Interview: Zolita Talks her EP Falling Out/Falling In and First Headline Tour

Written by Hannah Goldberg, Photography by Amber Asaly

Zolita, a DIY alt-pop sensation based in LA, released her single “Ashley” on January 18. This was released as a waterfall single, the third track of a three-track story. Accompanying the music release is Zolita’s self-directed short-film which emphasizes the realization of love through a life-long bond. Her previous releases “20 Questions” and “Ruin My Life” (also with self-directed videos) are included with “Ashley” on her new EP, Falling Out/Falling In.
This is not Zolita’s first rodeo directing her own work. The NYU graduate has a background in film that proves to be an influential part of her artistic expression. Zolita’s involvement in the visual expression of her music is just as important to her as the music she is making. Most of her discography includes a short film-style video to further express her lyricism and stories through fashion, choreography, and activism. Zolita uses her platform to support the LGBTQ+ community through representation in her videos. 

Her EP Falling Out/Falling In is released  just days before she kicks off her first North American tour. The six-track album includes the waterfall single “Ashley” as well as three new tracks “Drunk With Your Exes,” “Crazy Ex,” and “For The Both Of Us.” During an interview with Zolita, I was able to gather some insight on her creative process, her new EP, and her music video for “Crazy Ex.”

Hannah: You have a tremendous amount of involvement with your projects as the artist for your music and the director of your videos. Could you provide some insight regarding how you view the relationship between music and film? 

Zolita: I feel like my entire project, the entire Zolita project is the relationship between music and film for me. I always like to say I make the music so I can make the music videos. I went to film school at NYU and while I was there, I fell in love with music videos so much as a medium. There wasn’t necessarily anyone I wanted to, or could make them for there. I was writing music for myself at the time too, so I was like “Why don’t I just make this a whole entire concept project and do everything?”

H:  How did the visual concept for Crazy Ex come to fruition? 

Z: In the past I feel like I’ve come up with video ideas first, and then written the songs for it. But this was a more traditional way where I had the song first. I think the song is already so visual on its own that the visuals came so fast. I was literally driving and listening to the song and was so fully like enrapt in the visual role that I was coming up with that I almost hit somebody. I was like “Do not think of music videos when you’re driving!” The song already is such a character song, it’s so deranged, and I want to take all of those elements and just go so hard with them in the music video.

H: Could you talk a little bit about how the rest of the EP ties into your previous waterfall single release? 

Z: When I chose the six songs for the EP, I just chose the six strongest songs out of all the sessions that I had been doing. I realized that half of the EP was about falling out of love, all of the things that come with a breakup, and the other half was about falling back in love. So it just made sense to call it Falling Out/Falling In. I would say “20 Questions” is the “falling out” vibe, “Ashley” and “Ruin My Life” are the very “falling in” energy. I’m excited for people to hear the other ones.

H: Musically, could you talk about your process writing? How does that come into play? 

Z: I usually go title forward, like I will come up with a title or a concept for a song. So like the title Crazy Ex would be a fun song. Then I’ll write some lyrics down and bring them into a session and be like “This is the vibe I want to go for, this is the sound that I think will be cool.” That’s how I have been working lately, but in the past I also have just written stuff on my guitar. But I love being title forward. I think the most fun songs usually come from that.

H: One dollar for every ticket sold for your tour goes towards the Trevor Project. What sparked this idea? Could you talk about your relationship with the queer community?

Z: I definitely knew I wanted to have a charity aspect to ticket sales. I love Trevor and love what they’ve been doing for so long. I’ve always been a fan of them. It felt like a no-brainer. With the queer community, everything I make, I make with them in mind. As a queer person, no matter what I make it’s gonna have that aspect to it. I want to be creating something that is gonna represent a community that feels underrepresented in the mainstream media.

H: Is there a song on this album that stands out to you that is most fun to perform live? 

Z: Honestly, “Crazy Ex.” I already started playing it live at LA Pride. I had just written it before that, and I was like “This song is gonna go so hard live, I have to do it already.” And honestly, Ashley just to have my stripped down acoustic moment on my own. “Ashley” is a really special one live as well. 

H: You are about to headline your first North American tour. What is your mindset going into this? Is there anything you want your fans to know? 

Z: I’m so excited to finally have the opportunity to do a headline tour and to be in rooms full of people that know my music. That’s really exciting. There are definitely little bits from every era that will be included on the tour. It has been so much fun to take old eras, elevate them, and bring them to a level that all the eras are at now. Dress up and expect to be in a room full of really fun, queer people. 

Zolita’s Falling Out / Falling In EP is available to stream on February 10, 2023. The “Crazy Ex” Music video is available now.