Written By: Jayme Face
Zjál is an Australian born, London based singer/ songwriter with a hip-hop tinged R&B sound and her single Home is set to be released later this month! Check out our interview!
Photo Credit: Jiro Schneider
upfrontNY: Tell us about your debut EP, Home.
Zjál: My Home EP came about at a time where I was really trying to find my voice and establish my sound and originality. I’ve been writing and recording for years, but recently rebranded myself and changed my name to ‘Zjál’ because I wanted a fresh start. Zjál is an Arabic word which describes the ancient Lebanese art of poetry slam. I was traveling frequently between Los Angeles and London working on my music career and never really felt like I had a home base, so the title ‘Home’ for my first single organically arose, as no matter where I am, as long as I am writing and expressing myself I truly feel like I am “Home”. Sonically, there are a mixture of feels and flavors on the EP. I am someone who is constantly finding the balance between my strong side and gentle side so this EP is a nice blend of my personality traits. There are elements of soulful melodies, hip-hop feels and sultriness… Overall, I was able to explore and experiment throughout the recording process and I’m really looking forward to sharing it with the world.
upfrontNY: What is it like to see you perform live?
Zjál: It’s all about the vibe and connection! I feel like I’m grounded in who I am, more so now than ever before so I love freedom of expression and I love allowing a show to happen organically with room to jam. I give a mixture of sass and attitude vs my calm and gentle side when I perform. I prefer a live band behind me, but depending on the size of the show I could also have a DJ. When I get onstage it unleashes parts of myself which I would usually keep reserved. A lot of people tell me when I’m on stage I become my realest self in all my power and they see a side of me they never knew. I like that!
upfrontNY: How did you get involved with music in the first place?
Zjál: Music started becoming more of a reality for me in high school when I joined the school band. That’s when I knew I wanted to make it my career. I knew it would be my future. It’s strange actually, because I don’t come from a cliché “musical family” like some. My relatives dabbled in music as a hobby, but it’s almost as if there was some type of higher calling for me to sing. Like an innate knowing that I naturally gravitated towards. Singing was the only thing which truly made me feel like I was free. As I got older music was the only way I knew how to express myself. I find it really hard to communicate my deepest emotions face to face, still to this day I get all choked up trying to express myself…So writing and performing became my way of connection.
upfrontNY: You are from Australia, but now reside in across Australia, London, and the United States, what made you make the move?
Zjál: I feel like travel goes hand in hand with creative inspiration. I am a perfectionist and never felt truly satisfied with my sound as much as I do now. I needed to immerse myself in new experiences, styles, poetry, sounds, etc which pushed me to move from place to place. I grew up on a farm in the south of Australia, about an hour drive to the city. As much as I’m grateful for where I’ve come from, the opportunities can be somewhat limited. I’ve always been driven to explore. I feel like I have a deep calling to delve into other cultures, art and life experience. It’s like a deep ingrained desire for freedom. My travel bug is real and it ain’t going away anytime soon.
upfrontNY: How do the countries differ in music scenes?
Zjál: Each country has served a unique purpose in my journey so far, I find each place has its own emphasis on whichever musical style is more potent. For example, L.A. seems to be very much RnB/Hip-hop driven, whereas Australia and UK are very much Rock/Pop orientated. But to be honest, It has been more about what each country has brought out within me. Energy wise and emotionally, Australia has been my grounding and foundation. L.A. has been amazing in driving my passion and serves as the hub for bringing my creativity to life, whereas London has been a place which brings out my depth, spirit, and gives me quiet time to delve within.
upfrontNY: Who are your musical influences?
Zjál: This is probably the hardest question for me to answer… I appreciate many different genres/artists, but I actually crave and respect any artists/music which have authentic substance and depth. I was raised with a mainly soft rock influence in my childhood growing up, Tom Waits, The Eagles. A lot of Aussie Rock also, Cold Chisel. Then I saw Michael Jackson on TV and fell in love. My favorites list runs too long, but Tupac Shakur and Lauryn Hill are huge influences of mine… and more currently, I have a lot of love for Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole and Drake.
upfrontNY: What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
Zjál: I hope my music takes me to a place where I am able to serve the greater good. I hope by me living in my truth and sharing my art, I can connect with other like-minded people. One of my dreams is to be able to establish music and arts schools for underprivileged youth around the world. I’m also extremely passionate about being an advocate for the protection of children, women and victims of abuse and oppression.
upfrontNY: What do you enjoy doing outside of singing/songwriting?
Zjál: I’m a pretty mellow person to be honest. However, I love anything creative. I’m an ambivert which means I like my quiet time as equally as I like spending time with people I love. When I’m on my own, I love to paint, write, read, meditate, things which help me unwind from a busy life. Belly dancing is something I love to do being from a Lebanese background. And I love Boxing for fitness. Anything travel and beach related is a bonus too! I don’t think I’ve ever been bored in my entire life.
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