Canadian artist Zach Zoya joins forces with UK R&B star Angel on “Patience”, the lead single taken from Zach’s debut EP “Spectrum”. Blending melodic productions with intricately written bars, the duo bless us with an expressive transatlantic love tune. Taking inspiration from his own experience growing up as a French-speaking teen, Zoya expresses his love of hip-hop on the smooth beat, tying in his struggle on the road to happiness.

Speaking on the collaboration, the singer said, “Patience’ is a precious song, it’s the highlight of the EP for me. It’s about the long and tough road to happiness and the paradox that comes during that chase. I talk about that in the song when I say, ‘Every time I think of joy, I lose a little’ and ‘If I keep chasing happiness I’ll never find it, I think it’s just a matter of where your head is at.’ This song is me trying to remind myself that I’m in happiness right now, living this journey.”

Taken from his debut EP, the singer is preparing to propel us into repeat-button breaking tunes filled with enticing vocals and high-voltage performances. With the EP released back in October, we caught up with the singer talking the production of the EP, musical heroes and what we can expect next…

Check out the interview below…

Hi Zach – how have you been during this uncertain time? How has it impacted your music and creativity?
I’ve been surprisingly great! This almost-a-year off really gave me time to focus on different parts of the music-making process and link up with artists that I wouldn’t have had the time to work with. I’ve been able to explore different styles and write impactful lyrics faster than ever before. Being able to collaborate for an extended period of time with producers and songwriters has really sparked my creativity – I’ve learned a lot!

How did growing up in Quebec influence you sonically? Who are your musical heroes? How would you describe your genre?
I think growing up in Québec and being bilingual has given me an interesting outlook on music because when I’m writing a song, I think in “sound” first and then the specific words follow. Being able to think in two languages allows the melody to take the lead and then the mood and the message are born out of it. There are a lot of artists who I admire – like the passion and dedication Michael Jackson had for his music. But my heroes would have to be Usher for his range and melodic abilities, Kendrick Lamar for his penmanship, and Isaiah Rashad for his exceptional sense of rhythm and percussiveness. What I love about the music I make is that I allow myself to explore different genres and feel comfortable going super RnB as well as super Rap or even Pop. I don’t feel restricted to one specific style really. I think that it’s less important for musicians to define themselves as one type of artist and stay within a specific genre as it used to be.

Congratulations on your new single “Patience” – what was it inspired by?
Thanks! Patience is about the (my) pursuit of happiness and how the more I focus on trying to reach a point of ultimate satisfaction, the more I find that I’m straying further and further away from it. It’s about appreciating the fleeting moments of happiness as they come!

How did the collaboration with Angel come about?
My mentor Kardinal Offishall made it happen! I had written my part of the song and had established the concept and Kardi, who actually signed me to Universal basically bridged the gap between Angel and me. I think Angel really connected with the overall message and especially the R&B “feel” of the record.

The music video for “Patience” is quite eerie with the tellytubby element – what did you want to convey with it?
The Tellytubby is basically a mascot. It’s as if I had a trash day job and would come back home from my shift with a lot of cash but sad and exhausted. For the video shoot, Angel actually flew out to Montréal to film it with us. That was a crazy day but we got to sit down and talk about the differences and similarities of the UK and Canadian scenes.

And it’s taken from your new EP “Spectrum” that’s out now– what ties it together as a body of work?
The point of “Spectrum” is to showcase the different sides of my artistry – the mellow RnB side of me, my energetic, rap side with the really fast bars, and the singer-songwriter and pop influences that are in between. All of these make up the “spectrum” of who I am as an artist and I wanted to share that range on my debut project.

What’s the most unusual place you pull inspiration from?
The Joe Rogan Experience. With the diversity in the guests he brings on, you get a glimpse into a vast array of topics and disciplines. All of that, in a very casual, and sometimes comedic tone. I think those types of conversations can be insightful and can inspire the songwriting process.

What do you want fans to take from your music?
I don’t think it’s up to me to say what my audience should take away from my music, as long as they connect with it and take something out – joy, relatability, insight – I’m good!