Hailing from the suburbs of Waterloo, Ontario, singer/songwriter Zoe Xandra gets her foot in the music industries door with her latest uplifting song “Better off Alone”. From Waterloo to Toronto, she has grown and shaped her melodic pop sound with life experiences and thrived off providing authentic emotions through each track. Her song “Better off Alone” serves sublime messages that relate to each and every one of us, capturing the essence of the difficulties of moving on from lost love. All in all, the track brings light to these dark days and is the perfect song to add to your self-iso playlist.
The track begins with uplifting piano chord progressions, background snaps and the subtle picking of an electric guitar. Zoe Xandra’s bright and lush vocals are left in the spotlight, all while serving an upbeat and textured melody ready to get you out of your seat. As the track continues, a variety off fresh drum patterns presents themselves perfectly polishing the songs' loveable atmosphere. Arriving at the chorus, Zoe Xandra changes up her vocal delivery with short staccato lyrics that serve a passionate and relatable message. With heartfelt lyrics like “Left foot, right foot, both heavy as a stone. Don't want you by my side but it’s all I’ve ever known”, Zoe Xandra has created a riveting yet sensitive song for us all to be “Better off Alone” as we stand together, apart.
Listen to "Better off Alone," here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic,ZoeXandra! We’re delighted to feature your passionate and timeless song “Better off Alone”. Could you share with us what sparked the inspiration for writing the relatable hit? Hi BuzzMusic! Thanks for having me :) I got the inspiration for this song while I was on a bus driving two hours back to my hometown. I thought I would be excited to see family and old friends. Instead, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of anxiousness. After taking some time to think about it, I realized it was because driving back to my hometown, in a way, forced me to remember certain memories, people, and experiences. It was so easy to forget the old pains and struggles I was dealing with when I left that town. However, on that bus ride home they all came flooding back and I couldn’t help but remember the parts of myself that I was trying desperately to escape and forget about. I was reminded that you can’t escape yourself. It’s clear that your song “Better of Alone” houses themes of love, loss, and growth. Could you share what the process was like behind writing from such a personal and vulnerable place? I wrote this song with the help of two amazing songwriters, Michael Schlosser and Chloe Jones. They were a big part of creating the vulnerable place the song was written from. Sometimes, when I write by myself it’s easier for me to avoid certain emotions because I think they only pertain to myself. The studio was a safe place to dig deeper as they both asked me questions about the story behind the concept and partial song I had brought to the table. They created an atmosphere where I could unapologetically tell my story. My emotions during the songwriting sessions for this specific song were raw and reflective, and I hope that shows throughout the lyrics of this song. You’ve mentioned that you admire songwriters who wear their heart on their sleeve and communicate real thoughts and emotions in an effective way. Who are some major musical influences in your life and how have they affected you and your music? John Mayer is a big one for me. I love that you can follow him along his life journey and the lessons he is learning throughout different life seasons. He also doesn’t box himself into one genre or style and allows his music to mature with him. As his life changes, his style of writing changes, and the musical components support that. I think it creates a very honest and open depiction of his life during the time of songwriting. I would love to be able to capture my life and its many different stages the way John Mayer has. I also love Lana Del Rey. In my personal opinion she is just about as raw and vulnerable as it gets. She is willing to write about any emotion she feels and does so with such clear communication and vulnerability. I also think the emotions she is able to communicate simply through the intricacies of her vocals is amazing. It shows her heart and thoughts beyond the specific lyrics she’s singing. Because of Lana Del Rey’s example, I try to communicate beyond the lyrics with my vocals. Your track “Better off Alone” brings a bright light to the world during these worrisome days. How did you originally want your audience to react when listening to the expressive track? Thank you so much! I definitely wanted to put a fun and light spin on a very emotional topic. The goal was to create a song people could vibe and sing along too. Then after they had listened past the rhythm, they would realize the point of the moody piano and that the lyrics are meaningful as well. I also hoped that it would be relatable. Of course, people have not gone through my specific experience, but I think we have all had a relationship or two (romantic or not) that we know we need to distance ourselves from. I hoped people would react and relate to the main concept of the song: the feeling of having to put one foot in front of the other when your heart can’t seem to move on, but your head knows that you need to.