Adam C. Hall

Mr. Hall formed Renaissance Holdings in 1989, a Regional Real Estate Development and Investment Banking Firm. He has 27 years of expertise in all facets of real estate. In that time, he has acquired, developed, and redeveloped a broad range of real estate asset classes, including land development.

As a real estate expert, Adam was living the quintessential American dream: a beautiful wife, three gorgeous daughters, a big house, and a successful business. Despite this, he came to realize something significant – he was fundamentally unhappy. This deep-rooted feeling prompted Adam to get to the bottom of what was missing, because although he had attained everything he thought was important in life, he still wasn’t content. This was the point at which Adam made the life-changing decision to embark on a transformational journey.

Adam’s book, The Earthkeeper: Undeveloping the Future – The Extraordinary Story of an Earth Conqueror Turned Preservationist Who Uncovers Our True Nature and Reveals the Creative Power of the Universe, is an amalgamation of the journey that transformed his life. The book isn’t simply about personal transformation, but also shares what Adam experienced along the way.

The book showcases the power of nature and that of our greater environment as a whole. For Adam, one of the most sacred places he had ever been to was deep in the amazon jungle. It was there that he found himself. “The gift of that changed my life forever…as a matter of fact, it saved my life,” he says. Adam hopes that his book will inspire his readers and encourage them to dream their own dreams, rather than the dreams of others.

EarthKeeper Alliance – The Legacy

The book’s subtitle, “Undeveloping the Future,” is Adam’s trademark. The term has two meanings, the first coming from his desire to “undevelop” his past life and develop into his greatest potential. He wants to fulfill a destiny and legacy. “Each of us has a legacy,” says Adam. “It’s just a matter of showing up for it.” The second meaning behind the term pertains to obtaining ‘development rights’ to specific properties and undeveloping vast portions of the land in order to preserve it in a natural state, which Adam began doing in 2007.

The EarthKeeper Alliance was born out of an evolution of Adam’s long experience in real estate. He started his transformation by wondering about better ways to serve the planet, the people, and communities, and was looking to shift his paradigm of ‘highest and best use’ used in the real estate world. In this world, ‘highest and best use’ is best realized by the maximum number of entitlements and developments placed on a given property, with profit as the ultimate goal. Something about this didn’t feel right to Adam, so he decided to shift the paradigm to do something that he felt was more supportive of the land. Out of this desire, Adam created The EarthKeeper Alliance, a for-profit company that began acquiring tracts of land that were slated for development and bringing them into conservation “undevelopment” as he calls it.

The core mission of The EarthKeeper Alliance is to: preserve the maximum amount of acreage possible; preserve habitat and the biodiversity associated within those habitats; and to restore potential habitat, all in addition to providing sustainable development options to support family legacies. The name “EarthKeeper” comes from the indigenous cultures of the Americas. Earthkeepers were entrusted with the responsibility to tend to the well being of not only planet earth but also its people and all its living inhabitants. Adam considers himself a modern-day Earthkeeper.

When asked how the traditional real estate world views his work, Adam is optimistic and says there has been receptivity to his platform, albeit with many questions that arise from the traditional sector. Despite this, Adam is hopeful at the transformation he believes is coming from within the real estate world.

Green Drinks with Adam C. Hall

Meet Adam by joining LoaTree for another Green Drinks event at Workzones in the Paseo Nuevo shopping center in downtown Santa Barbara on Tuesday, May 21 from 6 to 8 pm. The event is FREE. Adam will be giving a talk: “Undeveloping the Future: Realizing tomorrow’s promise, today.” He will be talking about his book, The Earthkeeper: Undeveloping the Future – The Extraordinary Story of an Earth Conqueror Turned Preservationist Who Uncovers Our True Nature and Reveals the Creative Power of the Universe.

Learn more about The EarthKeeper Alliance and become an EarthKeeper yourself at www.earthkeeperalliance.com. You can pre-order Adam’s book, coming out on June 3^rd, here. Join our Green Drinks Facebook event for specific details!

By Laura Ingulsrud, LoaTree Intern. Laura assists LoaTree with content creation and communication, including researching and writing new stories for the LoaTree blog, working on social media, and researching best practices for communication strategy. Laura loves traveling, long runs (or walks) on the beach, playing volleyball and soccer, good music, and spending time with her friends. She believes everyone should adopt the LoaTree motto and “live for a better world.”

