Born on March 13, 1995, Zella Day Kerr, known professionally as Zella Day, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Raised in the small mountainous town of Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona (population: 4,500), Zella was immersed in music from a young age, largely influenced by her family’s artistic background, her mother sang in a jazz trio, which Zella often lists as one of her biggest inspirations. Her parents owned a coffee house, Zella often mentioned it was the only venue for live music in her town
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Born on March 13, 1995, Zella Day Kerr, known professionally as Zella Day, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Raised in the small mountainous town of Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona (population: 4,500), Zella was immersed in music from a young age, largely influenced by her family’s artistic background, her mother sang in a jazz trio, which Zella often lists as one of her biggest inspirations. Her parents owned a coffee house, Zella often mentioned it was the only venue for live music in her town, encouraging her to have routine gigs there. When Zella received her first guitar at nine, she taught herself how to sing and play guitar, further nurturing her love for music.
Zella began to not think of music as a dream, but as a future, as she started performing more at her parent’s coffee house. She was heavily influenced by classic artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Neil Young, which shaped her folk and indie-pop style. Her debut album, “Powered by Love,” released in 2009, was an independent project funded by a family friend that showcased her raw talent and potential.
Getting signed at 15 to Wax LTD, Zella worked as a songwriter for BMG and would get flown out to Nashville by her label every month for songwriting sessions which exposed her to the developing music industry of the American Southwest. In an interview with GRL MAG, Zella said “The first time I came to Nashville was for writing sessions, I was around 15 or 16.” “The first thing I remember actually saying when I got off the plane is ‘This is the last place I would come if I was trying to make it in the industry because there’s too many talented people and it’s totally overwhelming.’”
It took until 2012 for Zella Day to release her debut five-track EP ‘Cynics Vs Dreamers’. About a month later, Day released a cover of ‘Seven Nation Army’, which started to gain Zella the attention she deserved.
In 2015, Following the release of her critically acclaimed self tilted EP (2014), Zella finally released her highly anticipated sophomore album 'Kicker’ which included singles like 'Sweet Ophelia’, 'Hypnotic’, and 'East of Eden’ all doing numbers following the album’s release. When interviewed about 'Kicker’ and asked to describe the album, Zella stated “This was such a big project for me and encapsulates so many elements of who I am and what I’ve been through. You really get a strong idea of who I am as a person by listening to this record. It’s very eclectic. There are elements of pop, ballads, outlaw country and even some desert gypsy rock.” 'Kicker’ went on to peak at 65 on the Billboard 200 and 7 on Billboard Alternative, however, Zella is the kind of artist who creates music for the pure love of it and the emotions it evokes in her fans, rather than just for chart success.
Following the success of 'Kicker’, Day promoted the release with appearances in publications such as Vogue, Playboy, and The Huffington Post, and on TV shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and Conan. Zella went on to perform at various festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2016, Firefly Festival 2015, Billboard Hot 100 festival, and most notably, her own headlining tour. Her debut at Coachella caught the eye of Los Angeles Magazine, Billboard, and Consequence of Sound exclaiming “it’s entirely possible that Zella Day looks back on Coachella 2016 as the moment that launched her career in the earnest… Day is an undeniably powerful vocalist.”
In late 2018, Day uploaded a statement to her social media accounts explaining that she had been released by her label and production deal, which allowed her creative freedom to grow as an artist. Fresh off her tour alongside Lana Del Ray, Zella signed a deal between Easy Eye Sound and Concord Records, allowing her to release her newest EP 'Where Does the Devil Hide’. In 2022, after a 4-year hiatus, Zella released her third album 'Sunday in Heaven’.
Current day, Zella has moved from California to Texas, and formed the country music duo Chaparelle with singer-songwriter and romantic partner Jesse Woods, releasing their debut single 'Bleeding Hearts’ in late June 2024.
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…shrink me down again