Meet Jack and Lily Zager

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack and Lily Zager. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Lily Zager and The Zager Band is an up-and-coming Los Angeles band made up of UCLA students, fronted by brother-sister duo Lily Zager and Jack Zager. The band performs their alternative-pop music at renowned venues across Los Angeles, including Whisky a Go Go and The Mint. 

Lily and Jack grew up in Los Angeles, attending public arts school programs beginning with Millikan Middle School Performing Arts Magnet and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), both majoring in music/voice. To continue their education, Jack graduated from the Music History and Industry program at The Herb Alpert School of Music in 2023 UCLA. Lily is currently a freshman at UCLA, also in Herb Alpert School of Music. She is Majoring in the new Music Industry program. 

For Jack’s senior year capstone project, he and Lily recorded an album at The Mo Austin Studio at UCLA of songs they had written together during the pandemic. They have released four singles, but will but will be dropping the entire album, Blackout, next week, on February 28th, 2024. Both Lily and I are extremely excited to share their songs and music with the world. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Lily and I, luckily, are able to support each other as we encounter bumps along the way. Trying to recruit just the right band members was key in the process. The Zager Band is made up of incredible musicians who are either attending HASOM, UCLA, or have recently graduated. Siblings making creative decisions together can be an interesting challenge, but we actually have become even closer. Trying to navigate the music Industry has been a learning experience, to say the least. Also, as independent artists, we are forced to wear many hats and, therefore, book, produce, perform, promote, and do A&R from in-house. It truly does; take a village! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since I graduated from UCLA last May, I have been fortunate enough to have been hired as the Opera Director at my former arts High School, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). I, too, was a member of this very special program when I was in High School. 

I am also a staff member/teacher at The Miracle Project; per their website, “The Miracle Project is a fully inclusive theater, film, and expressive arts program focused on building communication, self-esteem, and life skills for neurodivergent and disabled individuals. Through shared experiences with peers and volunteers, individuals with diverse backgrounds, communication styles, and abilities find their voice, develop their talents, and rehearse for life”. 

I also direct various shows with Pacific Opera Project, “POP” Opera, and a Los Angeles-based opera company that is accessible, affordable, and entertaining in order to build a broader audience. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Our family… Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They have been cheering us on for many years. Lily and I come from a long line of artists… Our band name is actually an homage to our grandfather Michael Zager and The Michael Zager Band, who was best known for the disco hit “Let’s All Chant,” as well as “Life’s A Party” (Whitney Houston’s first recording) and The Spinners’ “Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl” and “Cupid/I’ve Loved You For A Long Time.”  Our mom was a jazz singer and jingle artist in NY before she met our dad who is a TV producer. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @lilyzager @thezagerband
• Other: tiktok: @thezgerband Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gYsJanP5JCBdJLBSWy108?si=GOS6if1XR222P 8h6Vr6cYQ, Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lily-zager-and-the-zager-band/1687561703

Image Credits
Lily
Chloe Flaherty
Johnny Ortega
Will Lula
Caitlin Ciardelli