Meet Zachariah Witcher of OffBrand Entertainment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachariah Witcher

Hi Zachariah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello. My name is Zachariah Witcher. I was born in Seven Springs, NC and moved to Nashville, TN after high school in 2009. At that point I attended Belmont University and graduated in 2013. Since finishing my undergrad I have been a full time touring and session musician. I have been able to tour with Keb’ Mo’, Tiera Kennedy, Yola, The New Respects, Brittney Spencer, Katie Pruitt and more. However, when the world shut down because of covid, touring seemed to no longer be an option. At that time I began my production journey. I started a production duo with my brother Joshua Blaylock called Blacklock and we began making tracks and having artists sing and/or rap over them as a social media challenge kind of thing. Blacklock Fridays lasted through the entire shut down and really started my love for production work.

Since then I have continued to make beats, tracks and songs with artists. I have continued to grow my catalogue and have tried to stay diverse in the types of tracks I am able to create. I have also started a company called OffBrand Entertainment which is a live entertainment production house. OffBrand has worked with artists like Tiera Kennedy with arranging her live show, finding and rehearsing a band for her and just making sure that the live experience is as good if not better than listening to the album itself. The co owner of OffBrand is my brother Daniel Jones. He is an amazing DJ and has toured with Thomas Rhett as well as played many of the best rooftop bars here in Nashville, TN.

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?
The biggest most recent struggle has been the business side of production. It really became the WILD west trying to figure out how to get tracks to artists or how to get paid consistently for the work you’re doing. Social media has “forced” everyone to become a content creator which is HIGHLY unenjoyable for some of us. I got into music because I love MUSIC. I did not get into music to convince the internet that I am good at making music but now it seems like that has to be a part of my job. It’s been hard to find the motivation some days to want to create content. Sometimes it’s hard to know what kind of content to create. Sometimes I just don’t care and I’d rather just be in a room with an artist and just put the song out when we’re happy with it. Those days, at times, seem to be long gone.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
OffBrand Entertainment became an official LLC just last year. My business partner and I are very excited to continue doing work we have been doing for years but have an official name and the ability to grow the team and grow the business.

One side of OffBrand focuses mainly on making live shows for artists. We work with the artist all the way from forming a set list to finding musicians, whether its just a DJ and a drummer all the way up to a full band and BGVs. We take the original songs and add new and fresh arrangement moments as well as add great transitions from song to song to keep the set flowing and the audience engaged. We sit with the artists on the front end and take the time to hear the story of the album or the music they have released. We want to be sure that the story the artist wants to be told is being represented well in the musical decisions we are making.

The other side of OffBrand is focused on the other sides of live entertainment. Whether its for your wedding, for a corporate event or for a local bar in town, we take pride in making a great environment full of great music. Daniel Jones is one of if not THE best DJ I know. The way he can sense what a room needs musically is truly a gift. I have watched him keep a group of people dancing and engaged and then seamlessly switch into another mode and have an entire new group of people up and dancing.

OffBrand is different because we are not focused on doing what Nashville already does. We hold space for the weird artists or the artist who loves pop or loves country but doesn’t quite fit the mold that the music business has created. We love good music and we love taking the time to make it better. We are not a plug and play company. We want to serve the artists and not ourselves. We want our friends to win. We want everyone in the room to feel the intention of the music and the time and care that was put into it. Without artists writing songs we musicians would have way less of a job. We need our artists and we need to support them well. OffBrand cares…a lot.

How do you think about luck?
I personally don’t believe or put too much stock in luck. I know that God has given me a gift in music and I have taken the time to get good at it. I think I have definitely been in the right place at the right time a few times but I think God has way more to do with directing my steps than luck does. I’d rather just thank Him directly than leaving it up to chance that I got a good gig or happend to get a song placed with an artist. God really be looking out for us forreal forreal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://prodbyblackxneck.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prodbyblackxneck/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDb_cn12kcExaKIEXo2qOUQ
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/prodbyblackxneck
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/offbrandentofficial/?hl=en