Step Right Up: zoska Presents one night only [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

The lights dim. The curtain rises. Somewhere between the elegance of a burlesque stage and the beautiful chaos of a traveling circus, zoska invites listeners into a world where spectacle, vulnerability, and self-expression share the spotlight. With her forthcoming EP, one night only, and an immersive Denver release show to match, she’s proving that the most unforgettable performances aren’t about becoming someone else; they’re about finally giving yourself permission to be seen.

In our exclusive interview with Electric Hawk, zoska pulls back the curtain on the inspirations behind her most ambitious project to date. From the band kid roots and cinematic influences that shaped its theatrical world to the personal journey of embracing every part of herself. Explore why one night only marks not just the beginning of a new era, but the moment she fully stepped into the spotlight.

Listen to “freak show” while you read the exclusive interview with zoska

In Conversation with zoska

seradopa: You’ve spoken before about your background in classical and jazz, and listening to your music over the last few years, one night only feels like one of the clearest examples of those influences becoming part of your own signature sound. How has it felt to merge that musical foundation with heavier electronic music, and why have classical and jazz remained such important creative anchors for you?

zoska: First of all, by the way, your questions were so deep!

For me, it’s felt really cool. It’s exciting because it combines many of the musical worlds I grew up in. To start, I was a big band geek kid. Being in jazz, symphonic, and marching band was huge for me! Outside of school, I was in ska and soul bands as well. So, like, I’m very attracted to anything that has horns or big band arrangements, rhythm, and the live aspects of it all…

Ultimately, I just love being musically creative in all genres

The first festival I went to was Summer Camp Music Festival. I especially loved going because I would see how some jam bands mixed live electronic music with band arrangements. Anything that has that musicality has always been a big part of my identity. I’ve always loved dubstep and heavy electronic music so for me, it just kind of clicked!

Big Gigantic was the first electronic show that I saw. So seeing that as a band kid, I’m like, no way, you can take both and combine them? A lot of people, when they think about electronic music and dubstep or whatever, you know, they just think of these sounds of like womp womp womp. 

I like challenging that idea and then adding this other layer to it, that it’s not just only about the sound design. I love bringing in songwriting, harmonies, and horns, and a big thing for me is storytelling. So bringing that into bass music, you know, I want people to be able to follow a story in my new EP.  You know, the start of some of these songs, like  “freak show” for example, right? It’s all this vocal storytelling thing. So I want people to be like, “wait, am I listening to dubstep or is this something else?” 

I feel like band has always been a huge part of my identity ever since I was in the fourth grade and picked up the clarinet. It’s always been a part of me, and even when I’ve tried to just make straight up heavy music, the band kid has always come through for me.

seradopa: If you had the chance to completely nerd out for a minute, what’s something you absolutely love about classical or jazz music that you wish more people appreciated? And how does that philosophy find its way into your production today?

zoska: I would say it’s building the moments in songs out of the smaller parts. So say in a jazz band, right? As you have the bassist lay down the foundation like a dump, boom, whatever it is, then you could add piano chords on top of it, and horn stabs, um, then some percussion. So it’s everything about how things are layered and stacked on top of each other. 

 Each instrument has its own place but the full arrangement is how everything talks to each other. Like the horns, the trumpets could be talking to the trombones, and then the bass and piano assist and lock it all together. That’s the part that kind of gets me really geeked out! But also I really love a dissonant chord because it’s that unexpected note on top, and it’s just like, ooh, that’s such a weird little note to add, but it works. 

And for me, that gives me my own bass face listening to classical or jazz songs, it’s just the only way I can describe it.  If I’m gonna talk specifically about the jazz side of things, what’s cool about it is that things can feel unpredictable. When people are just doing improv, it’s cool to see some people’s music brains so locked in, so dialed in that they’re creating a language of their own. You have these chord progressions going, and a sax player could be like, “oh I know what’s about to hit right now,” and so it’s that layering, it’s the call and response, you know, the ear candy to it. 

