Max Zaska is the guitarist, songwriter, bandleader, and producer behind the band ZASKA, playing modern soul infused with indie jazz and known for collaborations with many Irish vocalists, including Hozier.
Drawing on the sounds of Silk Sonic, Snarky Puppy, Tom Misch, and Nubiyan Twist, and a guitar style inspired by Wes Montgomery, John Scofield, Nile Rodgers, and Carlos Santana, Max Zaska crafts a sound that’s unmistakably his own.
ZASKA’s high-energy live shows leave audiences buzzing with media describing performances as “masterful,” “incomparable,” and “joyous.” From upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club to the Mladí ladí Jazz Open Air Festival in Prague and the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, ZASKA delivers optimistic good vibes with a groove.
NECTAR is the 3rd ZASKA studio album and is an upbeat, danceable blend of soul, R&B, jazz, and hip-hop featuring appearances by shiv, Gemma Dunleavy, Melina Malone, jarjarjr, J Smith, and the legendary Mik Pyro from Republic of Loose. NECTAR will be released in full to streaming services in mid-2026, but the album is available to purchase in vinyl and CD formats from zaskamusic.com now.
In the meantime, streaming singles are being warmly received with, What We Had (feat. shiv) hitting the Spotify New Music Friday and Just Dropped playlists, and the iTunes R&B/Soul charts, while No Right Time (feat. Melina Malone) landed on Spotify’s Fresh Finds UK & IE playlist.
ZASKA’s previous studio albums were both critically acclaimed, with A Better Way reflecting on sustainability in culture and the environment, while the debut, It Takes A Village, explores the complex emotions of becoming a father.
The godfather of British neo-soul, Omar, features Max Zaska’s guitar work on the 2025 track Holding On To Life. He can also be heard on tracks by The Waterboys (Didn’t We Walk On Water), jarjarjr (Swimming Laps), and Melina Malone (Anywhere).
“Zaska plunders the worlds of neo-soul, funk, hip-hop, rock, and jazz, making for an enjoyably idiosyncratic listen.” (Hot Press)
“A benchmark example of the talent that exists in this country.” (The Irish Times)
Contact: zaska@zaskamusic.com
