On April 1, 2014, Zach McCord learned he was the winner of the first Nashville Dream Recording Contest. Via nationwide vote from an original pool of 200 aspiring vocalists, the Bridgeport native and 2009 Bridgeport High School alum won a $15,000 recording session at Dark Horse Recording Studio in Nashville. At that time, McCord said he had to pinch himself to make sure it was all reality.

 

Now, just back from five days of recording, engineered mixing and mastering his debut album, "I'm Not Lost," McCord said the experience was indeed surreal. After walking through the doors of the studio of a high-budget clientele – Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill - to name just a few - it all sank in.

 

“It was a little overwhelming at first,” McCord said. “Being immersed in a space solely dedicated to making records really hit me. I thought, ‘Holy cow. This is real life.’”

 

It was Jan. 4 when McCord, bass player Kainalu Kalalau of Clarksburg, keyboard player/pianist Josh Keller and drummer Christian Laliberte - both friends of Mccord’s from the University of Valley Forge – headed to Nashville. The next day, they met up with electric guitarist Mark Trussell of Nashville – of the Billy Currington band – who completed the band.

 

“He and I have a few mutual friends so I just called him and asked if he'd play on the album,” McCord said.

 

McCord said he really had no idea what to expect and - even with a quality band - wondered if, because he was recording as a contest winner with no financial investment in the project, he’d be getting “the short end of the stick” when it came to treatment.

 

“It took about three minutes of being in the studio to realize that what I'd anticipated was as far from reality as it possibly could've been,” he said. “Studio Owner Robin Crowe made that very clear. He and I were talking, and he looked at me and said, ‘It doesn't matter to us that you're 'just a contest winner. You're obviously good enough to be here or you wouldn't have won, so we're going to treat you the same way we treat all of our clients.’”

 

The album recorded included the title track “I’m Not Lost,” his already established tune "Fallin,'" upbeat originals “Burden" and “I’ll Be Here" and a couple of slower-paced tunes “Rough Around the Edges” and “Dance in the Rain.” McCord said he is particularly excited about the latter two.

 

 “I think ‘Rough Around the Edges’ will really resonate with a lot of people in West Virginia because it was born out of that 'Blue Collar’ mentality where dads and grandfathers may not have the easiest time saying it, but love their families more than words can express.”

 

On “Dance in the Rain,” McCord sings with friend, Becky Kinder.

 

“Becky is a champ and has the voice of an angel and it’s also the newest of all the songs,” said McCord about the tune he wrote just before hitting the road to Nashville.

 

With finishing touches still taking place, McCord said he expects the album to be released within the next few months.

 

“Justin, our engineer, has been working his butt off and we thought it would be good to have everything 95 percent finished before putting out a date to expect something; that way we don't have to rush anything,” McCord said. “I'd hate to have put so much work into this and for everyone else involved to have done the same only to cut corners that we'd regret later on.”

The overall experience was much more than he could've ever hoped for or imagined.

 

“The people were incredible, the gear used in the studio was top-notch and hearing the music come together the way I'd been hearing it in my head for so long is just inexplicable,” he said. “I think what surprised me the most was the atmosphere that the studio fostered. It was this cool blend of professionalism and the patience it takes to create art worth appreciating.”

 

Dark Horse Studio became a safe haven for McCord and his band – a place where they could explore new musical ideas and share that excitement with professionals.

 

“I’m so excited for everyone to hear this album. It's been a couple years of people asking where to buy my music, and I kept having to reluctantly tell them I hadn't recorded anything yet,” McCord said. “For a first project, I wanted to do something that didn't have a ton of lights and frills and gimmicks - just something catchy, simple, and done very well and I think we achieved that.”

 

After wrapping up recording, McCord and his guys spent some time taking in Nashville and among highlights, he said, included some top-notch eateries including Oscar's Taco Shop, Burger Up, Frothy Monkey and The Pharmacy.

 

Next on McCord’s agenda?

 

“I’ll be heading up to a Young Life camp in British Columbia for a while, doing some live sound work and recording. It's basically in the middle of nowhere, so I'm going to write and record an acoustic project while I'm there,” he said. “After that, who knows? I've been talking to a few people about moving to Nashville, but the Pacific Northwest will always hold a piece of my heart.”

 

McCord along with his parents Kim and Jay, still residents of Bridgeport, send their sincere appreciation for all the support received during the contest.