Feeling Lovesick With Zoe Ko
Zoe Ko’s latest single “Lovesick in Public” is a spunky, flirtatious bop to add to the soundtrack of your next night out. Released on September 29th, this is her third single to date. The last time Unpublished talked with Ko, she had just put out “Til U,” an equally angsty track that pairs well with her bold themes. In our latest chat with Ko, she plunges into the inspiration behind her newest release, her artistic visions for her cover art, and what to expect for her upcoming debut EP.
[UNPUBLISHED:] For people unfamiliar with your sound, how would you describe it?
[ZOE:] I just say it's emotional and fun and unhinged, like alternative pop and pop rock. A lot of times I'll say it has the emotional element of Fleetwood Mac and some of the singer-songwriter rock; but then kind of this edgy, more modern side of like Olivia Rodrigo now. I think it’s kind of edgy pop whether it takes on more alt vibes or some rock vibes, it always has a little bit of an edge to it. That’s what people usually tell me. When I make a song or something and I'm like, "does this sound like me?" You know, they're like, "oh, it's just like missing that edge." And I don't really know how to describe the edge but there's something in it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You released “Lovesick in Public” a few weeks ago, how does it feel to have it out now?
[ZOE:] It's so exciting. It's always incredibly nerve racking for me. I get post-release depression every time. I can't help it. It's also incredibly exciting and it's been so lovely hearing what my fans have to say. But, it personally for me also was this incredibly freeing song to make because I had just gotten out of my relationship, like a long term relationship I had and it was just really fun and unhinged and that's how I was feeling. You know, I see all these other people that are feeling the same way and they're like, "oh my god, it gives me confidence and it makes me feel like a bad bitch." And I'm like, "good, as it should." So it's really cute and fun to have it out. Naturally, I always get a little post-release depression from just hoping that the numbers go well and you know, whatever people respond to it well. But, it's so fun having it out finally.
For "Lovesick in Public," it's definitely gotten a lot more fan attention, which has been really exciting to see. So, they'll reach out all the time and just say how it makes them really confident or it's like a style and aesthetic that they want to follow. You know it's like their whole vibe that they want to kind of create for themselves for like freshman year at college. It's just really cute to see how much the song empowers them or gives them energy in life to pursue what they want to do. So it's just really, really sweet to hear because it kind of gives me that same confidence. So, it's just been really nice to see people getting that as well.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was your creative process behind “Lovesick in Public?” What was the inspiration? How did it come to fruition?
[ZOE:] I was at this kind of wild party and I just kept getting hit on by this one guy and it was very much working for me. I was just very flustered and because I just got out of my relationship, it was just all new to me and it was an insane rush of flirtatious feelings. I just hadn't felt that in like four and a half years because I was in my committed relationship. So, it was just this kind of over exaggerated feeling of flirtation and feeling like someone's flirting with you or having a good time with you out in public. And it wasn't like this sweet, cozy, private, long term relationship thing, it was very much the opposite feeling. And so after that night I just was walking home, like in my 10 minute walk I wrote like half the song. I was just on my voice memo phone walking. So, just completely acapella a lot of the lyrics and melody just kind of came out and I was just having fun dancing around on the street at 2 AM singing into my voice memo. You can hear in the original voice memo that I was writing it in, trucks going by me and people passing me. So that was generally how the song kind of came to be and then I brought it to my main producer and co-songwriter and we finished it up and got all the final touches on it and really made the lyrics come together as well.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Your lyricism is very powerful, it has this certain angst to it. Do you have a favorite lyric from “Lovesick in Public?”
[ZOE:] I think one of my favorite ones is like "Throw up cause I'm feeling kinda lovesick / Your tapes running in my head / Getting scratched up bad." The tape part I just love the idea because that's kind of how it was after this night. I would be zoning out and keep rewinding this little moment with this person in my head. And I just loved the idea of the tape that I like recorded with my eyes or whatever, going back and back and back, getting really scratched up in my head. And then I also love "My cheeks red like a cherry / Help me because I am berry." It's so funny because people either love or hate that line because of the “berry” thing. It's just a play on “very” and it's just because I said a fruit in the line before; but, I just think it's fun and cheeky and I usually never do shit like that. I said it in the session like a joke, I was like "should we say berry?" And we were just laughing and we were like, "I think we should." Then I love "I keep you in my little locket." I think that really sums up the feeling too, it's just this little thing that you keep around, like this memory of it and confidence booster. Love and flirtation, it just gives you such a boost and it's just so fun. So I just think keeping it in this little thing that you take on you everywhere, that's pretty cool to me.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Your cover art channels this Avril Lavigne, 2000s vibe. What was your vision with the cover art for “Lovesick in Public” along with your other singles?
