“So does everyone here go to Harvard?” Zack Villere asked the crowd while tuning his guitar. The Louisiana-born singer-songwriter formerly known as Froyo Ma charmed fans with a mixture of sounds last night during his first show in Cambridge, MA. Villere is joined on tour by R&B duo and twin brothers Marshall and Parker Mulherin, who opened the night with a unique set of vocals and beats.
Villere began making music in high school, releasing tracks on SoundCloud, crediting Odd Future as inspiration for his sound. Stemming from guitar and saxophone, experimentation with audio manipulation led to a constellation of synth, bedroom-pop, acoustic, and low-fi indie to call his own. The combination of pace and tone is refreshing, begging to disagree with his line, “I've always wanted to be cool / But I'm not that cool…” His first album, “Little World” (2017), offers soft, sad flow, layered with funky, almost chaotic beats. Among his top tracks on this album are “Bloo,” “Sand People,” and “Cool.”
Sore Throat (2019), one of his most popular tracks, incorporates more funk and stronger vocals, and his latest album drop, Cardboard City (2020), is consistent in surprise and talent. Featuring Dijon and J’von, artists with similar tones, this collection proves the creativity of the easy-going artist.
The atmosphere of Sonia Nightclub was a perfect fit for Villere’s chilled out stage presence, giving fans a relaxed but lively show and ending the night engaging with the crowd.
Zach Villere:
Photos and article by Lily Walsh