Following Zella Day’s debut  EP release, we’ve asked the alluring songstress to chart us a playlist of her best-loved coffee tracks. Having been names as one of Hype Machine’s most blogged artists of the year, it’s safe to say there’s quite a buzz surrounding Zella at present.

Raised in Pinetop, Arizona, a small mountain town of less than 5,000, Zella’s profound creativity is fuelled by a backdrop of vast scenery and outstanding natural beauty. Growing up in her family’s Mor Mor Coffee House (hence the playlist theme) Zella was always surrounded by budding artists, who took sanctuary in her surroundings; and fully immersing herself in her art Zella first performed sets of Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, and Bobby Darin songs with only a guitar, in this exact location. Later pulling dually from such songwriting legends and her old-West, Clint Eastwood-clad surroundings, Zella found her own distinctive sound oozing with grit and emotion in equal measure, the sound that we hear today.

Following the success of her debut single ‘Sweet Ophelia’ and her initial cover of The White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army”, Zella is now based in LA and is poised for a breakout in 2015. Have a listed of Zella’s new track ‘Hypnotic’, before enjoying her coffee playlist.

ZELLA DAY’S COFFEE PLAYLIST

MATT KIVEL – “RAINBOW TROUT”

“This song came on a local radio station when I was sitting in LA traffic. I wasn’t agitated anymore.”

PAVEMENT – “MAJOR LEAGUES”

“A friend referred this song when I was in a dark place. I wasn’t at all optimistic about where my career was at that point.”

CAGE THE ELEPHANT – “CIGARETTE DAYDREAMS” 

“I’m in the process of writing a treatment with the director that directed this video. I saw the video and heard the song at the same time, for the first time.”

ARIEL PINK – “PUT YOUR NUMBER IN MY PHONE”

“I was flipping an egg when this song started playing. I started cracking up and singing along.”

KITTY WELLS – “IT WASN”T GOD WHO MADE HONKY TONK ANGELS”

“She is one sassy little lady. I was driving to Arizona with the windows down when I fell in love with this one.”

SLIM WHITMAN – “ROSIE MARIE”

“I was having a discussion about whistling when they turned my on to this guy. He’s Hawaii/Wild-West. What?”

CAMERA OBSCURA – “SUSPENDED FROM CLASS”

“I wish I had a buddy like this girl when I was in elementary school. She sounds like Juno’s cousin.”

COLIN BLUNSTONE – “TIME’S RUNNING OUT”

“First it was the Zombies and then it was Colin Blunstone. Go ahead and fall into a dream world with this one.”

TOWNES VAN ZANDT – “IF I NEEDED YOU”

“I played this song while my best friend walked down the aisle. The bride and bridesmaids all wore white.”

CRYSTAL FIGHTERS – “YOU & I”

“This song is lost in translation with some ex-boyfriend somewhere. I hope he’s doing well.”

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Is Zella Day a pseudonym or were you born with the name?

My full name is Zella Day Kerr. My parents got married in Jerome, Arizona which is a small mining town with a lot of history. They found my name while researching Jerome, and Zella was the name of the main mine owner’s wife.

We’re loving ‘Sweet Ophelia’ – can you tell us a bit more about how the track was born?

Sweet Ophelia happened really fast. My producers and I were hanging in the studio when I started messing around with this simple riff and floaty verse melody. The first verse seemed to just fall out of me, and then we followed where the song was headed sonically. That crunchy beat seemed to coincide with the aura of the song. The song is so dreamy and the instrumentals bring it back down to earth.

Who inspires you to write the kind of audio stimulation that you do?

My producers and I have a really tight relationship that has grown over time. We have spent years writing music together, and in turn they fully understand the vision I have for my music. The inspiration is collaboration in its purest form, I come to them with songs and together we create a soundscape for them to live in.

If you could collaborate with any other artist – dead or alive, who would be your first choice?

I want to write a song with John Denver about my mountain town. “Mountain Mama” chants all day long!

What is your most preferred colour?

How about a combination of colour? I go nuts for a dusty sunset over the ocean, I’m a fan of muted oranges and blues…. kinda like the desert.

Give us 3 things that you like and 3 things that you dislike?

Likes: Pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, the feel of the ocean.

Dislikes: Stereotypes, shake weights, applesauce.

Favourite TV show?

I honestly don’t watch TV regularly so it’s rare that I will get into a series, but right now I’ve just started watching “Masters of Sex”. It’s a direct look into the lives of women in the 1950s, when sex was taboo and research was just starting to take place.

Do you have a favourite place where you hang out to discover new music?

School Nights at Bardot are awesome. I recently had a gig there and was soooo honored. School Night is always featuring the coolest up and coming artists. I receive their weekly emails as well, so even if I can’t make it to a show I’m up to date on whose coming through there.

What kinds of music were you listening too as you were growing up?

I have cool parents. My dad was a skater kid and a bouncer at music venues in Phoenix, the music that he brought into the house ranged from Bob Marley, Reel Big Fish, Social Distortion, Sublime,  The Cramps, Agent Orange, and Nirvana. Mama is a bohemian queen and she brought Edie Brickell, Lauryn Hill, Manu Chao, Mason Jennings, and John Prine into my life.

What are your thoughts on social media and how do you think it affects a musicians longevity in the industry?

I have a love hate relationship with social media. There’s a part of me that’s like, “can’t I just play music and that be the end of it?”, but the other part of me enjoys creating a world that people have access to. I’m striving to be an artist that has a long standing career, and if I get lucky maybe I will make it on the radio waves. If I don’t ever make it to top 40, social media will be the platform I use to get my music out to my fans. I have major respect for the artists out there that release their music through social media, and with that have accumulated a passionate fan base. Social media is an art when its not exploited.

Find out more from Zella Day here.

Words: Shane Hawkins – @piccadilly_boy

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