A Journey Into Zella Day’s Newest Album Sunday In Heaven
Zella Day has returned with her sophomore album Sunday In Heaven, a cosmic invite into her dreamy, disco-laden, indie-pop realm. Released on October 14th of this year, the twelve-track project encompasses Day’s exploration of her personal sound, describing it as “the most ambitious music I’ve made.” The album is interlaced with 70s hues and entrancing pop notes, giving an otherworldly feeling that still dials back down to the classic aesthetics of LA’s neon fever dream. Day transforms the mundane, transfixed by her intoxicating vocals that commands us to sway and dance to her mystic breeze.
It has been seven years since the release of Day’s debut album Kicker, which placed her right in center stage. Released in 2015, songs from the album such as “Hypnotic” and “East of Eden” established her rare sound, wrapped in an indie Americana-esque aura. These songs are extremely nostalgic, defining an exciting era in pop music that channeled the energies of folk and rock in an innovative wave. In 2020, Day went on to produce Where Does The Devil Hide, a five-song EP transcendent to her sonic universe. A sweet addition to her discography, the EP feels like a distant sibling of what we hear in the expansive Sunday In Heaven.
Since 2020, Day’s career has been rich in collaborations. In 2021, Weyes Blood and her released “Holocene,” an acoustic masterpiece riddled with lush harmonies between the two singers. Then, her and Weyes Blood joined Lana Del Rey on Chemtrails Over The Country Club to cover Joni Mitchell’s “For Free.” The three singers brought together a timeless classic in a modern lullaby.
Now, in 2022, Day has entered a new age with Sunday In Heaven. Unpublished had the opportunity to talk with Day about the album, diving into her creative processes, inspirations, and visions for this era – read on to find out!
[UNPUBLISHED:] How have you been?
[ZELLA DAY:] Happy to see the leaves changing and the rain falling in my front yard.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You just released your latest album, Sunday In Heaven, last Friday. Congratulations! What was the creative process behind this album?
[ZELLA DAY:] The recording process took place in Nashville at the “Neon Church.” I remember standing in line for a poke bowl in Long Beach and making the decision to take Sunday in Heaven to the Church. It felt like destiny. I had been collecting songs three years before recording the record. A lot of demos were made in Chino summer of 2019 in my friend John Velasquez’s bedroom studio. He was a close collaborator throughout the whole process, producing “You Sexy Thing” which I consider to be the first step into this new era.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How would you describe your sound in this album? Are there any new approaches you took to develop the aura of Sunday In Heaven?
[ZELLA DAY:] I would describe it as expansive. It’s the most ambitious music I’ve made. I was very fortunate to have incredibly talented players on the record that greatly contributed to the overall sound of Sunday in Heaven. Carla Azar from Autolux played all of the drums on the record, sparse and technical with a lot of feel, some of the arrangements were dictated by her ingenius. Daniel Tichenor from Cage the Elephant handled the bass, songs like “Dance for Love” would be nothing without him, he gave me the disco I was searching for. My longtime friend Ellie Mae who tours with me every now and then joined us in the studio to record harmonies. Her tone is darker than mine and when the two of us sing in unison it creates a really special drone effect.
[UNPUBLISHED:] It has been seven years since the release of your debut album Kicker and two years since the release of your EP Where Does The Devil Hide. What did you learn and experience as an artist during this time? Has your songwriting process changed during this period?
[ZELLA DAY:] For this record cycle I’m applying the lessons by freely experimenting with my sound and persona. The time is now to grow and take risks. I don’t want to have any regrets.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite song from the album that you are excited for people to hear? If so, what does this song mean to you?
[ZELLA DAY:] The bridge on “Girls” is one of my favorite moments on the record. It’s packed with high voltage girl power. I went for a Marc Bolan vocal run at the end through a reverse looping pedal that is almost impossible to recreate live but I try my damndest.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You recently sold out the Lodge Room in Los Angeles! How was this show? Is there a song that was your favorite to perform?