Adam C. Hall

Mr. Hall is the Founding Steward and Managing Partner of The EarthKeeper Alliance, a for-profit investment fund that works to acquire large tracts of well-located pristine land in the United States that is slated for development. EarthKeeper then ensures that this land forever remains in its natural undeveloped state.

Before founding EarthKeeper, Mr. Hall had achieved the American Dream in all its glory, but woke up to the nightmare of his own life condition. Once a financial power broker and real-estate developer, Adam undertook a life-changing metamorphosis that would ultimately alter his mind-set from Earth Conqueror to Earth Guardian.

Mr. Hall formed Renaissance Holdings in 1989, a Regional Real Estate Development and Investment Banking Firm. Since that time, Mr. Hall has acquired, developed, and redeveloped a broad range of real estate asset classes, including land development. He also has extensive expertise in structured finance, having raised in excess of $1.5 billion in equity and debt from private and institutional sources alike, resulting in an exceptionally broad range of high net worth and institutional capital relationships. In 2007, guided by his new perspective as an Earth steward, he began to acquire large tracts of land for conservation undevelopment. Mr. Hall has 27 years of expertise in all facets of real estate.

The Earthkeeper – Undeveloping the Future, is being released June 3, 2013. Pre-orders are available on www.amazon.com.

LoaTree is a Santa Barbara based lifestyle company that profiles changemakers, builds community and inspires action through unique storytelling, the arts and events. For more information about LoaTree or Green Drinks, call 805.886.0355 or email eric@loatree.com.

A good time was had by all at Santa Barbara Green Drinks, a celebration and benefit for Santa Barbara Earth Day!  The night was caught beautifully by Sarah Fretwell.

In Volume 2, we feature David Rastovich, an eco-ambassador from the professional surfing scene, a young farmers coalition, Huckle – an up and coming folk/rock troubadour, a mission to save pristine coastline in southern California and much, much more.

To access LoaLiving Magazine Volume 2, please click here to sign up to receive your free digital subscription. Volume 1, Fall 2012, is available in its entirety here.

Happy reading!

Photos: Hilton Dawe

“What’s in store,” you ask?

Green Drinks will feature three talented Santa Barbara Based artists who have established themselves as rising stars on the local art scene. Sean Calen Blake, Chris Potter, and Blakeney Sanford will all be displaying some of their ocean-inspired works. Artists have graciously agreed to donate 30% of proceeds from sales to SB Earth Day. LoaTree Green Drinks Production Intern Meghan Hart will also feature some of her own work!

DEER LEG, an eclectic, groovy Americana project inspired by artists such as J. J. Cale, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash will be strumming some tunes while Culture Shock SB will provide their unique international cuisine for sale outside of Carr Winery. Come hungry!

Killer raffle items have been generously donated by Arbor Santa Barbara, Chris Potter Art, Community Environmental Council, Horny Toad, Klean Kanteen, Patagonia, Pura Vida Bracelets, Simply Straws, Three Pickles, Sama Ayurveda, Blakeney Sanford, and Sunski Sunglasses with more on the way!

The Community Environmental Council will fill you in on Earth Day details including how to get involved, how to register your organization or business as an Earth Day exhibitor, how to volunteer at the annual festival and more.

By Sean Calen Blake

Cost of entry is $20/person or $15 for students with valid ID. Tickets available at DOOR ONLY. Entry includes complimentary glass of wine. The event is 21+. NOTE- Current 1% For the Planet business partners may invite one guest courtesy of LoaTree. Must show proof of membership.

Proceeds from Green Drinks support the Community Environmental Council’s (CEC) Annual Earth Day Festival. In addition to serving as Earth Day’s hosts, CEC currently focuses its energy on building a community-based movement that transitions our region off of fossil fuels in one generation — Fossil Free by ’33. To learn more, visit www.cecsb.org or www.sbearthday.org.

Planet Solar and 1% for the Planet are our generous event sponsors and will be on hand to provide information about their good work in and around the region.

It’s gonna be a fun evening, so we hope you can join in! Bring a friend. Questions? Comments? Send us a facebook message or email us at roots@loatree.com.

Every year, more and more cultivar varieties of seed ill suited for the global marketplace are being cast aside in favor of a limited number that ‘fit the bill.’ Smaller seed companies that sell heirloom and older established varieties for localized markets are being bought up by larger companies with little interest in maintaining bio-diverse, highly nutritious varieties, instead focusing on those that can be shipped and that have a relatively long shelf life. This trend is alarming.

