Inspired #201 - Zoe Wakelam
Aussie born London singer-songwriter Zoe Wakelam talks us through the inspirations of her latest single ‘held your hand’ - a lo-fi non-breakup bedroom-pop anthem.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
Ooo I love a moment to gush about my favourite artists! Firstly, twenty øne piløts. I just love the depth of Tyler Joseph’s lyrics and how their style is always evolving. Their music, although classed as alt-rock, feels so genre-less, and the production always serves each song individually, without being bound to "a sound”. Secondly, half•alive, for similar reasons to twenty øne piløts. Their lyrics are so poetic. And lastly, I’d have to say Wallows. Their energy is unmatched, and their music always puts me in a good mood. I could listen to them forever and not get tired.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
La La Land. Hands down. That film touched somewhere deep in my soul when I watched it for the first time. I love that Damien Chazelle wrote the script before he wrote and completed Whiplash. If I’m recalling correctly, he tried to get La La Land greenlit first but he was told no one wanted a musical at the time. So he wrote Whiplash and that opened the door for him to film La La Land. Just the fact that he made his circumstances work to fulfil his vision is amazing to me. Not to mention the fact that I am in LOVE with the cinematography, the colour grading, and the A* acting. I think the film sums up what the performer’s dream is so beautifully, and watching a fictional story of someone struggling through doubt and rejection in their art inspires me.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
I must say I love New York. The city is just so vibrant and eclectic. I’d always wanted to visit and in 2019 I had the privilege to do so. I love the mix of cultures, and the history of the people that first settled there. I’ve always been a city person, and I think the New York style of life has that wonderful mix of grit and beauty.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
100% my mum. She is a ROCK. I am constantly inspired by how she lives her days in strength and patience. She is true to herself, her interests, her values, her gifts, and yet makes time for everyone. I would also add Tom Hiddleston to the arena, simply because he is one of the most educated people I have ever heard speak, and his level of eloquence always inspires me to educate myself further.
What were your inspirations when writing your new single?
This song for me really highlights the potency of the love language physical touch. Our brains and emotions are so ready to go 100mph when we engage this way in a relationship, and the restraint I sing about in ‘Held Your Hand' ended up saving a lot of heartache, in an already painful situation of parting ways. I wanted to show this musically as well, and I think my producer Andrei Sora and I, really captured the slow burn required. The harmonies for me played a big part in nailing the mood of the song, and I think the understated, ethereal sound I went with, really completed ‘Held Your Hand’.
How would you like to inspire people?
To me, the greatest honour is when someone connects with my lyrics. I’ve written a lot about loneliness, anxiety, struggle, mostly in a cathartic way, and I care a lot about the "juice concentration”, if you will, of my lyrics. My aspiration is to give someone that one line that will hit them with a fresh wave of understanding, courage, resolve, relief. I hope that a lyric of mine will encourage someone to take heart in the way that I have so often been inspired by music.