: The phrase "there is no deadline on dreams" could easily become a slogan, but your career suggests you've actually lived it. What misconceptions do you think the music industry still has about age, timing, and artistic relevance?
Patti Zlaket: The misconceptions about age and aging are certainly not limited to the music industry, but we can start there. I feel that my message about dreams and deadlines is important to share because it's really about living life to the fullest, taking chances, and letting go of the worry that "It may be too late" or "What if I fail?" In many ways the world will always put a premium on youth and the things we do when we are young. But I can tell you, I am a much wiser human and a much more skilled musician and artist than I was as a young woman. And I'm also less likely to suffer fools. I am not afraid to ask for what I want, and if someone says no, I dust myself off and try again. So this time in my musical life, and my life in general, far exceeds any time from my youth. And I am living proof of that message, because I am living my dream as we speak!
