Following a long creative pause, Patti Zlaket returns re-energized with Dance Again, reflecting on iconic collaborations, renewed inspiration, and a heartfelt commitment to music, storytelling, and second chances.
1. 2025 has marked an extraordinary resurgence for you, from the deluxe reissues with Meridian (ECR Music Group) to the release of Dance Again. Does this moment feel like a comeback, or something entirely different?
I never really left my life in music, but I certainly took a long pause. I was still performing, but I wasn’t writing and had not been in the studio for many years. I’d say the past year has been more than a comeback – it’s a re-tuned and re-energized next chapter. And it’s been better than I could have ever imagined.
2. “Second Chance At Love” was produced by Tariqh Akoni and features the legendary Lee Sklar. What was it like collaborating with such iconic musicians, and how did their presence shape the emotional depth of the track?
I still pinch myself daily. Working with such masterful musicians, including Herman Matthews (of Tower of Power, Tom Jones, and Steve Wonder fame), who played on my very first album years ago, has been a musical fantasy really! And these people make me better. In every way. Every time I am in the same room with them, my craft is elevated.
3. You’ve shared that watching the documentary Immediate Family sparked the creative fire behind this new record. Can you take us back to that moment and explain how it ultimately led to recording Dance Again?
One Sunday afternoon in April . . . my partner was traveling and I decided to sink into the couch and watch the documentary I’d heard so much about. By the end, my entire body was buzzing, my mind was racing, and every light inside of my soul felt turned ON. It was more than just a great cinematic experience – learning about these musical geniuses whose work shaped my musical life – it was a wake-up call. The film didn’t just show me who these players were, it reminded me of who I am as an artist. I was so inspired, I reached out to legendary bassist, Leland Sklar, with an online message to let him know how much I loved the film and to thank him for the music. Never in a million years did I think he’d respond, but he did. And so began a dialogue, a working relationship and friendship with him that continues to this day. He is such a big part of this new chapter. The stars lined up for me this time around, and so much of it started with that film and my decision to just take a chance!
4. “Second Chance At Love” is written from a dog’s perspective and shines a light on the global crisis facing animal shelters. What inspired you to tell the story this way, and what conversations do you hope the song will start?
Volunteering at my local animal shelter and various dog rescues over the years has been heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Dogs are pure love. They trust and try even when they have no reason to keep going. That resilience and hopefulness is what made me want to tell their story, but from their perspective. My hope is that people will be “one of the helpers,” however and wherever they can be, that they will support local animal shelters/rescues, and of course that they “Adopt, Don’t Shop!” Adopting pets from shelters or rescues rather than buying from pet stores or puppy mills saves lives and combats inhumane breeding.
5. Your journey spans theatre studies at USC, touring internationally, becoming a sought-after jingle singer, and even earning a law degree. How have these diverse chapters of your life enriched your songwriting today?
It’s been a fun ride! I have always said, life is big. You can do more than one thing and be more than one thing. Every path I’ve taken has added to my experience as an artist, but more importantly, as a human being. And that makes for rich songwriting.
6. You’ve said that stepping back into music feels like coming home. As you prepare to release Dance Again, what does this new chapter reveal about who Patti Zlaket is right now—both as an artist and as a person?
I feel like the timing of all of this, the new album, signing with the label, reuniting with fantastic musicians from my past, all of the incredible live performances over the last year, it was all supposed to happen this way. I think that’s what I’m realizing more than anything. This is all as it should be. When I started making music, I didn’t know as much about who I was orwhat I wanted. At his time in my life, I’m so tuned in to who I am as a person and as an artist. And I care a lot less about things like rejection or success in the traditional sense. I believe in my art and I love to connect with the people who are moved by it. I can’t wait for this new record to be released, because I think it makes that statement very clearly.
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