The way that it’s translated into my production is taking that idea of “ how does everything fit with one another” and then giving it the personality on top too. When you think of an electronic song – you have your intro, your verse, your build, and then it’s the drop, right? So instead of starting the song like boom, we’re heavy right out of the gate, I want everything to build into it. Then we get to discover the little details and those little Easter eggs along the way before getting to the drop. 

seradopa: Your new EP one night only isn’t just a collection of songs, it feels like a complete world, full of circus spectacle, theatrical moments, and controlled chaos. When did that concept first click, and what made you want to build an entire project around it?

zoska: When did it first click? This is a bit difficult to explain because it was a whole process to get here. I think what is really cool about this EP for me is that it kind of launched my project into the vision that I didn’t know was already inside of me.

A big thing that I have realized for me is that, being this band kid, I was always still drawn to the drama of things, the performance, that personal note. One thing I love so much is wordplay and double meanings. The concept really clicked when I stopped fighting those parts of myself. The theatrical parts of myself, or just who I’ve always been. As anyone gets older, the world can start to dim your light. Sometimes I was told I was like too much, or I talked too much, or I did too much, or I was over the top. With this EP and the music I’ve been writing and continue to write, I don’t want to dim that down either because before I felt like I was trying to fit into what electronic music was supposed to be. 

For me, one night only really helped me realize the dramatic, playful, and chaotic moments are actually the whole point. For me, I sometimes express this on socials, but a lot of my music is inspired by real moments, people, emotions, and experiences. All the songs on the EP were inspired by a specific experience in my life, whether good or bad. That’s what gets me to write. My music is a diary, with themes on top of it.

With “freak show” for example, we have this circusy theme and, as I was just saying how much I love layering in music,  there’s like a layering of the story within the song that can have different meanings to it.  So I think the showmanship, the circusy aspect, and the burlesque vibe really gave me the visual for the music that I already have been making. It was just another way to translate that to the songs themselves.

Then, for “one night only ” I feel like there are just a lot of different emotions there, at least for me. It can be a grand spectacle, but it’s also chaotic. I love my little ADHD brain. I crave a ton of different sounds.

Once I fully leaned into it, the idea clicked. Even the title was inspired by something. And I was like, “oh my gosh,” that was a moment in my life that was an inside joke, but then it also fit the concept of one night only. Like the concept of a circus, you know, a person being like, for one night only, enter this world. I truly understood the vision and future that I was building for zoska, and not just the EP, but even going beyond that. I feel like the theatrical, dramatic, playful, chaotic, vulnerable moments are the whole point of zoska and the one night only EP itself.

seradopa: Every track feels larger than life, almost like each one introduces a different act in the circus. As you were writing this project, were you more focused on creating standout festival moments, or on building an immersive world that listeners could completely disappear into?

zoska: This is an interesting question for me because it’s something that I’ve always battled with. Throughout all of my production, I was definitely thinking about that balance. Most people are, especially when you’re like producing some dubstepy, headbanger type music. And so for a long time, for me personally at least, there was almost this pressure to make tracks that are easier for DJs to play out. 

I used to worry a lot about having all these vocals in my songs, or the storytelling and theatrical aspect. And I would ask, “can this concept fit into sets?” And so, I would sit down and be like, “okay, I’m gonna write something that’s more digestible and festival-friendly because I want Excision to play out my song at Lost Lands.” I remember so many times when I would sit down and try to produce something like that.

There was this one time I tried to write riddim and I was like, “yeah we’re just gonna write like a nasty, riddim banger here,” and a few hours into the project there were horns and sax in it. That’s when I realized that if I kept trying to strip those parts away from my songs, all the vocals, the horns, and everything, that would also just be stripping away what makes it me, what makes it zoska.

