Ziggy Alberts Brings His Independent Sound to the City of Seattle

may 18, 2025 - seattle, washington

When you go see Ziggy Alberts live, you are not exactly seeing someone sing on stage; you are seeing the product of an artist who has made his career about being honest with himself. That mantra permeates all that he does, particularly via Commonfolk Records, the independent record label he started way back in 2011.

He did not start Commonfolk to assemble a large roster or jump on trends. He built it the way he could make his music. In so many ways, the label is the person that Ziggy is as an artist and as a human being. He started it in his early twenties, not to sign up a group of other acts, but because he wanted to have the freedom to put out music without having to answer to a label that might try to shape his sound or accelerate his process. It's his domain, and it shows. From his music to his touring, it's as if it sprang from where it doesn't belong and a purpose.

The Seattle concert on his current New Love world tour was a celebration of that freedom. It was intimate and introspective, no glitz or flash, just a barefoot Ziggy and his guitar, and a group of fans who attended for the message as much as the music. The crowd was friendly, singing along to old favorites and newcomers from the ‘New Love’ album. You could tell that folks were not just Sunday afternoon radio listeners; they had learned the words, and they sensed them in their own hearts.

He spun stories between songs, not in a rehearsed, spit-shined way, but instead like a person telling a roomful of old friends. It made the whole night feel intimate, down-to-earth, and a reminder that the music is as much about the human experience as it is about sound.

That is the whole thing about Commonfolk. Since Ziggy owns his record label, there is no censorship. He does not have to release music on time or within a brand. He can sing of love and sorrow, of the planet, of whatever comes into his head, and release it when he likes. This open choice of content and genuine sense of self draws in his fans. You don't feel like you're endorsing some brand, you feel like you're endorsing a real person with real value. What a relief. Ziggy's commitment to the greater good is impressive. It is clear that he wants to do it another way, and it is lovely to see someone so dedicated to creating a real, meaningful career in an industry so eager for shallow endeavors and success driven by algorithms.

In a music landscape that is so often addicted to algorithms and instant gratification, Ziggy Alberts is doing something different. And it is rewarding. Commonfolk Records might not be a name on every family's lips, but it does not need to be. What he is producing, on his terms, is better than that.

Get him if you can on this tour. Okay, the songs are amazing, sure, but the true lesson is the reminder that you can still choose your path and connect deeply with people along the way.