[ZELLA DAY:] The Lodge Room was euphoric. There were some technical difficulties that I had to brush off but no difficulties in connecting to the audience. That’s the most important. It’s been years since I headlined LA, it was a warm welcome home.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Your lyricism is so ephemeral and moving, is there a favorite lyric that you wrote for this album?
[ZELLA DAY:] Hmmm. I was so giddy when the line “we’re a faded constellation never constant always changing we’re a cluster of familiar pain” finally appeared. I was inspired by the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young lyric, “we are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon, and we got to get ourselves back to the garden.”
[UNPUBLISHED:] You released “Dance For Love” from the album as a single back in May of 2021. How long have you been working on the album? Is there a specific reason you released this song first?
[ZELLA DAY:] Too long! Honestly. Too damn long.
[UNPUBLISHED:] The title track “Sunday In Heaven” is such a beautiful song that feels very storylike. Can you tell us more about how this song became the title track and the inspiration behind it?
[ZELLA DAY:] It was a destination that had never been written. I thought the idea of showing up to Heaven disappointed was quite funny but I think of the song and the title as different entities. The song is a metaphor for a specific personal experience, the album title itself is transcendent.
[UNPUBLISHED:] The album cover is stunning, what was the vision behind this?
[ZELLA DAY:] Thank you! I wanted a galactic disco dolly. Retrofuturism. I’m a big fan of Elizaveta Porodina and had the privilege of shooting the album campaign with her in Paris. Sunday in Heaven needed something cosmic, nobody does cosmic better than Elizaveta.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You wrote in an Instagram post about Sunday In Heaven that “I am committed to the belief that music can take you beyond the limitations of the physical world.” This album brings forth a very astrological and universal feel. Is there a planet or constellation of choice that you believe Sunday In Heaven belongs on or in?
[ZELLA DAY:] In the breast of HERA the queen of Heaven and goddess of the air and starry constellations.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You collaborated with Weyes Blood last year to create “Holocene.” What was the creative process like between you two?
[ZELLA DAY:] Speaking of goddesses! I was shy when I played “Holocene” for Natalie on her living room floor one afternoon. She agreed to join me in the studio to finish writing the choruses and to lend her voice. She’s one of the most talented and instinctual singers I’ve ever encountered, so perfectly in touch with her power. We spoke a lot of The Roches during our creative process, citing them an influence for harmonic direction. The vision was melancholic and jazzy. Natalie is the best hang in the studio, down for the process no matter how long it takes and consistently coming up with great ideas.
[UNPUBLISHED:] For those who want to experience the ambience of Sunday In Heaven live, do you plan to tour soon?
[ZELLA DAY:] Yes! I’m looking at Spring dates into Summer.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You joined Lana Del Rey and Weyes Blood on Chemtrails Over The Country Club to cover “For Free” by Joni Mitchell. I can definitely hear a 70s tone in your sound. What artists have been an inspiration to you?
[ZELLA DAY:] For my influences that were actively making music in the 70’s I would have to say Carole
King, Minnie Riperton, Karen Carpenter, Big Star, The Jackson 5, Judee Sill.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Sunday In Heaven feels like a perfect listen for driving through the desert or along the ocean with the windows down. Is there a landscape or location that was special to you in creating this album?
[ZELLA DAY:] Living in view of the Hollywood sign in a small apartment off of the Boulevard. Los Angeles is a juicy glaze poured all over Sunday in Heaven.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Finally, what are your next steps? What does the future look like for Zella Day?
[ZELLA DAY:] I relocated to Central Texas in October. When I’m not playing shows in support of my record I’ll be decorating the cabin and listening to old country records. I starred in an independent film at the top of this year called “20 in a pack” that will be out in the spring. Shooting the movie was a transformative experience and I hope to have more opportunities to act. I’m continuously writing and working on new music, hopefully some of that meets the world in 2023.