With the one night only EP, the immersive world was always the priority. I personally wanted that combination of these drops that are heavy and can be played out, but then there are these live moments.  I wanted each song to feel like its own act or show in the EP itself. Something that I did realize, though, is that I know that no one’s gonna play this out or whatever, but it’s like, okay, if no one else plays out my songs, I’m gonna be playing them out. I’m building the world around myself. I want to curate shows where these songs make perfect sense. 

seradopa: Outside of music itself, what visual inspirations helped shape one night only? Whether it was films, fashion, color palettes, vintage carnivals, or something completely unexpected, what inspired the artwork, visuals, and overall identity of this era?

zoska: Burlesque has always been my comfort movie, and I didn’t realize until I got older just how much it shaped my creative world. I was obsessed with everything about it: the soundtrack, Christina Aguilera, Cher, Stanley Tucci, the styling, the marquee lights, the glamour, and especially watching these performers transform. Seeing them backstage preparing for the show, then stepping into this larger-than-life persona once they hit the stage made me fall in love with the idea of performance as transformation.

That became the foundation for the visual world of one night only. The pearls, feathers, red curtains, showgirl energy, and confidence all stem from that inspiration. But another thing that always stood out to me was how Burlesque mixed these glamorous performances with these quirky, almost circus-like intermissions. That’s where the idea of duality really comes in.

Duality is probably the biggest word I’d use to describe this project. As someone who’s struggled with bipolar disorder, I’ve always felt like I exist between emotional extremes, constantly trying to find balance. I wanted one night only to embrace both sides of that. It can be elegant and theatrical while also being weird, playful, dramatic, and a little chaotic. For me, the project lives between the sophistication of burlesque and the unpredictability of the circus. Something fierce and empowering doesn’t have to be perfect, it can be strange too, and I think that’s what makes it beautiful.

seradopa: You’ve released projects before, but this one feels like a significant creative leap. Looking back over the past few years, what has changed most about you, not only as a producer, but as a person, that made one night only possible?

zoska: This question hit me hard. I’ve mentioned it a few times, but it’s something that I still struggle with, but not as much anymore. 

The biggest change for me has been my confidence. You know, it could be in my music, my sound, but also just the identity of zoska. For a long time, I didn’t know where I fit, and sometimes I still don’t, as much as I would like to be straightforward with it. As I said, I tried to write riddim, and it turned into having this band element; the vocals, the chords, the storytelling, or whatever it was. I used to fight that a lot because I didn’t know how that would translate, especially in the EDM world. 

I would think, oh, I need to make myself fit into a category more easily. Because even when I go and play shows with different types of artists, sometimes I’m like, “do I fit on this bill?” I could play with artists that are soulful and funky, but then I feel like I’m a little too heavy for that. And vice versa for heavy dubstep shows, where I might not be heavy enough. Then over time, especially in the past year, I’ve stopped judging myself and what I made, and trusted what naturally came out. 

I think I was scared of how other people would interpret it too. My music ties into my emotions and my experiences, whether they’re good or bad, and that’s what kind of creates it. So when I stopped fighting it, everything in my music just felt more honest and more true to me. And I think that one night only happened because I allowed all sides of myself into this project. All the songs have different stories. One of them is a bit more vulnerable; that one’s not out yet. 

Producer-wise, you’re always evolving and learning your sound, how to improve your production, and really finding that clear identity and confidence. Then, if I were to add the personal side of it, it was about becoming more trusting of myself and not shaming myself for being different. If you like my music, then cool. And if it’s not for you, that’s fine. So the combination of that really created the identity of this project for the future, and even for this EP. Accepting that and being unapologetically myself. That’s a huge theme for my project now. It’s being unapologetically myself.

seradopa: To celebrate the release, you’re bringing one night only to life with an EP release party in Denver. After playing milestones like Red Rocks and Club Studio Time, what made Denver feel like the perfect city to debut this new era?

zoska: Obviously Denver, we call it the Bass Capital for a reason, and so I feel like for me it has always been a pretty meaningful city. I’m based out of Illinois, but the Denver electronic community is so passionate and it’s so lively and large. What I love the most is how excited people are to see shows and I feel like people show up in a really authentic way because of how deep their love is for the electronic community there. 

