Words by Heleina Zara.
All of the songs in my EP LESSONS have come from a personal experience that I had during these past years. The majority of them started out the same way, a concept and an idea of a song. These are things I wanted to voice out then I realise was more of a universal thing. Everyone can at least have one song where they can connect with their own personal experiences as well.
Fresh off the release of her new EP Lessons, we caught up with Sydney-based singer-songwriter Heleina Zara for a complete track-by-track run-down.
NAIVE (lesson for me)
My life most of my high school years! I was always being told I was “too innocent” and “too naive,” until I came out of my first failed relationship last year. I played with the idea of owning that title of being ‘naive’ when I was writing the lyrics of this song. I intended to change the power of that word from being demeaning to acceptance and inner strength!
MISTAKEN (lesson to them)
This song simply came from the assumptions I get from others, stuff that I hear about me and other people in general. I find it so interesting how many people are quick to misjudge someone else’s situation on a day to day basis. We all have good days and bad days! Not everything you see is what it is.
FAKE (lesson for you)
Started with me just playing on the piano and heard this cool melody in my head. At the time, I think I was going through mental breakdown about how I have such great people around me and still feel lonely. And I just kind of just played with the concept completely.
QUIETLY (lesson for all)
The piano came first then the feeling I was able to express for the longest time. To this day, I still struggle with communicating what it’s like in my head and I have just find myself oppressing it. Ironically, I was able to slowly form the words, then sentences into how I had been feeling since I was 12-13 years old.
END (lesson for him)
Began with the idea of being blocked or unfriended on social media. It didnt seem to catch on with myself and with my producer in the studio. We went to the nitty- gritty of what I really wanted to say. Its the endless cycle of someone not wanting you in their life but still trying to keep their strings attached like checking up on you with mutual friends, stalking you on social media, playing mind games..”when is it ever gonna end?”
LESSONS (lessons learned)
I’ve always had a passion for experiences and learning new things! So it may be from failing at a new skill or failing to live the way people expect you to live and getting your heart broken into a million pieces, etc. I still crave for new life lessons because growth to me is so much more fulfilling and exciting than staying stagnant, or even worse..going backwards!! This song sum it all for me for being RESILIENT, COMPASSIONATE and promoting SELF LOVE.
Lessons is available now. Listen above.