In a localized food economy, a small farmer or home gardener can take advantage of literally thousands of varieties that would not necessarily do well on a large scale farm. Many of these ‘heirloom’ and heritage varieties provide superior nutrient content and flavor to their big market counterparts. So, the disappearance of those small businesses and farmers that have traditionally provided localized or native seed stock does not bode well for those seeking to increase the food security of a particular region.

Saving seed from varieties that grow best in one’s bio-region and provide great nutrition is the best way for groups and individuals to maintain access to these crops.

Creating localized seed stock is important, cutting edge work. Growing and selecting the best specimens for seed stock and then nurturing them to a successful maturation will generally yield high quality seeds. Some varieties are easier to save seed from than others, but it’s not rocket science. It’s possible to become proficient at saving many types of seeds. Learning from experienced seed savers is an important asset in any community, and with national and international debates raging over seed patents, ‘ownership’ of seed stock by multinational corporations, and the future of farming in an era of climate change, the time to learn this important skill is now.

The Seed Saving Guild of Santa Barbara, a program of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, is a newly formed effort dedicated to the promotion of locally sourced seed stock.  Santa Barbara is fortunate to have a formidable cohort of seed saving experts such as Marshall Chrostowski, Larry Saltzman and Jerry Sortommae. The Santa Barbara Seed Saving Guild will provide working demonstration sites at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Mesa Harmony Project, Fairview Gardens and the Huerta Project that will not only yield quality seed stock but also provide hands-on learning opportunities for the entire Santa Barbara community.

For those in Santa Barbara, a workshop will be held Saturday, February 23, from 3-5 at Mesa Harmony Garden.  We will be planting varieties of heirloom lettuce. Everyone is welcome to attend. Plan to get down and dirty and volunteer to help with the on-going growing efforts. It’s all free of charge.

For those outside of Santa Barbara or California, Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization based in Iowa dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds, and serves as a great resource for those looking for additional information. Native Seed Search out of Arizona is another great resource focusing on the cultivars from the southwestern region of the United States, including Northern Mexico.

For more information, contact me at ocarmon@foodbanksbc.org. Let’s get growing!!

-Oscar Carmona, guest contributor

Oscar Carmona, owner and operator of Healing Grounds Nursery, has spent the last 25 years helping connect people, plants, and the planet. He has taught sustainable landscape courses, gardening classes and home consultation for better living throughout California. He also manages food education programs for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.

“Hey, Megan. It’s the Christmas elf bothering you again. I’m thinking about getting your dad the Searching for Sugar Man soundtrack. Have you heard of that documentary? The musician, Rodriquez, released his music in the late 60s and 70s. People thought he was dead, but he was really just under the radar. I think your dad might really enjoy this music. What do you think?”

I had to admit that I had never heard of Rodriguez or Searching for Sugar Man. But I was intrigued.

Well, considering Cat’s numerous past successes in selecting musical gifts that everyone loves, I told her I was certain my dad would appreciate the album. Christmas morning came, my father opened the gift, gave it a listen, and sure enough, he loved it. He and Cat went on and on about the documentary, Rodriguez, the fact that people thought he was dead when in reality he wasn’t, his great songwriting, and more. All this left me wondering, “Who is this Rodriguez?”

Coincidentally, as my interest in Rodriguez began to peak, 60 Minutes had aired a piece on Rodriguez and the success of Searching for Sugar Man just a few months earlier (I LOVE 60 Minutes, Sunday Morning and NPR). While I missed that show entirely, our DVR recorded a replay of the segment that aired in late December. Imagine my excitement when, after our return to Santa Barbara from our holiday in Ohio, I clicked on the recorded program and saw Rodriguez’s segment being introduced by Bob Simon! I really do love it when things work out that way.

The remarkable journey of Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, also known as Rodriguez, begins on July 10, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan. Born the sixth child (hence the name Sixto) of working-class immigrants from Mexico, Rodriguez began writing songs about the harsh realities of life in the inner city.