[ZOE:] That's actually kind of a mistake with Avril. It's so funny because people keep telling that to me and I'm like, "Oh, wow, you're right." I like Avril, but I just wasn't ever some crazy fan, I never knew what her visuals looked like. And now yeah, looking back, I'm like, "Oh, shit that's cool." I literally have always loved film. So they're all taken on film. So the first one was just with this moving train. With "Line," there was recordings of the train, the R-line that I grew up on. I would take that to and from school every single day in my life, I just spent so much time in my childhood growing up on that train. And the whole metaphor of the song is like "are you willing to ride my line, are you willing to ride this crazy train ride with me and love me as all of me?" So that was kind of the metaphor, I just wanted this impactful, moving train behind. I just wanted to feel the motion and the hecticness of it, but then it's kind of beautiful as well. So that was "Line" for me. I also creative direct and direct all of my visuals.
And then "Til U" – I thought about this one with one of my best friends who we co direct some of my music videos now. And naturally I wanted to have the same idea for the music video fall into the cover art. So it was with this red balloon with a band aid over it. I kind of referenced Banksy with that girl with the red heart balloon in the city. I just think that was beautiful, just feeling kind of lost; but, like this innocent figure for this kind of heart wrenching angry breakup song. I never want to go too negative, so even though it was a breakup song and I was really angry, the whole song was about me getting out these bottled up, angered emotions and stuff. So, I liked the idea of having a band aid over it, like it was still healing. In general, I've always wanted my music to be very healing for people and therapeutic. I always say music has been my best friend growing up, so, if that can be the same for someone else, that's amazing to me. So yeah, I like the idea of subtle, positive notes. In the music video I was stabbing the balloons and stuff because I didn't want to feel anymore and the hearts were kind of a physical representation of my heart and feelings. So, in the cover art, it was just a healing heart instead.
So "Lovesick in Public," it's just super fun and unhinged and I just wanted to be incredibly fun with it. So I definitely wanted red lipstick because I just kept envisioning certain textures and things in general as well with the music video that I'm currently editing. I just envisioned a lot of red lipstick and kind of dirty New York. So at first I was going to sit in trash bags or something. And I didn't want anyone else in it. So it was just like after a long night when you end up sitting on the subway platform, when you're waiting for the L-train for like 30 minutes or something. I was just kind of envisioning ending up laying on the street or sitting on the street after this crazy night. Then yeah, just like with red lipstick, I just really wanted to write out the words of the song and stuff. It wasn't even specifically a concept, I just felt the textures and the items more for that one. And I just like the flash element of it, so it was just taken with this flash and film. It was kind of like you caught me in a moment or something on the street, feeling lovesick.
[UNPUBLISHED:] The last time you spoke with Unpublished you had just released “Til U.” Now that it’s been out for about three months, how do you feel?
[ZOE:] It's just really lovely to finally have music out, no matter what song it is. I've just been working on music and trying to figure out who I was as an artist, like what I wanted my voice to be for so long. Like really, really working on it since I was like 19, which is not crazy long, I'm 21 now, almost 22. But, it just felt like I was just really sledging through words. I was just trying to find myself in them. So to have the songs out, I'm like, "Yeah, that's really me." I always tell people you can probably learn more about me through my songs than me telling you. So it's just cool. As I slowly start to release more, if they wanted to dive in, then they can really learn a lot about me and my life and my feelings. I feel like I'm building out slowly a little diary. It's like the songs just come out after these things happen in my life.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I read that you're working on your debut EP, what can people expect from it?
