Daily Discovery is a daily feature that will highlight a new or recently discovered artist that we’re excited about. See the rest of our Daily Discoveries here.
Zella Day has a distinct aura to her. It’s evident from a brief skim through her Instagram and Facebook photos, which are filled with images of sprawling landscapes, portraits of Day among colorful tapestries, even one of her with a monkey playfully perched on her head. Day is a free spirit, one that’s as at home on top of a tree stump in the middle of a forest as she is on stage. This is perhaps a product of her childhood—the singer grew up in a small mountain town of less than 7,000 in Arizona. Her family owned a local coffee shop, where she surrounded herself with other musicians who frequented the spot. It’s here that she first performed sets of Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley songs with only a guitar.
With this kind of upbringing, it’s no wonder Zella embarked on her own artistic path. In 2012, she drummed up buzz with her unique, stripped down cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” This year though, Day is readying new, original material; the first offering being her fantastic “Sweet Ophelia.” Here Day manages to take her folky, western influences and merge them with a current indie pop sound, creating a production that feels both modern and organic. Says Day about the song:
Sweet Ophelia serves as a window into the soul of a young tortured girl in love. Imagine deep shades of red, dark velvets, thick starry skies, and the faint smell of jasmine. Sweet Ophelia.
“Sweet Ophelia” is the A-side of her forthcoming debut 7″ slated for release spring 2014 on B3SCI (Jungle, Misun, etc.). Get familiar below.
