Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Zuzik. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Given the perspective of life and wisdom, I would have definitely pursued creative work earlier in life. While I did begin the “work” of a creative career in my early teens, I never took the leap to bring it to people or get feedback from professionals. I would have had to find an adult support that could have helped me find the opportunities and get me there. I should have trusted the hustle and the talent more in myself instead of trying to find the “real job” fit to make it work. Once I left college and was on my own, I could have been out more doing what I do now, more frequently and believed in myself instead of relying on outside validation. I kept hearing things like “but it’s such a hard life” or “but what are you actually going to do with your life?” Those voices, which sounded in my head over and over, caused me to turn down opportunities and risks that could have helped me get further along. Youth is wasted on the young, and I can truly say that it took many years for me to really get my footing and take the chances without worrying about the outcome.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve been part of a freelance and artist community since I went to college. My major was essentially media studies and on a general level, I’ve worked in a freelance capacity of that area my entire adulthood. It’s taken many forms. I started working in public relations and independent film production, which then became freelance writing on cultural, musical and film topics. I was still writing music and performing here and there, but not with any consistency.

I started in New York City and after a year or so moved to San Francisco. That’s where I truly took my first leap into freelance work. The economic conditions were more pleasant there at the time. I could freelance and play out on my own or with several bands. I was a singer/writer on my own or with a band called Sexfresh. I was also a singer with bands like Burning Man staple Funkmobile, 60s pop explosion Shitty Shitty Band Band, live drum and bass ensemble John Henry and others. I also began session singing from time to time as well as acting in friends’ projects. It was then I started to gain more confidence in music performance, writing and living as a musician.

I did my first tour through the Southwest in 2001 with bandmate Ben Ratliff. Shortly thereafter, I moved to NYC and rebooted my music life adding some freelance work with Blue Man Group and several music production houses to my resume. I kind of figured out how to book, how to tour (adding cross country jaunts with Pi Jacobs, Babes with Beats and a few UK tours including one with Ari Hest and Benji Rogers/Marwood to the list) and how to get music into film and TV, which became a big focus for me, as I found long tours not to suit my lifestyle.

I later moved to Los Angeles and began the challenge of reintroduction to a new geographic location. I was more aggressive and confident about my talents, skills and personal interaction skills which made the process accelerated. I’ve been here now 13 years in October 2024 and have a real presence in the music community. I feel good about what I do and how I get it done. I am, of course, older now and I re-iterate, youth is wasted on the young.

One of the things that sets me apart as an artist is that I’m very diversified. I can write, sing and perform like most artists, but I also do PR, graphic design, tour prep, music for sync, music pitches for advertising, video production, editing, as well as act and sing in commercials (as a musician). I suppose having a general media major has been a real benefit for me over the years. I am always working on something whether it’s for me in the end or others. Sometimes the work I do is literally to connect people working on similar projects so that they may forge a connection and lead to bigger outcomes. I like building relationships like that.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think many non-creatives will struggle to understand how you can work for free on many occasions, or for less than your talent may be worth. I know for fact that many friends of mine completely discount any work that doesn’t have a check attached, but that’s the balance, right? Many projects I’ve been part of (such as my albums) have really been driven by my passion and are often at a loss financially. Many have been delayed payments. Sometimes it’s a long game, like listeners find your recorded music and then you may be asked to work on a paid commercial project or a song could be licensed for film or TV. Maybe you have other creative interests like art, photography or fashion (as I do) and you can bring those talents into the fold by curating or upcycling vintage clothing to sell as shows or displaying your photos in gallery shows for sale. There is something to the creative and artistic life that feeds the soul more than the pocketbook and that is a big hurdle for a lot of people.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I’ve had different answers for this question at various points in the journey. I think initially it was to rise above the noise and be recognized for my talents. Along the way, I began to see how much luck and circumstance affect that outcome.

I also had times when the goal was to make high quality work and leave a paper trail so that listeners can find the it in various places. This led to a large amount of collaborations. Some were with larger artists like Moby or The Album Leaf or Tim Lefebvre, while others came out with more niche artists in synthwave or electronic music genre. As the writer/singer in most of these projects, it gives me more of an opportunity to try new styles on and be more than just the acoustic rock singer-songwriter. I listen to all kinds of music. Why wouldn’t I want to create a variety? Having those experiences has really fed me creatively.

These days, I think I struggle a bit more with the answer. Part of me is more risk-averse with the financial obligations of music projects. I want to get the work out there, but I know the payback won’t equal the investment and I’m not sure I want to jump blindly there. The pandemic was actually a very busy time for me. I released two albums (Torch & Trouble and my side project WOVES’ Chaos Mesa). I shot and edited many music videos. I worked publicity for both releases. I did many live stream performances and interviews. I got a lot of return for the effort too because industrywise, many larger acts took time off so there was less to break through and compete for press and attention. I also really burned out.

I’m finishing up a new EP and really dread the post-production phase, as well as don’t have a ton of the resources to hire a team and get it out there. I know that will be disappointing. I will do what I can, but the landscape is different now. I also only take on what I know I can commit to. I weigh my time differently now–artistic work time, family time, me time, even sleep gets a part of it. Ha! I am hoping that when the release comes out, I will be more inspired to be out there and introduce listeners to something new from me. I also have a few creative side projects (not musical) to bring to people and having something creative that is new fills me with hope and gratitude that I’m still doing it all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilyzuzik.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyzuzik
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.zuzik.music
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyzuzik/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/emilyzuzik
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/e/ezuzik
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/emilyzuzik
• Other: spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Js4N9O

Image Credits

Artist shot against lavender background–Don Adkins
Hat shot with guitar laughing–Karine Simon
Live with hat at Maui Sugar Mill–Brad Holmes
Live with acoustic guitar at Kulak’s Woodshed–Henry Diltz
Pink with camera, close up in the vocal booth–Emily Zuzik