Improvisation, cinematic feel, and honest songwriting w/ ZÓRA
When did you first discover music and when did you begin to take it seriously as a profession?
My parents say that I started singing before I learned how to speak. Singing came from somewhere within me, without an intention or a purpose, and I love that. Only later, when I began writing songs and improvising with my voice, I came to know the power that creating holds. When I didn’t know how to talk or think about something, I tried to sing from that place and understood myself a little more. Writing songs helps me find meaning in the parts of my life that, otherwise, perhaps I wouldn’t know what to do with. To be honest, I’m still learning what it means and takes to treat something as fragile as music as a profession, but I am taking it seriously.
What is your favorite part of being a musician?
Improvising. Making this pack itself came mostly from that place. Exploring many different ideas without the need to fully develop them was truly freeing. My other favorite is connecting with an audience live. My very first show was solo at the beautiful House of Music in Budapest, and for the first time in my life, I experienced what it was like to sing my songs to an audience that came to hear me. As I sat at the grand piano, playing the first song of the night, my legs were shaking so hard that I could barely hold down the sustain pedal. Somehow, I was confident enough to pause the song and tell the audience about this. I love how pure and purposeless it can feel when I'm creating or performing, and I’m always gonna strive for having the ability to forget about the big picture in the moments when it doesn’t help me to see it - when anything but being present is unnecessary.
Have you found your sonic identity, if so, how did you arrive at it?
Recently, I got to play at the Palace of Arts, the largest concert hall in Budapest, Hungary. This special occasion really pushed me to develop my music in a way that feels complete and powerful to me. I was able to create a journey of my songs with incredible musicians. I realized that my world is cinematic because it takes time to progress, to pull you in with the untold quiet, to take you from somewhere still, to a place where your reality can maybe dissolve, and you are more free from what you no longer need. I feel the most honest when I improvise, so I started the concert sitting at the front of the stage with my little yamaha cp and just sang… My mission and challenge is finding a way to translate all this to recordings.
So what do you think your process will be for making your first album?
The order is a bit reversed for me. If you had asked, “Would you rather play a full concert in front of 100 thousand people tomorrow, or record the final take of one of your songs?” I would be much more confident and excited to do the first one… I feel really grateful for all the experiences I’ve had live, and I’m going to incorporate all of that into my first album. I love the idea of developing the arrangement, the soul, and character of a song with musicians that inspire me, with creative and good people that are excited to explore and create an impact. I’m sure my approach to recording and production will change and evolve as I become more experienced, but I don't mind going through these stages and honoring what feels right in the moment. I need to trust others that know better, and I need to trust my intuition as well. One thing I know for sure is I will record all my songs with a piano alone, too.
How do you think you will know if you were able to capture the essence of your songs and what you are trying to say?
I’m not sure yet. I think I will hit play, and just watch how the song changes the air around me.