Rodriguez released his first single, “I’ll Slip Away,” in 1967 through the small label, Impact, but he did not produce anything for another three years.  In 1970, Rodriguez signed to Sussex Records, and released Cold Fact. He followed his first album with a second, Coming from Reality, in 1971. Both albums earned high marks from critics but fell short in sales. Rodriguez was dropped from Sussex and the label folded in 1975. With slow sales and the fall of Sussex, Rodriguez figured his music career had folded and took on work renovating homes, buildings and residences in Detroit.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his music was gaining airplay and large audiences in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Australia. Bootlegged copies of his American folk music style and lyrics about the life and times of Detroit, Michigan were selling out…going platinum. He was, if you can believe it, more famous than the Beatles!

Rodriguez’s songs struck a chord with the people rising up against the crime of apartheid – his music became the music of a movement and a generation.

But, before Rodriguez’s new fame could find its way to him, rumors ignited that he had committed suicide by setting himself on fire onstage, burning to death before the crowd. Other stories started to swirl; a story that he had shot himself dead onstage and yet another one that he had overdosed.

Fast forward thirty years after the release of his first single. Yes, THIRTY YEARS after the release of “I’ll Slip Away,” two music journalists and Rodriquez fans investigated the conflicting stories about the life (and death) of Rodriquez. They did their research, contacting dozens of individuals including the producer of Cold Fact. They asked him standard biographical and historical questions, including one that was preeminent on their minds: “How did Rodriquez die?”  They were stunned by the answer.

“I saw Rodriguez this morning. He is living down the street.”

The journalists immediately contacted Rodriquez himself, and thinking the whole thing was a prank, Rodriquez hung up the phone on the two. They phoned him back and explained that his album Cold Fact was more famous in South Africa than Abbey Road. At this phase in his life, Rodriguez was past any hopes of rock n’ roll glory, even with the arrival of these two researchers and news about his supposed fame abroad.

Despite his hesitation, in 1998, Rodriguez agreed to play a series of concerts in South Africa. He figured he’d be lucky to get an audience of 20 to 30 people each night. As he landed, he noticed limos and screaming fans lined up on the runway. He remarked, “There must be someone famous on the plane, or on a plane landing soon.” He didn’t realize that these fans and limos were all for him. He went on to play six concerts in front of thousands.

In 2012, the documentary Searching for Sugar Man was released, detailing the efforts of two South African fans to see if Rodriquez’s rumored death was true – and if not, to discover what had become of him. Sugar Man premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning the World Cinema Special Jury Prize and the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award.

The Searching for Sugar Man soundtrack (the gift my dad received) features a compilation of Rodríguez’ tracks from his Cold Fact and Coming from Reality albums. Do yourself a favor and check out this long lost piece of America’s musical history. Whether you choose the documentary or either of his two albums, you won’t be disappointed.

By Megan Luciana Alley, LoaTree Team Writer

STEP 1.  Determine the type of worm bin you want to use.

Figuring bin size and or quantity of bins is important because a good system is a system that effectively deals with all of the kitchen waste you produce.  Your bin should be big enough to handle the kitchen green waste (napkins, egg shells, coffee grounds/filters etc) you produce on a daily basis.  If you are producing more than say a gallon container of green waste daily you may need a larger or multiple bins.  Bin overload puts more stuff in your bin faster than the worms can break it down.  You will soon be out of space to put more kitchen scraps.  The bin can also go ‘anaerobic’ (no air inside the green waste) and smell like rotten eggs.

Where you keep your bin is important.  The closer you place your bin to where you are creating the waste the easier and more certain it will be that you will use your compost bin regularly. I like a close-at-hand location like outside the kitchen door.  Worms will die out when they run out of food and/or their environment is too wet or too dry.  You need to use your bin regularly to see that those basic requirements are maintained.

32-gallon tupperware. ‘The Classic.’

Additionally, there are a few different types of worm composting systems available for home use.  Use a system you can get buy into.  Your enthusiasm will greatly aid success.  The 32 gal Tupperware container pictured with this article is one I recommend for a family or individual that produces a gallon of green waste or less daily.  It is a simple, cheap, light weight option.

STEP 2. Make sure your worm bin has these two key features.

-Holes high up on the sides of the bin small enough to keep critters out but also allow air to pass in.  Having holes down low can allow liquid (tea) accumulated in the composting process to run out and create a mess.  Especially no bueno if its near your kitchen door.

-A tight fitting lid will help keep your bin free of bothersome flies or other visitors like rodents or raccoons.

STEP 3. Provide bedding of some type for your worm bin.