Definitely a huge milestone was playing Red Rocks, I had my parents come out and everything. Club Studio Time was really awesome because the people who put it on are so dedicated to creating a unique experience and I’ve never felt something quite like that. 

There’s just so much love for EDM in Denver and because I already had a few milestone moments there, I felt this EP release party was another huge milestone that I would love to share with Denver. At this point, I almost want to move because of all the amazing friends and producer homies who live there. Most listeners of my music are based out of Denver too, so there are just so many reasons this city is a perfect place for my show. 

 Because one night only itself is super theatrical, dramatic, and immersive, I feel like the community would really love to participate in that, or be a part of it. I feel like Denver would understand that and I want people to step into this world with me.

seradopa: One thing that stands out is how thoughtfully you’ve curated the lineup, especially by highlighting so many incredible rising artists from Denver. What was your vision when building this lineup, and what does it mean to be the “ringleader” bringing everyone together for one unforgettable night?

zoska: My vision for this show was to book artists that were doing things their own way, artists that feed off the energy of the crowd and have that infectious live energy. 

So ALiV, she had just moved to Denver right before, a few months ago or something. As soon as I found her, I wanted her to play it, even before she had moved to Denver. So that was actually crazy timing!

I love the idea of live instrumentation, and her project is super cool because she is doing that. She plays the saxophone and she’s blending that with dubstep. She’s the perfect person to be on the lineup. I love seeing instruments brought into bass music, and it felt really aligned with my own project too. I want to bring her up into this world as well. 

And for SKY and ZAZZY, since I’m not in Denver, I was talking to a lot of friends and doing a lot of social media digging. I thought SKY and ZAZZY were so fun. I saw some live clips where they were dancing on stage and how into it they were. That’s the energy that I really want to bring for the night. Like they’re just so fun, confident, magnetic, and everything I hope to bring to this EP release party!

I really didn’t want to build this lineup as a gimmicky marketing angle or anything, since I know it’s all-female. And I don’t want it marketed as such at all. I was just looking for people I felt would be an amazing addition to the night I’m trying to curate. This confidence and this energetic, you know, liveliness to it with artists that I think are talented. So the fact that it ended up being this lineup of just powerful badass women, to me, makes it more special. Being the quote-unquote ringleader just means being able to set a tone for the night. A big thing for me is creating a space for everybody to shine, and I want them to have their moment too. A big part of my theme is like the star on the flyer, and I want them to also feel like a star. 

Everyone is their own star too, and everyone deserves to feel that. I want this night to feel empowering for the other artists and for the people who are seeing it, I want it to feel fun, I want it to be heavy, and I just want it to feel unforgettable.

seradopa: Without giving away too many surprises, what can fans expect when they step into the world of one night only? Are costumes encouraged? Are there special visuals, performances, or moments you’ve been dreaming up that make this more than just another headline set?

zoska: The whole EP came together before the show did and so the idea of one night only has always had a lot of layers for me. I want the show to feel literal: for one night, you get to step into another world. My biggest goal is for people to be whoever they want to be. Costumes are absolutely encouraged. I want people to feel hot, weird, playful, confident… whatever version of themselves they want to unleash. Pearls, feathers, corsets, circus-inspired looks, go for it. 

I also want this to feel like more than just a DJ set. Everything ties back to the EP’s theatrics and storytelling, so we’ve created custom visuals, brought in some of my Denver friends to come on stage with me, and focused on building an immersive atmosphere. I want it to feel like you’re watching a performance instead of just hearing a collection of songs.

One thing that’s really exciting, and honestly terrifying, is that I’m planning to sing live during the set. A lot of people don’t realize the vocals on my music are actually my own, and for a long time I kind of hid from that. After singing at Red Rocks and having a really meaningful conversation with SubDocta’s dad recently, I realized I needed to stop fighting that part of myself. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I might have a voice crack, I might be off pitch, but it feels like the right time to just go for it.

