Singer-songwriter Zoe Yovéla returns with her soulful new single “Natural,” her first release since 2021. In this interview, she reflects on motherhood, self-growth, creative balance, and finding joy through music.
Motherhood has shaped me in ways beyond words. Having a tiny humans’ life in your hands is an unfathomable blessing, but it is life changing, in every sense of the term. It has made time more precious, valuable, and given me depth I never had before, depth that I will hopefully continue to apply to music. Transparency and relatability for people maybe. Hopefully a sense of comfort and joy for others. It is HARD, even more so as a single mother, but it is worth it and has only added to the love and wisdom I want to sing about.
2. You’ve mentioned artists like Mary J. Blige, Cleo Sol, and Jill Scott as inspirations. How do their influences come through in “Natural,” and how did you make the sound your own?
When I started writing ‘Natural’ with my good friend Josh Wray in 2021/22, I knew I wanted it to be a funky, light hearted bop. In the 90’s Mary had some major releases like ‘All Night Long’ and ‘Real Love’ – I wanted to bring back a sense of ‘Old School R&B love’ to a song. The world is heavy enough so I wanted to bring something joyful and sweet, always keeping that Neo-Soul, electro-funk personality with the instrumentation.
3. The world’s been through a lot in recent years, and you’ve said this song offers a kind of escape. What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from “Natural”?
Not all men are trash… hahaha, I’m kidding – I just hope it makes them feel warm and fuzzy, and groovy to be honest. There’s a time to be deep and a time to be free-spirited.
Oh gosh, Natural was stuck in the archive for ages because ‘life’ haha. I became a mum and lost myself for a while, but I’ve regained my power and found a new sense of self alongside mummy hood and music. There were lots of ‘WeTransfer’ links between Josh and I, lots of editing and time spent on production on Josh’s behalf which I’m so grateful for, and of course I always love the touch of male backing vocals as it sounds *chefs kiss*.
5. The story behind the lost and later retrieved recording is fascinating. Did that experience change your emotional connection to the song in any way?
It kind of did you know…in a way, if it wasn’t retrievable, I’d have disconnected from it and started from scratch. I guess because we were able to get it back, I felt more of a push to get it out. Crazy! God is real!
6. Balancing motherhood and music is no easy task. What advice would you give to other parents or creatives trying to pursue their art while raising a family?
Everyone’s circumstances are different. Especially as parents. I’d say we just have to find a good balance between parenthood and passion and roll with it. Don’t burn out but don’t doubt yourself. Don’t compare where you are to where someone else is. Don’t be afraid to take up space and show up for yourself. Give yourself grace! (note to self, lol).
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