Newspaper strip bedding

Peat moss, shredded newspaper or dried leaves are materials most often used for bedding.  It provides worms with an interface between the kitchen waste, the worm castings they produce and the worms themselves.  I use newspaper strips because newspaper is an easy to get material.  Rip newspaper sections lengthwise to make long narrow strips as the pulp fiber of the newspaper sheets run that way. You’ll get random pieces if you try to rip the paper sideways. Oh, and don’t worry about lead in the print – it’s all soy based ink now – but avoid using the glossy sections.  Make sure to moisten the bedding sufficiently (like a fully charged sponge) but not enough to leave standing water at the bottom of the bin before you put the worms in. Place newspaper on bottom of bin when ready.

STEP 4. Place worms and their food together in your newly set up bin.

Once the bedding is in place, spread the worms out in an area on top of it.  You can start with a small amount of healthy worm culture (worm babies, adults, cocoons with some organic matter in various states of decomposition), say a handful, and nurture the colony along slowly.  You can also put in a good amount of worms, a 2-gallon bucket full, for faster action.  Place kitchen waste next to the worms so they have something ready to eat soon. Place a healthy amount of newspaper strips over the worms and food.

STEP 5. Harvest Worm Castings when bin is full.

Typical food waste/green waste

When the green waste that you’ve been putting into the bin looks mostly like black rich soil it’s done!  It usually takes about two to three months to end up with a bin full of worm castings.  Worm castings, finished worm compost, can be taken out of the bin to use for your garden or container soil environments. Worms can be separated out by dumping the bin onto a tarp.  Worms are light sensitive and will move into the pile and away from light. Pull away the outer edges.  If you get a few worms mixed in just include them in the soil mix.  Make sure to return about one fourth the amount of worm culture back to the bin with fresh bedding and food to keep the process going.

Worms and their final product

If you’d like to learn more about worms and worm composting, my wife Tahara and I will be giving a worm composting workshop in Santa Barbara, Ca. on February 2nd at Art From Scrap. You can get worms and worm composting systems at the workshop.  You can also get them from me at the Saturday or Sunday Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market.  For more information about me, Healing Grounds Nursery or home food production, go to my website www.healinggroundsnursery.com.

Enjoy!

-Oscar Carmona

Healing Grounds Nursery.

Oscar Carmona, owner and operator of Healing Grounds Nursery, has spent the last 25 years helping connect people, plants, and the planet. He has taught sustainable landscape courses, gardening classes and home consultation for better living throughout California. 

Customers in Winnipeg, Manitoba pay it forward for hours, bringing cheer (and coffee) to others during the holidays. Click here to read more.

Newtown, Connecticut has inspired countless positive deeds. “If you do good, you’ll feel good,” Explains Ann Curry. Read more about #26ActsOfKindness here.

The ‘Law of Mother Earth‘ is enacted in Bolivia. Find out more here.

Affordable housing, shipping containers, and a funky twist. Click here to read more.

Shipping lanes off the Santa Barbara Coast will be modified to protect migrating whales. Learn more here.

An incredible night of music awaits featuring support act Huckle. Huckle, singer-songwriter-guitarist, is always ready to dig his toes and guitar licks into the friendly confines at SOhO.

Ending the evening and blowing open the doors to 2013 will be two full sets by ALO.  This show continues a national tour in support of their critically acclaimed album, Sounds Like This.  Joining ALO on stage, and holding down the low end will be special guest and good friend Ron Johnson, bass player extraordinaire (Warren Haynes Band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe).

As with all ALO shows, surprises will abound and the crowd will pulse as 2012 comes to a close! Join us, Monday, December 31st at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 9pm. Cost $45-100. *NOTE: $100 tickets get you a three course meal (includes tax and tip) and the show! For more information or to purchase tickets, please go to: http://www.sohosb.com/event/182451/ or call 805-962-7776.

In anticipation of this year ending event, we offer you the following feature story on ALO’s Zach Gill as it appeared in the 1st edition of LoaLiving Magazine.

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Zach Gill: Sing Like Nobody’s Listening 

Zach Gill emerged in the mid 1990′s in Isla Vista, Ca., a college town full of more than just booze, bikes and beaches. These were the days when a group of uber-talented musicians were taking the local scene by storm. Along with Jack Johnson and a handful of others, Zach and friends lived and breathed rock and roll, enjoying the sun, beers in their bellies and the freedom of their youth.

