The boundary between music, visual art, and theater continues to blur as Zack Villere steps into the world of Off-Broadway with a new creative challenge. The Louisiana-born artist, producer, and illustrator has joined Max Wolf Friedlich’s The Holes, where he will compose original music for the upcoming theatrical production.
Known for refusing to stay inside conventional genre lines, Villere has spent the past decade building an artistic identity that feels as much like its own universe as a discography. His work moves freely between experimental pop, unconventional electronic textures, illustration, and surreal humor, resulting in a creative language that has attracted the attention of Dijon, Tyler, the Creator, 454, Liv.e, and Rosalía.
That world first began taking shape through releases such as Little World, which helped establish Villere as an artist with a distinctly personal approach to both sound and imagery. Rather than separating his music from his visual work, he has developed them side by side, creating a body of work where eccentricity, vulnerability, and playful experimentation frequently coexist.
Those qualities now make their way onto the stage with The Holes. Villere will create original compositions specifically for the production, contributing to the play’s overall sonic environment rather than simply serving as a backdrop. His music will become another component of Friedlich’s theatrical world, adding an experimental dimension to a production that already pushes against traditional creative boundaries.
For Friedlich, the appeal of the collaboration comes from the emotional character beneath Villere’s unconventional approach.
“Zack’s work is as funny as it is tender,” says Friedlich. “His music is whimsically earnest, and somehow serious without being self-serious. I’ve always felt a connection to his songs. He writes about male longing in a way that feels uniquely vulnerable, but never performative. It’s very cool to have him on the project.”
The partnership also continues Friedlich’s interest in bringing distinctive musicians into his theatrical projects. His previous work included a collaboration with Devonté Hynes, who created original music for JOB ahead of its 2024 Broadway transfer.
With Villere now contributing to The Holes, the production gains an artist whose work has always resisted easy categorization. His combination of experimental pop, visual storytelling, humor, and emotional openness could give the play an especially unconventional sonic identity, extending Zack Villere’s creative world into a new medium and introducing his work to an entirely different audience.
Tickets for The Holes are on sale now.