The day after singer/songwriter Zachary Goode was born, the Beatles publicly announced their break-up. He’s been trying to bring them back ever since.
Born in NYC and brought up in the small artist’s community of Provincetown, Massachusetts, Goode began writing, acting, and singing at a young age. Attending the legendary Saint Ann’s Performing Arts School in Brooklyn alongside future stars like the Beastie Boys and Jennifer Connelly (“She was in my sixth-grade class while filming Labyrinth”), he received classical training at Stagedoor Manor and Appel Farm Arts and Music Center in New York (whose alumni includes Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne). He sang and acted in dozens of plays and musicals, even performing in an Off-Broadway production of Runaways as a child.
“I was in a few bands in high school. There wasn’t really any music scene in Provincetown.... John Waters lives there every summer, so I grew up being babysat by people who were the basis for many characters in his movies.”
While living in Hawaii, Goode cofounded the group that eventually became Ghoulspoon. After relocating to San Diego in 1991, Ghoulspoon (2001 SDMA winner Best Hard Rock Band) evolved into Divided by Zero (2002 SDMA nominee, Best Hard Rock Album, for the Black Sea), with Goode occasionally playing solo acoustic shows and stockpiling songs.
In 2008, Goode formed the Secret Seven, joining forces with former bandmate James “Spooky” Albers and the powerhouse rhythm section of Twon Ridenhour and Troy Rippengale.
Goode also plays in the Weezer parody/tribute band Geezer. In October 2011, he hit the stage near his hometown of Provincetown, Massachusetts, to appear in a production of Rent at the Crown and Anchor in Cape Cod.
“I haven’t done theater since high school,” says Goode, “but when I was back home this summer, my friend asked if I would consider playing Roger [in Rent]. I wasn’t familiar with the play, so I watched the movie, and it turns out Roger is an aging, tattooed ex-rock star who’s trying to write one last great song before he dies. Perfect typecasting!” As of 2016, Goode was playing with Culver City-based Cougar Getting, Jr.
In early 2022, Goode was announced as the new lead singer of 1990s alt-rock icons Smash Mouth, replacing original vocalist Steve Harwell, who retired from the group in October 2021 due to health issues. "First big show is May 22 in Mexico with the Strokes, Blondie, Kings of Leon, and Death Cab," says Goode, who was part of the announcement on L.A. radio station KROQ. "Host Kevan Kenney could not have been cooler and more down to earth. He seriously impressed me with his musical knowledge on and off the air." On March 1, the band premiered their new single, a cover of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."
“I saw somewhere that they were looking for a new singer, so I sent an email as a flyer, not even expecting a reply,” Goode told the Reader. “They actually responded pretty quickly and had me send in a video of me singing ‘Walking on the Sun’ and ‘All Star.’ They liked what I did and I started talking to management about flying up to San Jose to meet bass player Paul to see how we vibed. I learned a bunch of songs, flew up, and sang while he played bass to a live recording with the vocals removed. We got to know each other, everything went great, and I started to think that this might actually be a possibility! It’s my understanding that they had hundreds of applicants and narrowed it down to a final four. We all went back up to San Jose and auditioned and, the next day, they told me I was the unanimous choice.”