It was during those carefree days at UC Santa Barbara that Zach’s band, Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO), was born. A jam-based quartet, ALO performed in parks, on-campus, and at countless house parties on the infamous Del Playa Dr. ALO now boasts seven studio albums and a legion of committed fans around the world.

Today Zach Gill is turning 40. He’s raising a family and still making music after years of traveling the globe and handling many of life’s wild rides. He’s a rare combination of charismatic performer and avant-garde artist, dedicated to playing music for the masses and creating a better world.

While his daughter Ellie slept in the back seat, I took a ride around Santa Barbara with Zach and talked about music, gardening, and how to live a good life.

LoaLiving: You’ve been playing music since elementary school– how many different bands have there been?

Zach Gill: “Well, our first band in 7th grade didn’t have a name – we just went out there and played. Then I started playing with Dan Lebowitz and Steve Adams, and we formed a band called One Percent Away. Then we created Django – with a silent `D.’ Django was named after a famous guitar player named Django Reinhart. We saw his name in a music book. It sounded snappy and cool – and it was only later we found out he was pretty famous. We made a couple of demos under that name and kept the name until college. Then Dave Brogan joined the band and we moved to Augusta, Georgia where we met James Brown. We came back and realized it was time to start fresh. Then we became the I.V. Dogs, Magnum Family, Pig Farm, Sueno Research Institute (SRI), and finally settled on Animal Liberation Orchestra and the Free Range Horns.”

LoaLiving: What inspired the name Animal Liberation Orchestra?

Zach Gill: “We really liked the concept of ‘liberating your inner animal’ on the dance floor. We later learned that the concept of ‘animal liberation’ carried a much deeper significance. We also liked the ‘orchestral’ feel of the band. We had nine members, five of which were horns. Plus ‘orchestra’ felt intelligent and collegiate. The whole thing felt like an adventure – felt like a superhero thing. No one thought the name would stick. Living in Isla Vista, nothing felt like it mattered at all. You felt like you could do whatever you wanted in life. We weren’t thinking about branding or competition. But, once we started touring, we could see the problems. People called us Animal Liberation Army, Animal Liberation Front’ – all sorts of things. At one point, we had a big discussion about simply calling ourselves ALO – we were all tired of the baggage and confusion. Do we add an ‘E’ and grow it to ALOE? Finally our manager said ‘no,’ and ALO stuck.”

LoaLiving: Back in the days of Isla Vista, SOIL (Jack Johnson’s band in college), Django, Mother Hips and the Fuzz were all out there. Was there competition?

Zach Gill: “Yes – maybe just for a second. We (Django) moved to Santa Barbara to take it as far as we could. But, we quickly realized there were no clubs – we just set up in the yards and on the streets of Isla Vista. Playing at the right house and with the right access to plenty of beer was always a good formula. We’d go up to a house and go ‘hey, do you need a band?’ Jack’s band SOIL formed during that same period and became pretty popular. They were originally based out of the Anacapa dorms. Our crew was out of the San Miguel/San Nicolas dorms. Sophomore year, SOIL came on pretty strong, opening up for Sublime and Dave Matthews Band, but ended up petering out.

That’s when Jack and I became friends, we both liked to write songs and share them with each other. He showed me a lot of the songs that ended up on his first album (Brushfire Fairytales). If we (Magnum Family) would have stuck around town, we would likely have been his backing band. Jack then took off to Europe and we kept on with Magnum Family.”

LoaLiving: Back when you were hustling, money got tight. What kind of gigs would you take?

Zach Gill: “Every kind of gig I could – modern dance classes at UCSB, accompanying children’s musicals, adult musicals, substitute teaching, gigs at restaurants. I even borrowed money from my Dad. ‘Just give it a couple of years,’ we kept saying. In 2002, the band had been going for a while, and Jessica (my wife) and I decided to get a van and move out of the house. We hit the road to play music. That only lasted six weeks. Those were the hard times. I asked myself, ‘Why am I putting everyone through this?’ Then I got lucky.”

LoaLiving: What are all the different instruments that you play?

Zach Gill: “Piano, guitar, ukelele, accordion, percussion, marimbas, vibraphone, hand drums, penny whistles, and anything with a piano keyboard structure. I’ve learned to apply rhythm to almost any instrument.”

