Living, loving and learning with Harpool
Harpool’s Hunter Zach; photographed by Ada Matusiewicz.
Portland, Oregon artist by way of Boise, Idaho Hunter Zach has been making music under the moniker of Harpool over the past few years. Having initially caught ears among DIY heads with the atmosphere swimming single "Lost"; Zach just released an anthem about accepting and confronting challenges and all the things that you cannot alter or change with the mesmerizing "Mistakes". An ardent fan and proponent of transcendental meditation; Hunter’s sound is built from an ascetic foundation that centers the mind and spirit to rise upward with harmonies of tranquility and an inner peace with the world and self that soars skyward overhead.
“Mistakes” is designed off a vintage video game synth arpeggio that guides the audience through the steps of focused meditative states. Hunter spells out in earnest each aspect of seeking stillness and solace by illustrating lyrically the process of clearing the mind to find that center of being and state of nirvana. Zach ponders misgivings about moments of shortcomings and would be regrets that are accepted in the processes of healing, growing and moving forward to a greater place and mental space. The honest expressions are combined with a mellow rhythm blend of soul calming chords and softly mind opening keys that collect together like an quiet afternoon spent calming the tempest of overactive thoughts. "Mistakes" is made in the mode of making things right with the self, with the world, with one another, with our environments where all the intricacies of experiences are observed and acknowledged with perspectives of progressing forward to greater paths of enlightenment.
Out and above the rubble with Harpool; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Hunter Zach of Harpool shared some reflective thoughts on the importance of meditation:
Meditation is something that I started doing about two years ago. When I first began, it was very difficult to get much of a rhythm going at all. Over time I’ve gotten better at it and now find it to be much more gratifying than when I originally started. Lately I’ve been using it a lot more regularly to cope with my anxiety and depression and it has been helping better than anything I’ve ever tried before! I do it for 30 minutes right upon waking up, another 30 minutes when a couple hours have passed and another 20-30 minutes in the afternoon or at night.
I find that the first one is always the most difficult but if I get it out of the way, the ones that follow throughout the day are easier and typically deeper. After each meditation I’m way less alarmed and I feel way more chill and stable in general. My method is to simply sit in one place with my eyes shut and focus my attention on staying relaxed while also thinking of a specific image in my head. The longer I can keep the image going without drifting away into thought or tensing up, the more deep relief I feel. It’s very difficult to find a rhythm and keep it going but it's totally worth it!