Exclusive Interview with 'Zarco' | Illustrate Magazine

Zarco is an English speaking artist from Portugal.

I make music so people can connect to, as I lay down my feelings on a song. I’ve recently started performing live and things are kinda taking off so it feels great… I hope you love my stuff as much as I do.
Zarco

Check out the Exclusive interview with Zarco below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?

ZARCO: I was born in Portugal and I started learning the guitar when I was 4 years old, so music has always been apart of me. People always told me of how creative I was at coming up with melodies and flows but I was always too shy to make something of it, also I was self conscious about my voice. During quarantine in 2020 I learned how to produce and started doing some random melodies and sing over it for fun. As I was going through some personal stuff I became obsessed with helping people with the same issues that I had and music was ( and still is ) my way to do so.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

ZARCO: I took guitar lessons for about 8 years but I learned how to produce, sing, write and compose by my self ( inspired by my childhood hero Stromae )

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘Artist’?

ZARCO: My first musical influences as a kid were definitely Kurt Cobain from Nirvana and Stromae, and as a teenager I started really being into Juice WRLD, Lil peep, Post malone, Trippie Redd and Clever.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

ZARCO: The key elements with my music are definitely the emotion I put in the lyrics and vocals, also I find my self quite creative with melodies that fit the feeling that I wanna transmit.

I would describe my sound as a unique alternative emo hip-hop.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as HIPHOP?

ZARCO: I definitely didn’t like hip-hop as a kid so I really jammed to mostly rock and pop. People like Stromae really shaped me in the creative process with his popular YouTube “ leçons”. I started actually producing music in quarantine for fun, music that I actually liked doing. At that time I was also really into Juice Wrld and I started creating music inspired by his legacy. I progressively and naturally found my own style which kind of combines the lines of Kurt Cobain, the emotion of juice wrld and the creativeness of Stromae. I believe I’m on my way to something different and unique.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

**ZARCO**: I would say that I mostly make music because I like making it, it makes me happy. I’m aware of the social and political impact that my music may have, but that comes naturally to me as I’m doing something that is sincere. And people identify with sincerity. At the end of the day, I really just wanna touch and help people.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

ZARCO: Yes, I really feel like I’m creating something new, building a community and already helping some people. It already makes me proud to receive messages from people that I helped and really connect with me. However I am not satisfied yet… I wanna go as far as I can in life and I wanna show everybody that you can do whatever you set your mind to.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

ZARCO: I usually create a beat first with my producer “ Nort” with whatever vibes I’m feeling that day. Then If I love it, I hop on the booth and freestyle some melodies. Then I write lyrics accordingly to the melodies and vibe that I created.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

ZARCO: Definitely multiple opinions, and hate. A lot of people try to bring you down cause no one really believes till you make it. At the end of the day I just gotta follow my gut and do whatever I feel is right.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

ZARCO: Making it on “promoting sounds” platform and having a song viewed by 100k people is definitely the most successful point so far.