Winnipeg-based artist Zach Riley shares “Wasting Away,” an upbeat and emotionally charged pop-rock single that captures the desire to leave everything behind and disappear somewhere new with the person you love most. Blending energetic hooks with driving guitars and sun-soaked production, the track transforms emotional overwhelm into a liberating anthem built for open roads, warm nights, and fresh starts.

At its core, “Wasting Away” explores the universal fantasy of escape; the urge to run from the weight of everyday life and start over somewhere unfamiliar. “I’m sure a lot of people get that feeling at some point in their life to just pick up everything and run away to a place where nobody knows who you are,” Zach explains. “Life can get overwhelming a lot of the time and the idea of starting over can be really enticing.”

Q: What can you share with readers about your new project?

A: This new song I just released is going to be on an upcoming EP I plan on releasing later this summer. There’s going to be a couple new songs on there as well as some already released songs as well. I’m very excited for it to come out.

Q: How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

A: This is the first song I’ve released where I didn’t have any part in writing the instrumentation. Auston Beeding, who produced the song, had all of that ready to go when he reached out to me to collaborate. All I had to do was write lyrics and come up with a melody so that was something new for me. I find I can usually write better when I have a hand in everything but the lyrics and melody actually came together quite easily on this one. It was fun to mix up the process this time around.

Q: What about this single makes you most proud?

A: I’d have to say just how good the song sounded so quickly. When I’m working on a song there’s usually a lot of trial and error, but I knew we had something special with this one very early on. That probably helps when your producer has a fully finished song as a starting point lol. Nevertheless I’m super proud of how easily Auston and I were able to make this song together. We just worked together super well.

Q: Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

A: I just really wanted to do Auston’s production justice. He gave me such a good song to work with, I didn’t want the melody or lyrics to fall flat and ruin the song. There’s always a bit of pressure when you’re working with someone else to pull your weight. I was always sending voice memos to Auston to make sure he liked what I was coming up with. 

Q: What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

A: It honestly depends on the day. Sometimes the inspiration comes from my wife, my friends, my family, etc. I have a lot of friends in the music scene so seeing them do well usually inspires me to keep trying to do my best. As far as motivation goes, basically all the same things I just listed. There’s nothing else I want to do with my life other than make music and be around creative people so that usually motivates me as well.

Q: If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

A: There’s so many big name artists out there that I would do almost anything to collaborate with like Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, Matt Maeson, etc. so I’m gonna try to list some artists that maybe more people aren’t familiar with. There’s an independent singer/songwriter from Ottawa named Austin Camp who is just an incredible songwriter with a beautiful voice. I’d love to work together with him at some point. Another artist I really enjoy is Ash Molloy. She makes some really cool music that I think doesn’t get enough recognition. I highly recommend both of these artists to anyone reading this!

Austin Camp : https://www.instagram.com/austincxmp/

Ash Molloy : https://www.instagram.com/ashmolloymusic/

Q: What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

A: The last song I listened to was I2I by Magnolia Park. It’s a cover of a song from A Goofy Movie and it’s amazing.

Neck Deep and The Band CAMINO would be my top 2 all time favourite bands. They both produce incredible music that never fails to put me in a good mood.

Q: Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

A: I’m pretty active on most social media platforms but TikTok and Instagram and definitely the 2 I’m most active on. You can find me @zachrileymusic on all platforms.

Q: I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?

A: I just want to say thank you to anyone who’s taken the time to check out my music, come to one of my shows, or just shown some form of support in any way. I can’t put into words how much that means to me so thank you so much!