Today, we’d like to introduce you to Zaria Joyner.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in a small town in Western North Carolina. I spent most of my time playing outside with my siblings and cousins. We would go hiking, biking, fishing, and camping. It was honestly a very ideal place for a child to grow up. I played many sports as a kid as well.
I tried my hand at a lot, but my favorite was basketball. I played year-round for many years, starting around the age of 12 until I was 18. When I was 16 years old, I suffered an ACL injury that took me out of the game for 6 months. During that time, I felt lost. I was very sad and unhappy that I was unable to play the sport I loved so much. Luckily, I found music. I had always shown an interest in music, and I was already well on my way as a guitar player. With basketball off the table as an outlet, I dove into playing the guitar. I practiced for hours a day with no problem. It was the most fun and natural thing for me. I learned a lot of Metallica, TOOL, and Megadeth songs in those days.
I continued to explore music throughout high school. I played guitar in my instrumental ensemble class, and I quickly got bored of classical tunes like “Canon” in D and various fugues. I got together with some like-minded classmates and convinced the instructor to let us start a rock band. We weren’t great but we had fun performing the likes of Nirvana, The Strokes, Green Day, and Arctic Monkeys in front of our peers. I then got started with recording while making funny diss tracks for my friends at school. They may have hyped me up too much because I never stopped making music after that. I began creating “real” songs that helped me express my emotions and make sense of the world.
I continued making and releasing R&B music through my first year and a half of college when I realized something was missing. I wasn’t fully fulfilled making that type of music, recording other people’s beats, and delivering what felt like boring live performances with no live instrumentation. I still wanted to do music, but I wanted to show people a more authentic version of myself who loved rock music and playing the guitar on stage. I wasn’t sure how to proceed toward my goal, but it wasn’t long until the catalyst I needed manifested itself in a bigger way than I could have ever imagined.
A video of me playing Metallica songs in response to a comment on TikTok that read, “I bet you can’t name 3 Metallica songs,” went viral across the world. I garnered a lot of followers from the video and caught the eye of several record label executives. Excited by all the attention I was getting, I began writing and co-producing original Rock/R&B songs. I threw everything I had at getting signed to a label for the next year of my life. I spent most of my money and did everything I could to be taken seriously, but at the end of the day, I didn’t find the right opportunity. Ultimately, I had moved the meter in the right direction, but I wasn’t quite there yet, and I remained unsigned and independent.
Little did I know at the time, but what seemed like a failure actually gave me the freedom to continue finding myself and developing my skills as an artist and producer. I spent the next 2 years listening to tons of music from electronic to indie to shoe-gaze and progressive metal and crafting my own unique sound. Fast-forward to today, and I’m in the process of recording my first self-produced album.
I truly believe it’s my best work to date, and I plan to release it in early 2025. I still make videos online playing guitar, but I am ready to step into my role as an artist, performer, and leader of my live band. It’s going to be so sick!
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Most of the path I’ve chosen has not been smooth. I’d describe it as a very rocky and obstacle-ridden path that I’m forging. At this point, I know that that is all it will ever be, and I’m okay with that. Breaking into such a competitive industry is not for the faint of heart.
Everyone faces challenges in their life; I just try to take the obstacles in stride and see them as an opportunity to grow and get better. I think the biggest challenge for me has been blocking out the noise of other people’s opinions. You have to stop caring what other people think. It’s your path, and you chose it for a reason. You have to own it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an independent rock artist. I self-produced my work at my home studio in Carrboro, NC. My specialty is my songwriting/producing ability.
I try to take negative things/feelings and turn them into beautiful pieces of music that speak to people and help them with whatever they’re going through. I am most proud of myself for never giving up on myself and trusting my intuition. I believe what sets me apart from others is my wide range of talent and interest in the process of creating music.
I’m a singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist playing guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard. Most people wear one or two of those hats, but my curiosity has never allowed for that kind of specialization. Even though I could excel faster, focusing on certain areas of creating music, I enjoy the autonomy that comes from having a wide array of skills.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
I think risk is absolutely necessary. There is a certain element of faith involved in your success, and it’s all about believing in yourself. I learned in a business class that many small businesses get started by taking out loans, utilizing credit cards, or even borrowing money from friends and family.
I followed that logic and took financial risks, amassing a sizable amount of debt while trying to get my first record deal. Fortunately, it was something I could recover from, and I was successful in moving my career forward. I see that as a risk that paid off because my dream is still alive today. Had I never taken that risk, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
No matter your career choice, if you want success in life, you have to go out on a limb and believe in yourself. There is a quote from a song that wraps up my sentiments on this succinctly and that I use as inspiration in my own life; “Write your own fable, believe it will all work out.” “Bedlamite,” Puscifer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zariasmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zariasmusic/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf66zgYiv1UlTnv7Ggs74uQ
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3j14ilm5bNT5ulEq2GxCMv?si=nVwwUrbtQFmqyMN89J4MeQ
Image Credits
Cory Tarlton @corytarlton
