Roll of the Dice: 7 questions with Zachary Ross & The Divine

Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.

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Zac Eisenstein, formerly of Man Overboard, has created a new alt-rock project, Zachary Ross & The Divine. They’re gearing up for the release of their debut EP, “Rebuilding Heaven” set to release on 09 Sep 2022 via Smartpunk Records. The EP shows a new side of Zac’s musical repertoire with influences spanning from Tegan and Sara to The Killers. Zac agreed to sit down for a round of Roll of the Dice. We rolled a SEVEN.

1) Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats, in advance on the release of Rebuilding Heaven. Could you tell us a bit about this new project, how it came about and where it stands compared to Man Overboard?

Thank you for having me! Basically, since the guys in Man Overboard have other important things going on in life right now, I decided to start a new band. If Man Overboard wants to do something like make a record or tour, I’ll be down, but this is going to be my band forever. 

2) Man Overboard was at the forefront of the Defend Pop Punk movement. What would be the motto of Zachary Ross & the Divine?

Defend Rock Music

3) What effect, if any, have the cultural and political landscapes of the last few years had on your music?

None probably. To be honest I think I’m too self-centered. I don’t think social issues or political landscapes affect my art very much. I think it’s more about the political landscape of my emotions if you will. That being said in 2020 I made some very political street punk albums with my boy John Sheppard of The Barren Marys under the name SUBSTANCE CONTROL. And that was out of complete rage and hatred at what I saw in America. That required like, a whole new band though. It’s not usually my thing.

4) What stood out most to you with the recording of the upcoming Rebuilding Heaven compared to 2015’s Heavy Love? 

It was just apples and oranges. “Heavy Love” was Man Overboard recording with probably our biggest budget ever at a world-renowned studio. “Rebuilding Heaven” half of it was recorded not knowing the band name or if we would ever get signed. I also had to pay out of pocket up front in the beginning for everything related to the Divine because Smartpunk hadn’t entered the picture yet.

5) The world has changed a lot over the last few years. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve come across in your time within the scene?

I really can’t speak on that without fear of sounding uneducated or wrong or out of touch. I think I’ve mostly kept to myself the past few years. I don’t know if I am qualified to speak on the scene at all right now. I know back in the day there were great people and there were jerks, like any sampled population, and that it’s probably the same now.

6) One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?

King Tuff, Jay Reatard, Prospa, Semetary, Turnabout, Oscar 18, spinabenz, Foolio, Victoria Celestine.

7) Beyond the 9 September release of Rebuilding Heaven, what’s next for Zachary Ross & The Divine?

Just as many tours as we can before we record our full length, then repeat process until we ascend back to where we came from 😉