Zak Waters

Zak Waters was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He first started writing and recording music with the pop rock group Blueskyreality, who signed to Universal Republic Records in 2008.[1] After the group's departure, Waters began writing music as a solo artist. He released his debut single "Unstoppable" on June 21, 2011.[2] He wrote, recorded, and mixed his debut EP album, New Normal, with friend and record producer Jarrad Kritzstein.[1] The album was released on August 2, 2011 and was recorded at The Room Of Requirement and The Woods Studios in Los Angeles.[3]

Waters released the single "Skinny Dippin' in the Deep End" on June 18, 2012.[4] The music video for the single was released the following day.[5] On August 24, 2012, French electronic music producer Madeon released his collaborative single "The City", featuring Zak Waters.[6] To date, "The City" has been Waters' most popular single achieving chart success worldwide, charting at No. 74 on the U.K. Singles chart, No. 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, No. 16 on the U.K. Dance Singles chart, and No. 13 in Hungary.[7][8][9][10]

In October 2012, Waters released a remix of Adam Lambert's single "Trespassing".[11]

He released another solo single, "Runnin' Around", accompanied with its music video, on January 22, 2013.[12] Waters collaborated with the electronic music duo Candyland and released the single "Not Coming Down" on July 8, 2013 through Beatport.[13] A remix EP, Not Coming Down (The Remixes), was later released in April 2014.[14]

On August 27, 2013, Waters released the single "Penelope" and revealed that he would release his debut full-length studio album, Lip Service, on September 9 exclusively on Spotify.[15] In support of the album, he performed with his full live band at The Satellite in Los Angeles for a month-long free residency every Monday night beginning September 2.

On October 31, 2013, the collaborative single "Show More Love", with house music producer LENNO, was released to SoundCloud.[16]

On January 28, 2014, Waters released the single "Over You".[17] Canadian electro house music duo Adventure Club released the collaborative single, "Unleash", featuring Zak Waters and David Solano, as part of the Life In Color 2014 celebration on April 2, 2014.[18] Waters released his first EDM-produced single "Out Of My Head", featuring Codi Caraco, on April 17, 2014.[19] Zak toured as a supporting act on Betty Who's Slow Dancing Tour with Cardiknox from March 22 to April 18, 2014.[20]

Waters released his cover of R&B singer Ginuwine's 1996 single "Pony", on June 3, 2014 to criticism. He released his second EP, Now // Later, on June 17, 2014 through FAUX and Rostrum Records.[21] The EP features five tracks, two of which are covers and three being previously released singles; "Sleeping in My T-Shirt", "Over You", and "Said and Gone", featuring Audra Mae (previously titled Dear John"), all of which were featured on Waters' studio album Lip Service.

On December 31, 2014, Waters released the single "By the End Of the Night".[22]

Alex Gaudino released the collaborative single, "Lights Go Out", featuring Zak Waters and Manufactured Superstars on April 18, 2015.[23]

Zak Waters released his second full-length studio album, Z-Funk Era, through Manhattan Records exclusively in Japan on September 9, 2015.[24] It was led by the international single "Galactic Appeal", featuring Dragonette, which was released on August 18, 2015.[25]

Pretty Sister, Zak Waters' solo musical endeavor, was introduced in 2015.[26] Pretty Sister released its first single "Drive" on February 6, 2016.[27] Speaking about the single with Popology Now, Waters says:

"I wrote this song from the perspective of someone who just moved [to LA]. I’ll never forget coming back here, smelling the smog and seeing the hazy sunsets over the 405. So when writing the song I thought about what must it be like to have just moved here from Michigan or New York or Detroit? Driving through Laurel Canyon with the palm trees and then sun and the warmth…the feeling of endless possibility and beautiful people all around you…it must be pretty exciting. I grew up in it and shit, it still excites me every day."

Another single, "Come to LA", was released on March 18, 2016.[28] A third single, "West Coast", was released on June 12, 2016.[29] Pretty Sister and LDN Noise premiered the collaborative single, "Tears", on July 1, 2016 through GoodMusicAllDay.[30]

Netherlands based nu-disco producer Keljet released the joint-single "Love At First Sight", featuring Pretty Sister, on August 5, 2016.[31]

On November 28, 2016, Pretty Sister released the single "Thirsty".[32]

Swedish electronic house duo Nause released the dance-pop single, "Dynamite", featuring Pretty Sister on August 30, 2016.[33] "Dynamite" has achieved international mainstream success charting at No. 13 on the Swedish Music Charts, becoming 3x platinum. It also peaked at No. 30 in Poland and became 1x platinum in Norway and certified gold in the Netherlands and Canada. A music video for the song premiered on November 1, 2017.[34]

Waters produced and composed the songs "Sexy Ladies" and "GUY.exe" on web show duo Superfruit's debut studio album, Future Friends, released on September 15, 2017. He also co-wrote and produced American singer Liz Huett's single "H8U", which was released on October 27, 2017.[35]

On October 27, 2017, a new song titled "Feelin Good", which samples the 1981 single "Never Too Much" by American singer Luther Vandross, was released for free on SoundCloud.[36] He toured as support on Betty Who's Party in the Valley Tour from February 24 to March 31, 2018 and on SUP3RFRUIT's Future Friends tour from May 23 to June 13, 2018.

Waters produced Betty Who's single "Taste", which was released on May 18, 2018.[37]

Pretty Sister released the single "Ten$ion", featuring American rapper White Gold, on June 1, 2018.[38] The music video for "Ten$ion" features an appearance from singer Betty Who.[39] He released another single, entitled "New Fire", featuring American singer MarcLo, on July 27, 2018.[40] On August 27, Waters revealed he would be releasing a new EP in 2018.[41] Waters had recording sessions with Betty Who, Scott Hoying, and Rozzi Crane throughout the summer of 2018, resulting in the single "Lose Us" by Rozzi featuring Scott Hoying, released on October 12, 2018, which was produced and co-written by Waters.[42]

Pretty Sister announced its debut EP, Z-Funk Era, Vol. 1, released on November 2, 2018.[43] The following year, Betty Who released her third studio album, Betty, on February 19, 2019, in which nine tracks off the album were produced and co-written by Waters.

On May 17, 2019, Pretty Sister released the single, "Kingdom In the Valley".[44] The following month, he released a studio cover of Christina Aguilera's 2000 single "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", alternatively titled "Come On Over", on June 21.[45]

On July 17, 2019, he released the single "Poolside Vibe", featuring MarcLo. The duo released another song, "Tequila", on September 13.[46] Pretty Sister and MarcLo released a collaborative EP, Poolside Vibe, on October 10.[47]

In March 2020, it was revealed that Waters would serve as a songwriter on the NBC's songwriting competition TV series, Songland.[48] On March 31, 2020, Pretty Sister released a dance-pop cover of Sam Hunt's single "House Party".[49] The following month, he released a four-track extended play, aptly titled 20, on April 10, 2020.[50]

In May 2020, Waters appeared on NBC's songwriting competition show Songland. He performed his original track "Bad Things", to which he later uploaded a stripped down version on YouTube.[51]

On October 16, the single "More Than Friends" by EDM duo Love Thy Brother and Pretty Sister was released.[52] The following week, French house duo Lemaitre released the single "Day 4", also featuring Pretty Sister.[53]