Scorpio Szn’s Comeback Is Anything But ‘low key’
Samantha Colleran, January 2023
If you’ve been a long time reader, the name Scorpio Szn might sound familiar to you. If not, I’m happy to introduce you to the incredible talent; lead singer-songwriter Zandi Ashley, along with her backing band Juan Gutii (guitar), Blake Tabernacki (drums), and Alex Mejia (bass) blend bedroom pop with elements of jazz, R&B, and rock. Their 2021 single “Sugar Sugar” won ‘Song of the Year’ at the 2021 Wavy Awards held in New York City, featured on Variety.com. After taking a year-long hiatus, Zandi and the band are back and ready to take on 2023, starting with their new release “low key”.
Written about five years ago by Zandi, the track talks about a situationship with someone after breaking up and how those underlying feelings can come to the surface. It may not be the best for either party, but when romantic feelings are involved love and relationships can get messy and complicated. Speaking about the song, Zandi says, “Keeping [the relationship] ‘low key’ ultimately gives the two a lowered expectation of keeping the fire alive without feeling like they’re putting it all on the line. Because once your hand has felt the burn of the fire, why would we trouble ourselves to burn again? But the warmth still exists and there’s a safety in that.”
The track is heavier instrumentally than previous releases, it has more of a rock feel, but one thing it has in common with previous releases is just how catchy it is! All of the instruments blend together effortlessly and allow Zandi’s voice to shine, the lyrics pack a powerful punch and allow the listener to truly understand what dating is like for far too many people in this day and age.
Creatively speaking, so much effort went into the cover art. Zandi drew inspiration from The Hermit tarot card. If you pull The Hermit during a reading, it generally means to pull back from and look for guidance to work through a current situation, or, as Scorpio Szn would put it, keep things ‘low key’ until you figure out what is truly best for you!
If you’re interested in hearing the Scorpio Szn track, it’s officially out now! You can listen on Apple Music, Spotify, or any other streaming service you may use. Follow Scorpio Szn on Instagram to stay up to date on future releases as well as live events!