Zanya Laurence Interview
HCM. When did you start making music and taking it seriously?
Zanya Laurence. I was invited to my first studio back in ’99. I was timid and green, but I loved it so much I dove right in, and was there every chance I could get. Eventually, I had leaned over enough shoulders to build my own studio and the rest was history!
HCM. What are some of your accomplishments (any awards or achievements)?
Zanya Laurence. I’ve released 3 full-length albums (2007/ 2012 & 2017). This latest release is an EP titled “In My Head”. I’ve been nominated for several New Mexico Music Awards and graduated from the Musician’s Institute based in Hollywood, CA.
HCM. Who was your inspiration and how did they inspire you?
Zanya Laurence. My biggest inspirations have been Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill & Saa Bareilles. Alicia took the R&B scene by storm and blew everyone away. Her music was soulful in a way that we hadn’t seen yet. Lauryn Hill was huge for me because I actually started off writing rhymes believe it or not. I still throw a lil’ rhyme in there from time to time as you can hear on my latest EP. Sara Bareilles was an up and coming artist that I saw perform in Los Angeles right before she signed with Epic. She was incredible. Only musician autograph I’ve ever gotten. She’s since released several records and even went on to Broadway. Her songwriting skills are absolutely beautiful and inspire me to be a better songwriter.
HCM. What are you currently working on and how did you come up with the concept for this project?
Zanya Laurence. I pretty much wrote this EP in less than a week. Colorado just went into lockdown due to Covid-19 and it felt like everything just happened so fast, we hardly had time to process. I called in “In My Head” because suddenly I was stuck at home with only my thoughts. It was like falling down a rabbit hole. Pandemonium is the last song on the project and I really wanted to touch on our current state of affairs.
HCM. Do you have anyone to thank and how can the people find you?
Zanya Laurence. I would like to thank the music producer on the EP Dubb on the Beat. He’s incredibly talented and the project wouldn’t have happened without his ear. I’d also like to thank Benjamin Jenkerson of Zippy Bang! Productions who has been my sound engineer on all of my releases minus my debut. He always knows how to bring a session to life!
My official website is www.zanyamusic.com and you can find me on facebook.com/zanyalaurence Instagram.com/zanyalaurence twitter.com/zanyalaurence & youtube.com/zanyalaurence. My music is also available on iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, & Amazon.
Thank you again!!
Zanya
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