[ZOE:] Everything keeps shifting because of social media and just plans for me with labels. I was going to release a four track EP; but, because the music means so much to me and I have this idea for the title anyways, signed with love with a comma afterwards, like a journal. Because that's how I sign all of my journals at the end. I just want the EP to mean something and I want it to be a little longer so I'm just gonna come out with a few more singles before a project is actually released. At least at that point it'll be like a real project and not just four songs. It'll be like six or seven songs and feel like you're really reading part of my life. So yeah, that's what we're working on and I think the songs exist now officially, but I don't know exactly what order they're coming in. I honestly think I'm gonna let Tik Tok figure out this next one for me, it's honestly easier. Whatever people resonate with the most, you know. I can't tell, especially for like the winter, it's hard because most of my music is not calm or slow and so I'm just gonna be like, yeah, "What vibe resonates with you the best?"
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you feel like your songs are more of a summer, running around kind of feel?
[ZOE:] Yeah, just literally anything but winter. I think fall is pretty fine. Spring is fine. And then Summer is like some of the more fun and unhinged ones like "Lovesick in Public." But, winter, it's just like I don't know man. I have a few, I was gonna come out with this ballad called "rock bottom;" but, it just doesn't feel right to follow up "Lovesick in Public" with a really depression based ballad. It's really hard to just figure out what songs should come after what and what journey to take people on with the music. We kind of figure it out each step of the way because everything kind of changes so fast in the industry right now and like where the focus should be. So I don't even have a straight up answer but definitely singles and then that will 100% lead to a project and I'm hoping it'll be like a full six to seven songs.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What has been inspiring you lately? What have you been listening to lately?
[ZOE:] So many things. I've been saying Holly Humberstone for like three years. So, Holly Humberstone and I love Conan gray and girl in red. I also have been listening a lot to like Talking Heads and I also love Baby Queen for sure, she's like one of my favorites and Wet Leg is also like my fucking favorite. They're so fun. That's kind of where a lot of my unhinged and just stream of consciousness kind of comes from them, because they would say the funniest, randomest shit. They're like, "Would you like me to find someone to butter your muffin?" Like that's a whole lyric and I'm like "sick." So now I'm just doing weird shit like that because I'm like, "yeah, it works." And then Maneskin. I'm also in love with all of them and it's like my bi fantasy. It's whatever. It's intense. It's whatever, it's fine. So them for many reasons. And then I actually love Fred Again. I don't know that it has any relation to my music, but I love him. And I feel what he does perfectly is emotional words and phrases that he creates an entire dance atmosphere for and I love it. I just love the combination of it and it just feels real. It's really hard to find real music and artists sometimes and all the ones that I am saying I feel are very, very real. I also love The Smashing Pumpkins and then Matilda Mann. I also love K Flay and I love Elle King. Two Door Cinema Club is also amazing and Blondie always. Also No Doubt, I love them. I did a cover of "Just A Girl" at my last show and it was really fun.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What have you been up to outside of music?
[ZOE:] Honestly, hanging with friends as much as possible. Which is not very often because I'm so busy. But, hanging out with friends because they're really like my family and so I just love them with every part of me. I also spend way too much time thrifting and way too much money. Literally the last time I went thrifting I had the entire pile in a bag for like a month because I didn't even have room to put them in my closet yet. So yeah way too much time thrifting. It's like my therapy. I need to find a therapist because it's become just thrifting for me. I also work at a kava bar, so I'm a bartender. So I also unfortunately do that for 20 hours a week. And then recently, I've just been going to all of my friend's shows, my artist friends and seeing them perform and stuff. And you know, the occasional enjoyable grocery shop at Trader Joe's is always a very nice experience.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What does the future look like for you? What do you want fans to know?
[ZOE:] I want fans to know that I'm here to stay, I'm going to be consistently coming out with music and putting my best foot forward. I'm going to be doing a lot more in the next two months. Just like fan engagement, I just started a little mail club, so they can sign up and I can send out stickers and handwritten lyrics and notes and some bracelets and necklaces that I make and wear in a lot of my music videos and cover arts and visuals. So I'm just really trying to genuinely connect with people now and just continue releasing music and hopefully trying to meet everyone in person while doing live.
