Dublin based French American musician and composer Zoé Basha has released her new single, Dublin Street Corners, from her debut album, Gamble, which is released on 17 April. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
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Zoé's forthcoming debut album Gamble blends folk, blues, americana, jazz, and Irish influences and was produced by Zoé, with mixing and mastering by Grammy Award-winning engineer Ben Rawlins.
She plays: 17 April: Album Launch with full band at The Sugar Club, Dublin. 20 April: Connolly’s of Leap, West Cork. 21 April: Prim’s Bookshop, Kinsale. 26 April: The Duncairn, Belfast. 1 May: Fennelly’s of Callan, Co. Kilkenny. May 2nd – Bray Jazz Fest. 2 August: Letham Nights Letham, Fife, Scotland.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
The smell of old books is one of my favourites
I stopped playing music for years because I thought it wasn't a very useful thing to do with my life, so I studied and worked as a traditional French timber framer (charpentière) and loved it - though I'm back at the noise-making for now.
I make pink pickles in a picklery every Wednesday in Stoneybatter.
How would you describe your music?
The music is a mixed bag with folk, jazz blues, and traditional music influences. Singing has always been central to life for me (even when I stopped playing music for a while), so the voice is pretty dominant in the music I make, both on its own and with harmonies. I've always gotten immense pleasure from harmony singing, but from time spent in the trio with Rufous Nightjar, especially, harmonies took on more importance in my own original songs as well.
I'm a fan of ragtime guitar, but only ever took a couple guitar lessons, so my playing style has a particular syncopated playfulness that developed from years of busking to make money while traveling - and entertaining myself while doing it. Working with the buddies who play on my album was hugely influential to the sound of the music - especially with Ultan Lavery's sassyyy organ playing! The album also features the incredibly talented Hannah Hiemstra on drums, Jonny Pickett on upright bass, and Anthony Mannion on dobro and lapsteel - plus a good few others!
Who are your musical inspirations?
So many... Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were pretty big for me in my early teens, as well as Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, and the Steve Miller Band. These are in no particular order and I could go on for pages, really. Specific to singing, Billie Holiday, Norah Jones, Camille, Whitney Houston, Édith Piaf, and Jean Ritchie were central to my love for the voice, and to developing my style.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I couldn't really say... one of my earliest memories of gigs was when I was a kid, sneaking upstairs in a really small venue that was above a restaurant on Lincoln Road in Miami, where I grew up. They had a lot of Latin jazz gigs with a grand piano in the corner. It was dimly lit, with red velvet-clad benches and wooden tables, and damn, is it dreamy in my memories! They've closed down since.
What was the first record you ever bought?
With all the shared embarrassment and nostalgia that comes with it, I gotta say it was Let Go by Avril Lavigne.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Ooooooo . . . that's a tough one. I'll have to split it between Month of Sundays by Gina Leslie and Shawty by Remi Wolf.
Favourite lyric of all time?
"I just took a DNA test - turns out, I'm 100% that bitch" - Truth Hurts by Lizzo.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I'm too full of contrast; I'd go mad if I had to only choose one song. I'd end up hating it and hating the world. But, if I'm to play the game, I'll say Lullaby of Birdland by Ella Fitzgerald.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Instagram, my website and check out my music on all streaming platforms - the debut album is coming 17 April.
Alan Corr
