Today, we are thrilled to uncover the emerging artist Zaina. As we kick off the week, Zaina announces the impending release of her upcoming EP “Mindsight Melodies” for January 26, and we delve deeper into the behind-the-scenes details in our editorial coverage.
Stay tuned as we bring you an exclusive glimpse into the creative process and insights from our conversation with this promising artist:
Welcome to our redaction! Tell us who you are and how you started to make music?
My name is Zaina. I was born in Damascus, Syria. My family migrated to the US over 20 years ago and ever since I could remember it was my dream to sing, dance and just entertain. I loved hosting a crowd. I moved to Florida from Los Angeles, California. I attempted to pursue a music career back in my teenage years. I was in the right place & time but not in the right focus and didn’t have the financial means of taking the right steps. I ended up missing a few opportunities and felt it was super difficult under the circumstances so I decided to bury the dream and pursue other careers. Fast forward to a few months prior to my move to Orlando 2020, I was in Jacksonville at time, I was randomly approached by a fellow real estate agent over social media. We got to talking and it turned out he had a previous career in music. His passion was managing talent and we came to a mutual agreement to give this music thing another shot. Under his guidance and under way better focus/circumstances as well as being in the midst of COVID days, I was able to release my first track in 2021. Once I started the right way (even on a smaller scale) I couldn’t stop! I felt a fulfillment I never felt before. I had regrets of not putting in the right focus earlier on but was super thankful I finally made it happen. As I started to grow as an artist, I wanted to explore a wider range of genres and a more professional recording environment. My vision started to develop very fast but we did not see eye to eye on that and ended up parting ways. I became independent, but I am forever thankful for him. He got me started. Ever since, I have been in full control of the creative process. Luckily Orlando’s blessed with a quite nice independent music scene so I have been networking, performing, and hosting music events to support other creatives ever since.
What inspires you to write and create?
Inspiration comes randomly. I used to just choose topics but as I progressed as a songwriter I realized how important it is to be inspired into them. When I have a surge of emotions from a drastic experience is when I’m most inspired to share a message and that is when the song starts to naturally formulate itself. Other times I just wake up with a song in my head, or start repeating a phrase and it’s just meant to be from there.
How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process now and what works the best for me is writing the song first, then having it produced around my lyrics and melody. That gives me a lot more freedom to explore my creativity and gives the producer an easy direction on how to formulate the beat. I prefer to be very involved in the creative process from production to mastering the track but I’m also open to jumping on someone else’s vision if they have one. I just love exploring different ideas. I record in one of my local studios. I have quite a few studios/engineers I like to support and enjoy working with. I also like to rotate my services and try different locations, engineer and producers as I feel like everyone brings a different energy and vibe to the project and I like to maintain a certain level of versatility as well as support as many creatives as I can. I always go back to my favorites for sure. Aside from that I handle the full creative process, I also design most of my album covers as well.
Can you present your upcoming release?
My upcoming EP “Mindsight Melodies” is a project that is not just about the sound or lyrics but a mindsight experience. I will be presenting it in a three-chapter saga beginning with the release of the EP on January 26 as Chapter 1. It will unfold a narrative that delves into the depths of emotion, imagination, & embracing a new level of consciousness that is a combination of past, present, and future! It’s a very special project for me personally, my very first EP, and I couldn’t have done it without each & every moment leading to the next. Musically it’s a fusion of mainly Pop & Edm with a couple of other genres included as well. Every song is a different experience and the entire EP tells a story that starts in the present time and unfolds backwards. However if you choose to listen to the tracks from end to beginning, the story feels a bit different so I recommend you give it a listen both ways and definitely stay tuned for chapter 2 & 3 which will bring it all together. I’m hoping to share them this year as well. I have put in more work, money, and energy into this project than anything else I have done musically and had to go through some dark moments to bring it all together so beautifully so I hope I have done it justice because it has truly served a huge purpose in my life.
What can we expect from you in the future?
My plans for the future are to continue developing my music and message as a music artist and connect with a wider audience. I plan to hopefully branch out nationally. I am also planning the official launch of my brand The Artist Tribe this year by launching the “Tribe Shop” online. The Artist Tribe is a brand and business I created that is inspired by the Independent music journey to spread love, build a loving creative community, entertain audiences, support dreams, and host bigger/better music opportunities for independent artists. It’s my heart & soul and I hope to continue growing it and continue sharing a stage with amazing talent!
Pre Save “Mindsight Melodies” now!
https://www.instagram.com/only1zaina