For most of their life, Zzzahara has been looking backward. Raised in LA’s Highland Park
neighborhood, their debut album, Liminal Spaces, confronted the changes the community has
endured since Zzzahara’s childhood. That sense of loss, coupled with the persistent memories
of a painful coming-of-age, led to many late night parties and an avoidant relationship with
self-reflection. Liminal Spaces chronicled that ache, but these days, Zzzahara isn’t looking
backward much – they’re not even looking forward. They’re just trying to be here, in the
moment, as present as possible.
Zzzahara’s sophomore album, Tender, released via Lex Records, documents a period of
transition following a devastating breakup. Instead of crumbling, Zzzahara began to look
inward by meditating and practicing mindfulness. “If I had to describe what my life is like
now, I’d say ‘consistent.’ I’m trying to be consistent with everything I do.” Consistency
requires tenderness, a willingness to cradle the soft parts of yourself that often go unnoticed.
To make Tender, they locked themselves in their studio and subsisted on cold brew for nine to
ten hours a day. To most, this sounds nightmarish, but the monastic experie