Q&A: Zerrin
Zerrin is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer based in Glasgow, Scotland. Fascinated by people and their inner lives, and the textures of the natural/unnatural world around her - she makes intricate and experimental chamber pop and draws inspiration from a wide landscape of music and other influences ~ folk, cinema, psychedelic rock, alternative 70s and 80s, among others.
Your latest track is indie-pop infused “Spring Cleaning”, can you tell us how came together and the inspiration for the song?
I first started writing 'Spring Cleaning' last spring (in 2023) - I'd had some difficult family news to process, and I found myself compulsively turning to everyday tasks like cleaning and sorting, I think to stay busy and grounded while my mind was whirring. It was really a strange experience to be feeling all this grief and confusion while the season around me was so fresh and joyful, and that got me thinking about the contrasts and complexities of time passing - how it brings both renewal and endings. And so the song became a reflection on managing this cycle of change as an adult - trying to be organised and productive, looking to the future, but also mourning the past.
Bringing it together, I’d worked on a demo for the song a bit at home, and then I brought that to my drummer Liam. Then we developed a part which we then recorded in studio. The rest of the production was this fairly private mix of slow exploration and then flurries of fast recording, production, and mixing at home. Then once I had the final mix together I sent it off for mastering. I like to dwell in the songs as I'm working on them, and to spend lots of time subtly weaving the different sounds and textures together until I'm happy with the balance.
A big part of thinking about the song as I was finishing the mixing, was working on the video and the visual storytelling of the song with my brilliant filmmaker friend Debora. We shot the whole thing on 16mm out in the Ayrshire countryside, and I can't wait to share the final result (coming soon...)
I also want to mention the incredible funding support from UNESCO Glasgow City of Music, as it funded significant parts of both the recording and music video filming, and so was instrumental in helping 'Spring Cleaning' come to life.
Which Scottish acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment? And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland/the UK/internationally?
Ahh, lots of great acts to choose from!
I've been enjoying the new debut tracks from Peach Crumb a lot ~ also been loving listening to Cloth, Saint Sappho, Juan Laforet, C Duncan, Bikini Body, Gelatine, Sacred Paws, and Walt Disco. And more honestly, but I should stop somewhere...
I can see Walt Disco becoming the next big thing in the UK and beyond - I think they're just going from strength to strength, and riding all this momentum with their recent brilliant album release and ongoing touring. They also just have such a clear, unique voice and vision as a band, which I find really exciting to see.
Do you have any advice for upcoming artists in Scotland, what would you tell your younger self to help her navigate the industry?
I'd encourage any upcoming artists to try and meet other artists and people in the scene (in whatever way works for you! Whether for example that’s in person at gigs and events, or through online groups) and to not be afraid to ask questions if you don’t know how something works. There’s so much you can learn from your peers, and I’ve found that most other artists are really happy to help each other out in demystifying the industry. I think it just takes away some of that self-imposed pressure of trying to figure it all out alone, especially when you realise so many people experience the same challenges as you. It can also open up unexpected connections and opportunities! Which is a wonderful thing too.
And to my younger self, I think I would tell her that she’s doing ok and to trust her instincts! That she should take her time, breathe, and not worry so much about what other people are doing and how quickly they seem to be doing it. It’s so easy (and common) to compare yourself, and I spent a lot of time early on second-guessing myself and feeling like I was behind. But there are so many other rich parts of life to understand and experience, and I think I truly started finding my feet once I stopped rushing and started just trying to enjoy myself - both in life and music.
Tell us your three desert island albums.
Oh that's so so hard. There are way too many albums from so many categories to say definitively! So with that said - here are 3 more contemporary artists/albums that I not only love a lot, but have also had a big creative impact on me recently:
- Weyes Blood 'Titanic Rising'
- Nabihah Iqbal 'Dreamer'
- Aoife Nessa Frances 'Protector'You should see how long my list was! I found it very hard to choose, and kept going back and forth between recent finds and early formative albums. I feel like the answer could be so different depending on the day or the framework, but I guess the abundance of choice is kind of beautiful.
If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?
Hmm, again many answers ~ but I think it would be amazing to collaborate with Laetitia Sadier (from Stereolab)! She’s so prolific, and I’m consistently surprised and delighted by everything she makes.
And finally, what can we expect to see from Zerrin throughout the rest of 2024
Definitely more music and live gigs. I'm releasing an EP late this August! And I'm very excited to be putting it out into the world - both the singles from earlier this year will be on it, plus a couple of new songs. I'm also playing my first headline with a band on August 2nd at The Hug and Pint for Endless Summer. There'll be some other shows to look out for, but particularly buzzing to play that one and share what I've been working on with my wonderful band :)
Join us at Resonate 2024 on the 28th November at Platform, Glasgow. Final Early Bird tickets are still available and close to selling out! Click here for tickets.