Zoe Bayani on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Zoe Bayani shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Zoe, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Who are you learning from right now?
I am quite literally learning from Adrienne Lenker of Big Thief right now. I recently purchased the archived lessons from her songwriting class with “School of Song” and have been working on the courses each week! She speaks so eloquently and Big Thief has been one of my favorite bands for years, along with her solo music, so learning from her is a huge honor. I have already seen growth in my songwriting skills, and I would highly recommend the class if you have the means to purchase the lessons! I think it is very useful for artists to study those who inspire them and give their creative methods a try. I am excited to blend her writing methods with my own to see what I can create!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Zoe Bayani, and I am a singer and songwriter. I’ve been making indie rock music and playing shows around the south since 2021. Sonically, I’m currently heavily inspired by the 90s, specifically femme led rock groups of the time, like Hole, The Breeders, the Cranberries, and Veruca Salt. Lyrically, I am inspired by amazing storytellers such as Fiona Apple, Joan Baez, and Liz Phair. I think that my music evokes a strong sense of uncomfortable nostalgia. I love history, antiques, and the macabre, which all serve as inspiration for the subject matter of my songs, and honestly for my over all vibe.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed that I was going to get possessed by a ghost girl that lived in the attic of my house. I also believed that I was destined to be shy, meek, and quiet, but making music has drastically improved my ability to speak about my emotions, and capture people’s attention. As a kid I was always told that I was quiet and weird, which made it very difficult for me to make long term friendships, as I seemed to always be forgotten the next school year when someone more exciting would be in class. I also never felt comfortable with speaking my mind, and always felt unable to command attention. I felt unusual compared to the kids around me. I thought I was just the most agreeable when I was in the background and silently living in my own world. The confidence I have found through music while growing in to a young woman, and realizing that I have a way to communicate my feelings easier than face to face has really changed my view on myself. I have realized that I am not shy or anything of the sort when it comes to expressing myself, I just had to find the right environment to do so, which I now know is through performance! I am still definitely not the most social person you’ll ever meet, you could ask anyone. But, I’m pretty sure it’s cool to be a “mysterious girl” these days anyways.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Throughout college I was really spiraling over where I wanted my life to go after graduation. I didn’t even want to go to college, because I felt like I was wasting my prime time of being a youthful woman, therefore missing my window of major success, which is obviously an issue in itself. My parents had to push me to stay in school- which in hindsight I am extremely grateful for. I studied music management, because freshman year I decided that I wanted my life to revolve around music forever. But, I figured I should have a “plan B” if my own music didn’t work out. The deeper I got into school and the more stressed I got about finishing my degree, I started feeling like I was just wasting prime time to be developing my own career. I started to accept that I would probably just graduate and get a desk job and if I was lucky it would be at a company like iHeartRadio or LiveNation or something in the industry. I knew if I chose to go down that path then I would most likely get swallowed in my work life and become more focused on being an instrument in the career of other musicians and eventually have to leave behind my own. When graduation rolled around I realized that whenever you have a backup plan, you will just always end up doing the back up plan. So I had to force myself to choose between pursuing my music or taking the safe route of being someone else’s employee forever. I was so close to the latter, and I am so glad I pivoted and found the motivation to keep making music.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Time travel.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am very lucky that my parents have supported the idea of me being a musician. They put me in a music lessons when I was 4, and I knew that I wanted to be a rock star. I even remember making my older cousin play pretend with me where I was a singer and she was my “manager” and she would make fake appointments and press appearances for me to attend around my house. I guess I am doing both what I was born to do and what I was told to do, and it just so happens that it is the same thing. My parents have always told me that I should pursue music and I would never want to let that support go to waste, because I know many artists don’t get that from their family. I am so grateful that they have allowed me to pursue what has been my passion my whole life. I also think I was born to be an astronaut but I’m not tall enough, so I guess you win some and lose some.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zoebayani.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/zoeibayani
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zoebayani
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/zoe-bayani
• Other: https://zoebayani.bandcamp.com/music

Image Credits
Tessa Wessel, Summer Schantz