Rising Scottish Singer-Songwriter Signed To Placebo’s Management – Zack Gibson – Releases Debut Single
Zack Gibson is a 17‑year‑old singer‑songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist from Broughty Ferry, Dundee, quickly emerging as one of the UK’s brightest new acoustic‑pop talents. Blending heartfelt storytelling with clean, melodic songwriting, Zack writes with a maturity far beyond his years – shaped by real experiences, youthful vulnerability and a natural storyteller’s touch.
His debut single “Figure It Out” is out now, a vibrant, uplifting track born from early writing sessions with Kyle Falconer of The View. Zack’s journey has already taken him from local gigs to recording in Spain, performing at MiCannes Music Festival, supporting Cammy Barnes in Aberdeen, and most recently being invited to open for The Bootleg Beatles.
Now signed to Riverman Bangkok ( who represent rock legends Placebo), Zack is building serious momentum as one of Scotland’s most exciting young artists. We decided to find out more….
1. Your debut single “Figure It Out” is about choosing your own path — what personal experiences shaped that message for you?
I think a lot of it comes from being young and trying to work out what I actually want to do with my life, while everyone around you has an opinion on what you should be doing. I’ve always known music is what I want to do, and I’ve been lucky that my family have backed me with it, but there are still people who think you should follow a more normal route.
I think “Figure It Out” is really about trusting yourself enough to make your own decisions, even when you don’t have everything figured out yet. I definitely don’t have everything figured out — I’m 17! But I know I want to make music, play live and see how far I can take it. Sometimes you’ve just got to go for it rather than waiting until you have all the answers.
2. You started writing music very young. What do you think has changed most about your songwriting since those early days?
Probably that I don’t overthink everything as much now. When I was younger I’d sit with something for ages and question whether every line was good enough. Now I’m much more likely to just get an idea out and see where it takes me.
Working with other writers has made a massive difference too. You realise there isn’t one correct way to write a song. Someone can say one random thing in a room and suddenly that becomes the line that starts the whole song. I think I’m much more confident now in trusting my instincts and not trying to force something just because I think it’s what a song is supposed to sound like.
3. Tell us about the moment at Kyle Falconer’s songwriting camp when everything clicked — what did that standing-ovation moment feel like?
It was pretty surreal because I definitely wasn’t expecting a standing ovation. I remember finishing and seeing everyone getting up and thinking, what is actually happening here? It was one of those moments where you try to take it in, but you don’t really process it properly until afterwards.
I also felt like something had clicked between me and Kyle musically. There was a connection there and I think we understood each other quite quickly when it came to music. Obviously, I had absolutely no idea then where any of it was going to lead. Looking back now at everything that has happened since, that night feels like a pretty massive moment for me.
4. Recording in Spain sounds incredible. What was the biggest thing you learned from working in a completely different environment?
It was incredible. I think the biggest thing I learned was how much your surroundings and the people you’re with can completely change what you create. Being away from home in Spain, basically living and breathing music every day, meant there weren’t all the normal distractions.
I was surrounded by people who have so much more experience than me, so I was just taking everything in. Everyone approaches songwriting differently and I learned loads just from watching how they work and listening to their ideas. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, but in the best way. I came home looking at songwriting completely differently — although writing songs in the sun in Spain is quite a hard working environment to beat!
5. You’ve already performed at MiCannes Music Festival. How did it feel stepping onto an international stage before releasing your debut single?
It felt amazing and slightly mad when I actually stopped to think about it. I hadn’t even released my first single yet and I was in Cannes playing my own music to people who had never heard of me before.
I was definitely nervous beforehand, but I actually like that feeling. There’s something exciting about walking onstage knowing you’ve got to win an audience over from scratch. They don’t know you, they don’t owe you anything, so you have to make them listen. Once I started playing, the nerves disappeared and I just loved it. It definitely made me want to do a lot more of that.
6. You’ve now joined Riverman Bangkok Management, who represent rock legends Placebo. How has being part of that team changed your outlook on your career?
It’s given me a lot of confidence and made everything feel much more real. When you’re writing songs in your bedroom or playing local gigs, you obviously dream about where it could lead, but having a team like Riverman believe in me makes you think, right, maybe we really can do something with this.
It’s also made me realise how much goes on behind the scenes. As an artist you just want to write songs, get onstage and play them, but there’s this whole other world involved in building a career. Having experienced people around me who I trust and can learn from has been massive. It’s exciting more than anything — I feel like I’m right at the beginning and there’s so much still to come.
7. What inspires you most when you sit down to write — people, places, emotions, or something else entirely?
Probably people and emotions more than anything. I notice things people say and the way people behave, and sometimes one tiny thing can give you an idea for a song. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something that has happened directly to me either.
I think you can take a feeling, something you’ve seen happen to somebody else or even just a conversation and build a completely different story around it. That’s one of my favourite things about songwriting — you can start with something really small and it ends up becoming something that means something completely different to everyone who hears it.
8. If you could have one of your songs featured in a film or TV show, what kind of scene would it soundtrack?
I’d have “More of You Than Me” in a James Bond film. Definitely. I think it has that big, dramatic, cinematic feel to it and I can picture it over one of those massive Bond scenes — or obviously the opening titles would be even better!
I’m putting that out into the universe now, so if anyone involved with James Bond happens to read this, you know where I am. I might be aiming slightly high for song number one, but you’ve got to start somewhere!
9. What’s the biggest challenge of being a young artist in today’s music industry, and how do you navigate it?
I think one of the biggest things is being taken seriously because of my age. Sometimes people make their mind up about you before they’ve actually heard you sing or seen you perform. I’m 17, so I know I’ve got loads still to learn, but being young doesn’t mean I’m not serious about what I do.
I actually quite like proving people wrong. Rather than trying to convince someone by talking about it, I’d rather get onstage and let the music do it. There’s also so much pressure now with social media and constantly having to put yourself out there, which is a whole other job in itself. Luckily, I’ve got people around me who help with that side, so I can concentrate on actually making music.
10. What’s next for you after “Figure It Out” — what should fans be excited for?
Loads! “Figure It Out” is really just the beginning. I’ve got a lot more music that I’m really excited for people to hear, and there are more releases coming rather than this being one song and then disappearing for six months.
I’m also supporting Kyle Falconer on tour, which is massive for me, and I’ve got more live shows coming up too. Playing live is probably my favourite part of all of this, so I’m really looking forward to people hearing these songs properly and then getting to play them in front of them.
It feels like everything we’ve been working on behind the scenes for such a long time is finally starting to happen. I’m just excited to get the music out there now and see where it takes me.
WATCH THE VIDEO TO “FIGURE IT OUT”
LISTEN TO “FIGURE IT OUT” ON SPOTIFY.
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