J Hacha De Zola has been on my radar for a couple of years. Every time De Zola releases a new single or collection of songs I get excited. Because I know that I will be getting high quality sonics, clever lyrics and some of the swag that J seems to exude naturally.
On April 2, 2021, he will be releasing “J Hacha De Zola’s Greatest Hits”. This will be a 12 track collection of songs that span his career thus far. As De Zola told me, “It’s more of a survey of what I’ve done. In a way, it lets me know.. it’s kind of like some self exploring. I took what I felt like were really characteristic tunes that are characteristics of my style, of my being. Maybe some b-sides and maybe some songs that people have to seem to have taken to and I just made a compilation.”
As I have heard most of his catalog and got a sneak peak at the track list I feel like his fans are in for a real treat. The album ends with one of my personal favorites in the song, “Syn Illusion”. Putting these songs together in this setting and at his choosing really gives you a sense of the complex and creative nature that he has inside of him.
The album artwork spiritually channels John Denver. Obviously, as a songwriter, J Hacha De Zola and John Denver come from vastly different places, with different musical ideas… As for the could-be-ironic, mostly inexplicable, definitely fun tribute that is the album’s cover, a dead-on approximation of singer-songwriter John Denver’s own eponymous and iconic John Denver’s Greatest Hits album image… Hacha De Zola focuses in on, and connects with what they have deeply in common, saying, “I loved this idea of being exactly what you are. Whatever you are, be it.”
You can hear my entire conversation with this brilliant songwriter by clicking on the link to your favorite place to listen to podcasts:
-Tommy Marz
You can find Tommy on Twitter
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