A Dirty Dozen with ZAHNA – SEPTEMBER 2024

According to a recent press release: “Zahna’s earth-shattering voice is one that refuses to be silenced— no matter the fury of the highs and lows that have been thrown her way. Today, she announces not only her new single, the rebellious rager “Pile of Pills,” but also her new label home. She is pleased to announce that she has partnered with XOVR Records, the label owned and operated by Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch. The song is furious AF, but it is threaded with a note of hope.” We get Zahna to discuss new music, influences, and more.

1. Tell us a little about your latest single, “Pile of Pills”.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I use slime a lot in my music video storylines. Death, disease, and sin is often personified with it. Only diehard fans who have seen most of my videos would notice it’s a common theme and introduced in new ways each time. “Pile of Pills” is no different for the music video!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized that you wanted to be a musician?

It was more gradual. I noticed as a child I had music in my head all the time and it would never leave my brain. So much so that it often left me frustrated to not be able to hear it back in my ears. When I started getting exposed to and falling in love with screaming music, breakdowns, heavy riffs, and the metal genre, I knew this could possibly be a career track, especially since I was able to pick up screaming very quickly. I knew I was addicted to the genre and felt an electricity run through my body the first time I performed with my high school rock band. It felt like second nature. 15 years later and we are still doing it!

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

While in college, I had the fortune of seeing As Cities Burn in Dallas, TX in 2013 on an anniversary tour of my favorite album, Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest. Somehow, the lead screamer and I came together while we were both crowd surfing as they played their biggest single from that album called “Bloodsucker.” He handed me the microphone to finish the last breakdown screams while we were both lifted on top of the crowd. The crowd was going nuts, and when the song finished, he got the mic back and surfed back to the stage, where he said on the microphone to everyone, “Wow, that was pretty good!” regarding my performance. As I ran back into my spot in the crowd I was beaming. It was a moment I’ll never forget. A year later I joined my first professional touring band and entered the music industry. 10 years later, I’m working with Brian “Head” Welch!!

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I would love to collaborate with Japanese rock band One OK Rock. They are pretty much my favorite band right now. Taka (the singer) and I have similar vocal ranges and writing styles. It would be a dream to see what kind of song we could create.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

I usually play a Legend of Zelda video game while I listen to podcasts or music. I love cooking and having people come over to play board games or card games with drinks and homemade snacks!

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I’d say there’s something on my albums for everyone. I tend to include everything from ballads with soaring singing melodies as well as bouncy and catchy choruses with metalcore influences and breakdowns. My goal is always to make the listener feel something. Comparisons of me sounding like Amy Lee from Evanescence are weird to me because we sing so differently. Any operatic singer or symphonic metal singer I get compared to, I tend to disagree we sound alike at all.

7. When you and the band are hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

My husband/drummer is the best at entertaining on the acoustic guitar while having drinks 🙂 But I am the karaoke queen, always challenging myself with insanely hard songs to test my technique lol. I love good food, so I am always trying to cook and make new snack creations!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Meeting my now boss Brian “Head” Welch. The first time he summoned me backstage at an event years ago to congratulate me on my set, I was honestly confused. I didn’t know he knew who I was and was speechless because he noticed me! Years later now, being signed to his label and meeting up again for the recorded interview at the label headquarters, telling me he was fangirling since he loved my album, it was hard to not giggle nervously!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Best part for me is creating songs. I love the songwriting and recording process so much. It’s crazy to hear a song you hear in your head play back at you when it’s finished. If I were to ever stop being a musician, I would still be a writer or creator of some kind. I started work on an anime/comic before I got the deal with the label, which I still plan on developing and releasing!

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I would love for someone to deeply analyze my lyrics one day and ask what I meant by them or a deep dive into the album theme. I would probably take hours to go through and talk about depth if I answered it here and it would probably be better in a long form podcast interview lol. I’m pretty tired of questions that are generic and easily researchable, like where I’m from. Haha.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I definitely wish I would have insisted on overruling my label on the mixing choices of my debut album Red For War. I wish I would’ve stood my ground, and not cared about being difficult. It’s a hugely important lesson to be learned for all artists.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would’ve loved to be a part of the Prince of Egypt, Lord of the Rings, or Hunchback Of Notre Dame film soundtrack recordings. It would be incredible to witness those vocalists, choirs, and orchestras. The songs are so epic they give me chills. Masterful songwriting that evokes strong emotions paired with legendary stories, THAT is my kryptonite!

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Category: Interviews