LoaLiving: How does ALO help make a better world?

Zach Gill: “We’ve been playing benefits for eco-causes for years. We started with Rainforest Thursdays in college, then Rock the Earth benefits, Kokua Festivals, and Earth Days all around the country. The last four years touring with Jack Johnson’s band have essentially been eco benefits, with 100 percent of the profits going to various nonprofits around the world. We’ll be playing Farm Aid this year as well.”

LoaLiving: What does your musical message bring to your fans?

Zach Gill: “To enjoy life – to be balanced. If I share my stories with people and they connect with it – and grow from it…and they realize someone else is going through the same things, that’s when the music has found its purpose. Many people have written us letters about obscure songs and lyrics that they have connected with.”

LoaLiving: Traveling the world with eco- rockstar Jack Johnson and the band, how does sustainability fit into the equation?

Zach Gill: “The whole Jack Johnson team is dedicated to sustainability wherever possible. For example, we decided we didn’t want plastic water bottles on tour. We replaced them with corn-based bottles, but they disintegrated part-way through the tour. Then we switched to reusable bottles, but they had BPA (a toxic chemical). We are constantly trying to do the right thing even though it isn’t always easy. Everyone has to be flexible.”

LoaLiving: Now that you are playing in Jack Johnson’s band (in addition to ALO), Do you and Jack collaborate a lot?

Zach Gill: “Jack writes a lot on his own, then comes to full band with finished songs. Sometimes Jack bounces lyrics off me. I can help push things through and help finish them up. Lyrics are funny – they are so based on an experience or character. I think I understand Jack pretty well. That vulnerable creative spot for music making is a pretty comfortable spot for both us together.”

LoaLiving: How do the big crowds around the world react to the music?

Zach Gill: “They are pretty loose and seem to have a good time. People seem to like when I stand up at the piano. Jack is more inward and very captivating and people respond to that. Others dance and get pumped up – I’m more of this type of outward person. I’m a performer. I tend to have more fun playing to the crowd and getting them in the game.

Jack always eggs me on to do the extra accordion solo or stage dive [laughter]. Most of the time I go for it, and sometimes I think he wants to as well.”

LoaLiving: It feels like The “Sounds Like This” album is more like ‘old school’ ALO. Your thoughts?

Zach Gill: “When we first signed with Brushfire Records, the music industry was tanking and records weren’t selling like they used to. This scared us a bit. We definitely played it more conservatively with our first album. With Sounds Like This, we wanted to make something that was as true to who we are and not worry as much about what was commercially viable. We went back to the Time Expander era – more upbeat and danceable.”

LoaLiving: What was the process like, recording Sounds Like This?

Zach Gill: “It was done in San Francisco, so I had to let go a bit this time around, as the rest of the band is based there and I’m in Santa Barbara. I needed to be home more with my family. This proved to be fine. We’d go up to the studio and start jamming – just generating cool grooves and sounds like a collective brainstorm. This generated hours of music. Some songs were pretty well done, like ‘Storms and Hurricanes’. With ‘Room for Bloomin’, we only had the groove and a couple parts and had to backfill the lyrics. The ‘Blew Out the Walls’ demo was very different in the demo, more melancholy. We got in the studio and the band recreated it. All in all, it was a great, pretty natural process.”

LoaLiving: What’s on the horizon for Zach Gill the musician?

Zach Gill: “I’m getting the bug to record again. Maybe some solo stuff and more ALO stuff. I have lots of unfinished songs and need to see which would be good for ALO and which for solo. I really enjoy more family-oriented storytelling type solo shows. ALO is more of a dance party. I like the separation. I could see doing another ALO album that keeps on the dance party tip. Also, I’ve been thinking about writing a story and turning it into an opera or a digital story with music and animation.”

LoaLiving: What’s growing in your garden?

Zach Gill: “In my literal garden we are growing spinach, strawberries, blueberries, artichokes, heirloom tomatoes, snap peas and a whole lot of chard. In my metaphorical garden, I’m growing children, music, and new perspectives.”

To find out more about Zach Gill and ALO visit their website at ww.alomusic.com

by David Fortson, LoaTree | Photos by Matt Perko

**Did you make it this far?? In 50 words or less, post a comment to this page letting us know how ALO helps you liberate your inner animal. A pair of tickets will be given away and held at will-call on Dec. 31st. Winners will be notified by email after Christmas Day.