Following indie pop singer-songwriter Dani Zanoni's debut EP release, Stef caught up with Zanoni to discuss the recording, writing process, and her favorite parts of 20 Something. Read the interview below, or scroll down to check out the video on YouTube!
Photo Credit: Angelica Pasquali | DawnPoint Studios
1. SJ: What inspired you to create 20 Something?
DZ: Well, these five songs that are on the EP, I had them for a couple of years now, and I really just wanted them to have their moment finally. They mean a lot to me because they all revolve around the anxiety that, I've kind of lived through my whole life. And growing up, going through your 20s, trying to figure life out. I just feel like that's such a relatable topic for so many people, and I really wanted my artistic brand to kind of shine through with that. I just felt like it was time for me to share those songs with the world.
2. SJ: What did the writing and recording process look like for this record?
DZ: The recording process is interesting because my producer Julien lives in Montreal. So we had to do everything virtually. I've been working with Julien since 2019, so this is what I'm used to, and what we've been doing since the beginning. But I know for other people, they really like to be in the studio with all of their people, their producer, and work in that way. But I think over the years, Julien and I have created a really great dynamic with each other, the process is so easy when we're doing it virtually. Him and I will work on a song first and edit the lyrics, edit whatever we need to do. And then, we'll go in and start the production format. And Julien and I will go back and forth through Zoom. We'll do a sharing screen, and we'll kind of work through it together. Then once we're ready for the vocals, I go to a studio in Pompton Plains called Portrait Studios, and I work with Chris, and he does the vocal recordings for me. Then we kind of mesh it all together, and yeah, that's how that works.
Photo Credit: Angelica Pasquali | DawnPoint Studios
3. SJ: Do you like to collaborate with other writers or write mainly alone?
DZ: Absolutely. Julien and I have done some collaborating on these songs and I've worked with some other artists as well. I think it's really important to work with other songwriters because you can only think of so much on your own, and working with other people can really spark other ideas that you never explored yet. So absolutely, I love the idea of collaborating.
4. SJ: What part or song from 20 Something do you think will resonate most with listeners? Which is your favorite?
DZ: I think that, "I Know," the song "I Know," would probably resonate with most listeners because it just dives into the fact of you feeling completely alone at times, and thinking there's no one that can relate to you, or understand what you're going through. But in reality, there's always someone out there who is there to support you, who want to see you succeed and be there for you. Just the reminder that you're not alone in what you're going through and you'll be able to, to get through that. I think the message of, "I Know" is one of the more powerful ones and more relatable ones for, for everyone.
Which is my favorite? That's a really tough question because they all mean something different to me and they all kind of narrate a specific area of my life. But I would probably say, if we're just talking about the meaning of the song, it would be "Confessions." That was the most vulnerable that I've ever been in my lyrics, talking about specifically the things that I struggle with and wanting to kind of just let it all out there, and kind of make that be my first step of, you know, saying the things that I deal with on a daily basis and taking the step to hopefully working through it more.
Watch the full Video 5 Fast Facts Interview here
5. SJ: What is one song you wish Dani Zanoni wrote?
DZ: I actually, funny thing, have a playlist of songs, that if I hear it and I'm like, "I wish that I wrote this myself," I kind of go through or I add it to that playlist. And then I also use it as an inspiration for future songwriting. But if I had to pick, I would probably say anything that Sara Bareilles has wrote. Most specifically, she has a song called "Little Voice" and she also wrote, "She Used To Be Mine." You know, when an artist just absolutely articulates in a song exactly how you're feeling? Like those songs, I was like, gosh, I wish I wrote that, because I know exactly what she means when she wrote that.
SJ: What’s next for Dani Zanoni?
DZ: I have a bunch of live shows coming up, which you can check out on, Bandsintown, Dani Zanoni. I have everything listed there. I'm always updating it, so if you're ever around and you wanna come and see me and hang out, please do! As far as recordings, nothing set in stone right now. I really wanna focus on 20 Something and really pushing that out there. But there will definitely be more recordings to come and lots of songwriting this year for sure.
Listen to 20 Something below!
Credits:
Production: Julien Renvoise, Spatial Soul
Songwriting: Dani Zanoni, Julien Renvoise
Mixing: Nicholas Di Lorenzo, Panorama Mastering
Mixing ("Back Home"): Will Owen Bennett
Mastering: Nicholas Di Lorenzo, Panorama Mastering
Vocal Recording: Chris Badami, Portrait Recording Studios
Drums ("Back Home"): Tomas Shannon