#93 - Derek Zanetti (The Homeless Gospel Choir

"I grew up in a pretty conservative Christian family as a kid
and we weren't really permitted to go listen to the radio or
listen to music of our own...

 


Of course you don't know that The Clash is the best punk band
ever because all you ever get to listen to is the Christian
version of The Clash and it f*cking absolutely
sucks." 

 


I present to you an interview with Pittsburgh's own, Derek
Zanetti, of The Homeless Gospel Choir. Derek grew up in a
church-going family and was often told not to listen
to punk and other rock music. He didn't have the chance to
find his calling until after college, when his friends
presented him with the opportunity to attend shows. That
changed his life and sparked a fire inside. There was a
sense of belonging where people respected the art and
music. From that day on, Derek was frequently found in the
crowd and even developed his own musical endeavor. The
forming of The Homeless Gospel Choir is one that wasn't
supposed to happen. But, it's a gift to us all that Derek
did find punk music by accident. His music has deep
meaning, but with a twist. Derek tries to put a smile on
the listener's face while talking about serious topics such
as global warming and people depending on technology. That
was clear during the most recent album release labeled,
"This Land is your Landfill." It's the first time Derek
formed a full band for the entire process and at live
shows. Chris #2 of Anti-Flag helped find band members and
even continued the idea of piecing together a full lineup.
They worked hard in the studio -- some days from 9 am until
9 pm. This is a fun interview with someone who brings a TON
of energy to the discussion. There are cool live topics
like recently hitting the road with Frank Turner in order
to build confidence to play his own gigs again and there's
even a story about one of Modern Baseball's first ever
house shows as a band. 


 


Website: https://www.thehomelessgospelchoir.com


 


Bandcamp:
https://thehomelessgospelchoir.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-a-protest-song


 


Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EwwyzTYEM8e0a8i1lKPk0?si=Hy9d0kEZSuuhjrEhqf6P9Q


 


Apple:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-homeless-gospel-choir/646153550


 


Instagram/Twitter: @thgchoir