Zoya (singer)

Zoya (born April 11, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and music business entrepreneur. She has gained recognition from heavyweights AR Rahman and The Chainsmokers while touring on festival bills and as a support act for the likes of Natty, Lucy Rose, Madame Gandhi, Youngr, Submotion Orchestra, Bloc Party, Clean Bandit, and Martin Garrix.

Zoya
BornApril 11, 1993
New Delhi, India
CitizenshipUnited States
OccupationSinger, songwriter
Home townNewport Beach, California
Websitewww.zoyamusicofficial.com

Life and career

Zoya was born in New Delhi, India in April 1993. At 6 months old, she moved with her family to Newport Beach, California where she spent her childhood. As a teenager she attended Orange County School of the Arts in the Visual Arts and Commercial Voice Conservatory.[1]

She began writing and performing original material in local bars and coffeehouses up and down the California coast. Upon graduating from OCSA in 2011, Zoya began attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She continued to write and perform original music while attending class as a full-time student in the Music Business Program.

Zoya performing at Nariyal Paani Festival, Ali Baug, India[2]

In 2013, she released Letters To Toska EP[3] and began booking her own gigs across the East Coast and California, performing at famous music clubs like Rockwood Music Hall and Whisky A Go-Go. She opened for Storyman, Ryan Scott, at the first literature event presented by the Indo-American Arts Council featuring author, Salman Rushdie.[4] In 2014, she released her visual EP, "Lasya" , via YouTube[5] and later opened for singer-songwriter, Kawehi, which ultimately landed her a supporting slot on Kawehi's Evolution Tour the same year.

In the summer of 2015 Zoya released her full-length album The Girl Who Used To Live in My Room.[6] In October 2015, eight producers collaborated with Zoya to compile an electronic remix album entitled, Zoya: Plugged In in which all proceeds from the album were donated to organizations providing electricity to rural schools in Udaipur, India.[7][8]

At the end of 2015, Zoya began touring and performing shows all across India[9][10] performing at festivals, venues, and even presented songwriting classes at various contemporary music schools.[11]

"As someone wielding both a music business degree and a microphone, there isn't a thing [Zoya] does without integrity, and that comes through in her work: whimsical and experimental, but never for a second vapid. There's a message in every line she pens—sometimes about herself, sometimes about the world.." – Boxx Magazine [12]

"Her vocal abilities had us hooked and post her latest release titled ‘What's Done is Done’, our obsession with her has intensified times one thousand." – Pepsi MTV Indies[13]

"Name to know: ZOYA MOHAN. She's always in the driver's seat...she's scanning for new sounds... she works the spotlight" – ELLE India[14]

Discography
  • Letters To Toska (2013)
  • Lasya (visual EP) (2014)
  • The Girl Who Used To Live in My Room (2015)
  • Zoya: Plugged In (electronic remix compilation) (2015)
  • Natural Disaster (2016)
  • The Kingdom (Single Series) (2017–2018)
  • Afterglow (Single Series) (2018–present)
  • Bad Girls Dream Ft. Jack Harlow
  • Here
  • Worth It

Philanthropy
Zoya visiting families for the#powerofpower campaign in Udaipur, India

In 2015, proceeds from Zoya's remix album Zoya: Plugged In, were donated to the "Electronic Music for Electricity" Campaign, a fund created to install electricity in government and non-government schools in rural India. The album features eight remixes, all created by different producers, from Zoya's albums The Girl Who Used To Live In My Room & Letters To Toska. The campaign aimed to raise funds for schools in need of electricity in order to provide a better educational environment for children in rural India.[15]

References
  1. "Interview with Indie Music's Rising Star, Zoya!". UrbanAsian. December 3, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  2. "10 Things Nariyal Paani 2016 Got Absolutely Right – Festival Sherpa". Festival Sherpa – Online Guide to Festivals. January 26, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  3. Palermino, Chris. "Premiere: Zoya "Fire"". Metro. Metro. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  4. Gottlieb, Jed. "Zoya opens the first Indo-American Arts Council Literary Festival". Boston Herald. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. Tietjen, Alexa. "SINGER-SONGWRITER ZOYA CHANNELS FUSION FOLK MELODIES IN NEW EP 'LASYA'". Pancakes and Whiskey. Pancakes And Whiskey. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  6. "Zoya: World Music Meets Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter". HuffPost. May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  7. "#powerofpower: Lighting up rural lives through music". Rediff. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  8. "Singer Zoya on Using her Music as Philanthropy". India.com. October 20, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  9. Team, ELLE. "Name to know: Zoya Mohan". Elle India. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  10. "DIY Creativity Shapes Alumna's Career in U.S., India". Berklee College of Music. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  11. "The Home Stretch: Zoya Mohan -". Rolling Stone India. December 2, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  12. "- Zoya Is Bringing The Noise, And We're All Ears". Boxx Magazine. September 10, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  13. "Q&A: Zoya Mohan On Her New Track 'What's Done Is Done'". pepsimtvindies.com. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  14. Team, ELLE. "Name to know: Zoya Mohan". Elle India. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  15. Chinatomby, Alicia. "Singer Zoya on Using her Music as Philanthropy". India.com. India.com. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
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