Zanya is a gifted singer/songwriter, who in 2015, up and moved her life to Los Angeles and began using her professional name Zanya. Pulling inspiration from R&B, to modern-day indie-pop with a twist, ZANYA collaborates with her bandmates Pat Reaves (Bass) and Drew Carsillo (Guitar) to create a sound that is all their own. A live show from Zanya showcases the multi-talented artist's strength and ability to muli-task. Zanya plays guitar, synth and sings live (sometimes all at once) and her bandmates, Pat and Drew take an unconventional approach to their instruments adding to the energy on stage.
Zanya just released a brand new music video for her single "Semana Pasada", which translates to “Last Week”. Shot and directed by Zack Hosseini, the video features bizarre imagery to capture the chaos inside the mind of Zanya. From laying on the floor, being controlled like a puppet, diving into unknown waters, or getting messing in a baking fiasco, the video stays upbeat and energizing throughout. It completely captivates throughout every moment through quirky costumes and colorful imagery. It’s absolutely worth a watch or two and we can’t wait to hear more from Zanya.
Check out "Semana Pasada" and read more with Zanya below!
Hey ZANYA! Welcome to BuzzMusic! We're incredibly excited to be featuring your newest single "Semana Pasada"! Tell us about the recording process, and how the overall curative process was for this song?
When we wrote this song, I had just gone through a really tough chapter in my life. I had just gotten diagnosed with PTSD and was really struggling with it. I was talking with Pat and Drew about it and they were just like "Write about it. Don't sit in your pain forever. Make something out of it." That same night at our studio in DTLA, the words "Doing much better than last week" just sort of poured out. I layered some harmonies on top of it, threw a drum beat down and we all started jamming to that vocal loop on repeat.
How do you think "Semana Pasada" compares to your earlier releases featured on “Loves You”? How do you think your overall sound has progressed since the release of your first EP?
Our creative process has changed since the "Loves You" EP. We've started to demo our songs, chop them up and then rewrite them. Usually, the first pass at writing is sonic chaos (at least for us anyway), so the second pass is our way of figuring out what we like about the song and building from that. Other times, I write the song, demo it and then bring it to the guys so they can add their twist to it.
Who has had the biggest influence on your life musically thus far? Can you describe the impact this particular individual has had in terms of your sound/progression as an artist?
There have been so many people that I've been inspired by, but my surroundings inspire me more than any person could. I've lived in so many different places and moved around so much. Each time I'm in a new place, I absorb the environment around me and that influences my music.
We loved the music video for "Semana Pasada"! What was the overall concept? What was the filming process like with Zack Hosseini?
When I wrote the treatment for the video my biggest concern was being able to address mental illness in a digestible way and still have people find it entertaining. We decided to use humor as an unorthodox way to get our message across. You might be struggling, and feel like total shit, but you're not alone. Mental illnesses should be seen as a speed bump and not an insurmountable mountain to climb. Working with Zack was GREAT! We all get along so well and I think that chemistry projects well on camera. Zack is such a superstar. We feel really lucky to be working with him.
It was great having you here on BuzzMusic! Tell us more about what's next for you after this video release? Any shows in the near future?
We have so much more music and so many other crazy projects to share with you before 2020 hits! You can catch us at the Hotel Cafe on 10/24. After that, we're going back under our creative rock for a couple of months. I'm super excited and really proud of everything that we've been working on. It means a lot to us that other people relate to our art and can see themselves in it. It's the best feeling!