We had the pleasure of interviewing Zahra Deljoui and here’s what she had to say:
Q: What inspired you to create this remix?
DELJOUI: I really enjoy collaborating with other people, especially on my original songs. It’s cool to hear what kind of a journey a song can go on and I love being surprised. For this particular remix, Indecent Pop reached out to me via Instagram. I hadn’t heard of them before, but loved the music they showed me so decided to work with them.
Q: What do you like the most about “Better Without You”?
DELJOUI: I love how experimental it is, it keeps you guessing, you are never sure what’s coming next. It definitely gives a nod to Flume & Tove Lo. She is one of my favourite artists, so love this flavour!
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life that set you on your path as a musician?
DELJOUI: I always wanted to sing deep down but I was scared. I had never sung in front of another person. I would sing in the shower and sing along to The Corrs albums, I was obsessed with The Corrs. I would say Andrea Corr really had a big impact on my ability to sing and that’s probably how I learnt. I was graduating with my Science degree and I visited my cousin and her husband, we watched ‘The Secret’ which is about the law of attraction and following your dreams and I started talking to them about how I really wanted to be a singer, I don’t think I had ever verbalised it out loud until that moment. When I got back I got singing lessons to see if I could sing and then the month I graduated from Uni I signed up for a Music Production & Sound Engineering course. This really was the catalyst for my musical journey.
Q: If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
DELJOUI: I’d love to make it a free-er space for female artists. Where they are more in control of their creative direction rather than being pigeonholed or sexualised against their wishes. It feels like for me as a female artist I have, over the years at times, had to really fight to have my voice heard or to have what feels authentic to me realised. People reach out to you wanting to work with you but that can quickly turn into something that’s very uncomfortable. Ultimately it doesn’t end up really feeling like a collaboration, it can feel like you’re just a voice, but the words you’re speaking aren’t your own. I’d love for more women to be given the space to have a voice that’s their own.
Q: Who is one artist you would definitely love to work with at some point in your career?
DELJOUI: Do I have to pick just one? It would be Florence Welch (from Florence and the Machine) Halsey and King Princess!
Q: How would you like listeners to respond to this remix?
DELJOUI: The song is about gaslighting and I like how the Indecent Pop Remix brings some light to this topic. I love it when you have to really listen to a song to catch the vibe and you kind of have an ‘aha moment’. I’d love listeners to vibe with the track and the meaning, hopefully, the message resonates with them.
Interviewed by Zoey King
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