Meet Zoya

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zoya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zoya, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Taking risks is half the game. Betting on yourself and jumping into the unknown can seem crazy to others or even to yourself, but if you have the heart for it, it can completely change your life.

After graduating from Berklee College of Music, when I first started out in this whole music thing, I was on tour in the US. One random day on our way to a venue in Portland, one of the biggest film composers in India, A.R. Rahman, shared a post about me on Facebook. That post went viral, and almost overnight, India opened its doors to me. I had no plans of going to India, but after researching the new rising independent music scene there, I had this gut feeling that I had to go.

I took a one-way ticket to Mumbai, and what was supposed to be a month-long trip turned into four years of living and touring in India. I ended up in almost every major magazine, like Rolling Stone, ELLE, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and modeling for brands like H&M or Vans. I was so lucky to also tour throughout the country on all the major festival bills and as a support act for the likes of Natty, Lucy Rose, Submotion Orchestra, Bloc Party, Clean Bandit, Anderson .Paak, and Martin Garrix.

It was the experience of a lifetime and gave me all the experience I needed to come back to America four years later and do what I’m doing now.

The point is, if I hadn’t taken that risk and bought that one-way ticket, my life and career wouldn’t have been the same.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Music has always been the north star that gave me a sense of self while trying to navigate my place in the world. I was the Indian girl in America and the American girl in India. Growing up, I never thought that pursuing a career in music, especially in pop music, was even possible for a girl who looked like me. It hasn’t been easy to be seen in this industry as just a pop artist. Honestly, it’s been the fight of my career to avoid being forced into the imaginary box that the industry seems to pigeonhole South Asians into. It’s hard to chase after something with very few examples of it in pop culture. It simply has never been done before, and we don’t have many role models.

Things are changing now, and we are just beginning to see South Asians, more specifically Indian women, in influential and powerful roles in film, television, comedy, and even the White House. Music, though, still has yet to break a South Asian talent globally in the same vein as other pop artists like Taylor Swift, Camila Cabello, Shakira, or Beyoncé. The list goes on…

India is one of the largest markets in the world, and in music, we are still one of the most untapped markets to this day.

So all of this is to say that this has become a great deal of what I’m fighting for through my music and through my art.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Venice so, first stop is the beach and Venice Boardwalk. Maybe catch a yoga class at Open and dinner on Abbot Kinney. My favorite Venice spots are Fig Tree, Ospi, Market, Butchers Daughter, Gjelina, and Gjusta. For a night out, maybe catch a show at Winston House or some live Jazz at Townhouse. Venice has my whole heart so it’s always my first stop when I have friends in town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people to thank. First and foremost, my amazing family and parents. It’s very rare that Indian kids are encouraged to pursue a career in a creative field. They truly were so supportive every step of the way, which allowed me to really dive into art at 11 years old, pursue music in my formal education at Berklee College of Music, and be able to call it my career ever since.

If it wasn’t for their support, which is very radical and cool of them by the way, I wouldn’t be here.

There have also been so many mentors along the way that believed in me and pushed me to keep going. They’ve been like angels who give me the guidance and support I need to navigate whatever (sometimes crazy!) opportunities that have been thrown into my lap. Their support has given me so much confidence and I’m so thankful for their unwavering belief in my potential.

Lastly, I’m deeply grateful to my band and all the songwriters, producers, and musicians I get to make music with. It’s such a privilege to be in a space with other creatives where we have such a long history of touring or making music together. They are my family and have given me some of my most precious memories.

Website: https://www.zoya.life

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamzoya

Twitter: https://x.com/iamzoya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamzoyamusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/zoyamusic

Other: https://zoya.komi.io/

Image Credits
Image Credits:
Photos by Anushka Menon, Shreeda Patel, Lokii Reis da Silva, Kado Khalil, James Baxter