Hockey Dad's Zach Stephenson Announces Debut Solo Album

Hockey Dad’s Zach Stephenson is stepping out for his debut solo album, 'I Needed To Hear Me Say It'.

Zach Stephenson – the guitarist and vocalist best known for his role as one half of Windang duo Hockey Dad – is going solo, officially announcing his debut album.

Having teased a solo record alongside his recent appearance at BIGSOUND, Stephenson has revealed that I Needed To Hear Me Say It will arrive on October 30th via radius, the nascent label founded by manager Daniel Radburn.

By his own admission, it’s an album which seeks to eschew any external (or internal) expectations as Stephenson aims to cover as much ground as he possibly can. This exploration results in an album which shifts genres without straying too far from the core tenets of what fans have come to know and love about his as a musician.

“I realised that we only get one go at this life, and we may as well write and complete as many creative endeavours as possible,” Stephenson explained. “If they’re ‘good’ or not is kind of irrelevant.”

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The first taste of the record comes by way of In N Out, a cut that initially started life as a meditation guide which served as a lifeline during periods of anxiety of panic attacks. Boasting a breezy indie rock vibe complemented by the addition of mellotron and saxophone from Crocodylus’ Nick Meadows, it’s setting itself up as something of a summer anthem.

“The original demos actually had some pretty loud and obnoxious breathing going on during the chorus,” Stephenson notes, “and the mellotron was emulating a kind of wheezing, phlegmy sound. I’m thankful it became cleaner as time went on.”

Stephenson’s solo record is the latest step in an already-impressive musical career which made its public debut back in 2013, when he and bandmate Billy Fleming began releasing music as Hockey Dad.

In the ensuing 13 years, the pair have released four albums, including 2024's Rebuild Repeat, and 2020's Brain Candy, which peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA chart.

Alongside an appearance at the Yours And Owls festival in Wollongong in October, Stephenson will play his debut headline show at NSW's Milton Theatre on October 24th, and will support The Belair Lip Bombs on their Australian dates throughout November and December.

Tickets to his forthcoming shows are on sale now, alongside pre-orders and pre-saves for I Needed To Hear Me Say It.