Zelma Stone Releases “Be Free”
About the artist:
Since the release of her first EP as Zelma Stone in 2019, queer artist Chloe “Zelma” Studebaker (she/they) has shown themselves to be an inimitable songwriter, capable of holding life’s most challenging complexities with both tenderness and craft. Sorrow and acceptance, love and loss, faith and doubt sit side-by-side in the gripping sonic worlds she builds, her voice a raw harbinger of truths that are at once devastating and affirming. Her latest EP A Dance is her most sharply-focused work yet, the result of an artist both unafraid to probe her heart and ready to release herself from the grip of a painful past.
Though Zelma began the project in her childhood home outside San Francisco in 2017, the foundations of her music are rooted in a childhood spent listening to her older brother play guitar and write music, and absorbing the music he and her grandfather shared. Early influences like Patsy Cline and Elvis gave way to a fascination with Bossa Nova and contemporary left-of-center songwriters like Amen Dunes. The art of songcraft became Zelma’s first safe haven in early moments of profound grief, her songs the space through which she could exercise, explore, and transmute pain.
Zelma Stone has been a mainstay of the Bay Area music scene since the project’s founding. She has opened for artists such as Bartees Strange, Miya Folick, Madeline Kenney and Alice Boman, and has released three previous EPs, including the critically-acclaimed Dreamland (2020), which NPR called “Beautiful and appealing,” noting “a quiet defiance in these songs.” Newly relocated to Los Angeles and releasing her fourth collection of music, this defiance has been energized with decided purpose. “I’m here and ready for love,” she repeats over the course of “Be The One,” affirming that both as person and artist she is ready, open, here.
About “Be Free”
Where was the single/EP/album (video) recorded and who was involved in its production?
This song and whole EP was recorded at Altamira studios in Alhambra CA, co-produced and engineered by Carly Bond of Meernaa and mixed by Rob Shelton. The music video was directed by artistic director and choreographer, Hayden J Frederick (they/them). It was filmed, edited and colored by Alyssa Park.
Features incredible dancers, Hayden J Frederick, Cienna Hintz, Sadie Guthrie and Rouge Begu.
Is there a particular ethos behind the single/EP/album (video) or any particular music styles or events that inspired it?
The EP, A Dance, touches on the ebbs and flows of life, specifically relating to grief. The video in particular explores the 5 stages of grief.
Can you briefly describe what the song (and video) is about?
This song, “Be Free”, is me talking with my deceased brother, Brett as well as my dear, deceased friend, Jenny. Both killed suddenly and were too young. Jenny(21) died in The ghostship Oakland fire and Brett(19) when I was 14 in a car accident. In this song I tell them that they are missed and I ask them if they are free and if they needed to be freed from their body. In the chorus I talk to myself and make the decision that they are indeed free and from believing that, I am then free myself from continued grief. Acceptance.
In the music video, director Hayden J Frederick plays both Brett and Jenny. It was extremely therapeutic and healing to shoot this. The video starts in darkness and ends in daylight.
Please provide a one or two-line personal quote about the release.
It was incredible to get to collaborate with Hayden J Frederick. I am such a fan of them and their art. We happened to meet randomly right before I was to release A Dance EP and it all felt serendipitous because I had a vision to include dance visually for this record. The whole process of making this video was magical, to say the least. In addition to this video we also produced a vision of mine, making a 4 part visual EP also featuring live dancers. I will be releasing that this summer and I can't wait to share it!
