B-Side Guys

Musicians rarely get to combine their technical expertise with their emotional expression as seamlessly as Zach Madden does on “She Is Sound.” The Santa Barbara-based producer/engineer’s latest single doesn’t just tell us about transformation—it enacts it through careful sonic construction.

Recorded at Madden’s own Good Land Sound studio in Goleta, the track builds from whispered intimacy to resonant declaration without sacrificing the warm production values that reveal Madden’s engineering background. The collaborative effort with Toad The Wet Sprocket’s Dean Dinning (co-writer and bassist) creates immediate harmonic sophistication, while Lois Mahalia’s backing vocals provide emotional counterpoint to Madden’s earnest delivery.

In its brief opening verse—”As lights went up she was sound/A burning love turned up loud”—Madden establishes the song’s central metaphor: human connection as audio signal. This technical framing transforms relationship dynamics into something measurable yet still mysterious. Particularly effective is the pre-chorus where words about subtraction (“Minus all of the hurt/Minus all of the worry”) are paired with instrumental addition, creating productive tension between lyrical content and sonic architecture.

The chorus emerges not as predictable hook but as philosophical realization: “None of the lines seem to add up/But the answer’s right.” Here, drummer Austin Beede’s rhythmic precision creates foundation for Madden’s most vulnerable vocal moment, suggesting that clarity comes not from analysis but from presence.

Santa Barbara’s music scene has long existed in the shadow of Los Angeles, allowing artists like Madden to develop distinctive voices away from industry standardization. This independence permeates “She Is Sound,” a song that celebrates both technical proficiency and emotional authenticity without sacrificing either. Like the relationship it describes, the track finds its power not in volume but in resonance—the sustained vibration that remains long after the speakers fall silent.