Note: Some questions and answers have been slightly edited for brevity and clarity.

Allston Pudding: This is one of my all-time favorite ways to start an interview. Who are you and what do you do?

Zola Simone: My name is Zola Simone. I am a self-proclaimed androgynous pop artist from Boston based in New York City. I make music for myself and anyone willing to listen. 

AP: You describe your niche as androgynous pop. What does that mean to you and how did you discover it?

ZS: I would say that androgyny has been very important to my identity forever. That is apparent in my music as well, because it is hard to define [and] put in a box. It’s a little bit of everything, similar to my gender expression. It’s all about blurring the lines between what society wants you to be. 

AP: Your sophomore album Kaleidoscope comes out on February 21st. What was your biggest inspiration for the album? 

ZS: I would say usually all my music is mostly inspired by relationships and identity. But I guess identity is just a relationship with yourself, so just relationships in general. I think that life is all about connection, and that’s where I get my inspiration from.

AP: That’s such a good segway into my next question. Are there any specific themes that your upcoming album is centered around? 

ZS: Yeah, I would say self-reflection, sex, relationships, and queerness

AP: “Pirouette” and “Old Soul” are very upbeat and jammy. Is this something we can expect from Kaleidoscope or are you going in a new direction?
ZS: It goes in pretty much every direction you can imagine. There are some slow songs on there. There’s certainly a lot of what I would call bops and everything in between. I think that’s the beauty of my music, even if you don’t love everything, I think there’s a song for everybody

AP: Speaking of “Pirouette” you had the chance to collaborate with artist Tomas. What was that experience like? Do you plan on doing more collaborations?

ZS: It was a great experience. I met him at school. I liked the music that he put out, and I thought we would make a good song together. It was very spontaneous and random, but collaboration is a big part of what I’m doing right now. I actually just had a session with an artist that I like, and it’s definitely a goal moving forward to collaborate with people and push myself to work outside of myself and alongside other people. Because two brains and two [sets of] ears are better than one.

AP: As a Boston native, how does the local music scene impact your work? How do you engage with the community?

ZS:  I would honestly be nowhere close to where I am today without the Boston music scene, I think it’s such a special thing. And every time I go back, I feel that sense of community. And my producer always likes to say, a rising tide lifts all boats. I think a lot of people in Boston have that mentality that if one person in the community wins, it’s a win for everybody. In the industry, there’s the opposite of that, where people think someone’s success takes away from theirs. Boston is special in that way, where there’s just so much support and also just so many opportunities. It’s been a lot harder to break through the noise and find community in New York so far, but I’m working on it.

AP: Speaking of the community, your work at such a young age has already led to impressive accolades, including two Boston Music Awards. How has the recognition influenced your growth as an artist? Do you feel any added pressure moving forward, or does it push you to keep evolving?

ZS: Good question. I’ve never been the type of person to win a popularity contest and awards are like the ultimate popularity contest. To me, it’s recognition for hard work and it’s validating. It’s about being seen, heard, appreciated and uplifted. It really pushed me and validated me to what I was doing, and it pushed me to try to get more awards. You know, I think there’s a pressure that everything has to be of a certain caliber, but that’s just because I hold myself to a really high standard.

AP: Let’s talk about Tiny Desk. Your performance was described as a “breath of fresh air.” How did you prepare for that moment? Were there any nerves or specific thoughts you had before stepping on stage?

ZS: I was nervous, but I had my incredible band with me, and those guys are like family to me. Being with them just makes me feel very comfortable. It was a challenge because the song we did (“Nine Lives”) is not a very instrumentally dynamic song. So we had to do a different arrangement of that song, which was exciting. I was a little bit sick, which was mostly what I was nervous about.

AP: You almost scrapped “Nine Lives.” What made you bring it back?

ZS: Yeah, I did. My mom heard it. It was originally just a loop that I made on Logic, and it was probably 30 seconds. And she’s like, this is a song and you gotta do something with this. She’s not the most musically inclined person, but she knows what she’s talking about, and it turned into one of my favorite songs, and one of her favorite songs. I’m really happy that I had that input from her and that I listened to that.

AP: Going off of that, what does your creative process look like? 

ZS: Usually I will write lyrics first because I think everything else in music is informed by the lyrics. The way you perform it, the timbre of your voice, and the instruments you choose are all dependent on what the song is about. So that’s where I usually start. I think that’s a great foundation to build upon. But sometimes I’ll start with the instruments because if I’m not inspired to write about something particular sometimes working backward and finding the meaning from the instruments can just inspire different lyrics I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. 

AP: Do you have a favorite song you’ve written?

ZS: Honestly, I do. It’s not out yet, and it’s not even on this album.

AP: Are you going to release it?

ZS: Yes, I am. 

AP: You’re known for having a dynamic voice, with a lot of emotional depth. How do you approach using your voice in different ways to convey both the highs and lows of a song? Do you think about it during the writing process, or does it come naturally when you’re recording or performing?

ZS: That’s a cool question. I’ve never been asked that before. I think it comes naturally. I think if I think too much about it while I’m writing, I’ll just overthink and kind of shut down. I took voice lessons for a long time with my wonderful teacher, and there was a point where I became a lot more comfortable with using my falsetto. 

AP: What’s your sales pitch for people who haven’t listened to your music before?

ZS: If you want a masc version of Chappell Roan that delves into a lot of other genres and has a little something for everyone, then you should listen to Zola Simone. 

AP: Is there anything else you want us to know? 

ZS: Yeah, I have an album release show coming up on February 28 at the Middle East Club. I’m trying to sell it out. Pack it. It’s going to be amazing. We’re going to have special guests. Axel and Lolo are opening. And if you like the music, you’re not gonna get the same thing in person. It’s a whole different thing entirely. 

To purchase tickets to Zola Simone’s release show click here.