At the end of the day, I want the night to feel theatrical, emotional, weird, fun, and freeing. More than anything, I want people to leave feeling like they gave themselves permission to be unapologetically themselves. Come and be whoever you want to be for one night, for one night only, and beyond that if you want to.

seradopa: Over the past few years, you’ve shared stages with some of the biggest names in bass music while continuing to carve out a lane that’s entirely your own. Now officially the main attraction about to headline your own show, if your younger self could see everything happening right now, from this EP to headlining your own release party, what do you think she’d say?

zoska: When I read this question, I had tears well up in my eyes. Younger me, first of all, would not have expected it, and she would probably be like, “wait, are you serious? Are you joking? Like us listening to Skrillex dramatically on the bus in middle school is now doing that?” Even my middle school friends and I would listen to Skrillex’s stuff together and I’ll get messages from them like “girl, you’re doing it for real.” I think that’s so funny to look back on because it’s not something that I ever intended to do.

For me, like I was saying before, there are a lot of things in my life that I feel have dimmed my shine and made me feel like I’m too much. Ask anyone, I was the definition of a band kid. Super over the top and I didn’t care about trends, what I wore, or whatever. I was so deep in the band community and I was such a weirdo and I still am. But I just try to be more put together now. If younger me could see that our weirdness and our dramatic ass self is doing this now…

I’ve always loved performing. When I was in marching band, I was one out of 300 people. When I was in my own bands I was like one out of 10 people. Now I’m doing my own thing. To me it’s crazy that now I’m able to be like a one-woman show. I never imagined these two worlds coming together like this. So the fact that I get to produce electronic music using my own voice, draw on my music background, and then perform it live is just wild. 

This EP is definitely my favorite body of work I’ve made, and the journey to get here has been very surreal. Sometimes I’ll look back and be like, “oh man, do I deserve this?” But then there’s another part of me that’s like, “you did this! you created this, and you got yourself here!” Having this whole release party around it feels surreal again because my name is at the top of the flyer. Dealing with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, I can now talk about it and call it out, but it’s still very deeply rooted in there. 

Lately, I’ve been thinking about younger me a lot, especially when I was creating my vision board and dialing in my whole project. I cried a lot during this process because it felt like I was making it for the girl who felt like she was really weird, felt like she was too much, or even sometimes not enough. I feel like if she could see me now, you know, she’d be proud that I didn’t have to become somebody else.

seradopa: When people leave the one night only release party or finish listening to the EP from start to finish, what do you hope stays with them long after the music ends?

zoska: With both the show and the EP, I want people to leave feeling like they were part of something. I know that sounds really corny, but then again, the whole aspect of this show is sharing a moment in time together. I want it to feel like, oh, I got to be a part of this world. And more than anything, I want to give people permission to just be unapologetically themselves.

Whether people dress up, dance with friends or strangers, meet new people, or simply listen to the EP, I want you to feel like you’re invited into a world I’m creating. I want you to feel like you can be a part of this world with me. Whether that is having a persona, an exaggerated version of yourself, or if you just want to just watch this world unfold from the outside, this is the kind of universe I’m trying to build. It’s not gonna be something that happens overnight, like over one night only, you know, but it’s something that I want to keep adding to and layering. 

If people are enjoying the music they’re hearing or the show they’re seeing and choose to come to another one, I want them to hit another level of immersion each time. I think one night only is truly about embracing your own story. I want people to interpret that however they want to, because it’s really about letting yourself be you and letting every part of yourself exist. Whether it’s the weird, emotional, dramatic, hot, sexy, fun, powerful, playful version of yourself.

The main takeaway I feel for this show, and this EP is: write your own story – whatever it is and however you want, just be you, and be unapologetically yourself.

Be sure to grab admission and catch the show!

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