Discovering new artists has always been a passion of mine. As a content creator and podcaster, it’s not only important to “find the future,” but to believe in the artists you champion. With that said, I’m super impressed by ZAHNA.
Born Suzi Martinez in Mexico and cutting her teeth playing battle-of-the-bands gigs at BBQ joints in Texas, ZAHNA’s hard work is finally paying off. She has exploded onto the metalcore scene with raw power, a history of survival — not just in the music business, but in life — and, of course, her heavy-hitting anthems. Her web bio reads: ZAHNA IS A HARD ROCK FORCE OF NATURE WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH DEATH ITSELF — AND IT’S MADE HER FEARLESS.
Here’s the story. Just as her career was getting off the ground in 2020, COVID hit, her kidney disease moved in the wrong direction, and she discovered she needed a transplant as soon as possible. Life-threatening illness and financial hardship quickly became ZAHNA’s new reality.
Fighting Back: A Story of Survival
So, what happened next? ZAHNA never gave up. Thankfully, she received a kidney donated by her mom. Her strength and health eventually returned, and she picked up the pieces and started over. With her faith guiding her and help from a famous fan — Brian “Head” Welch of the mega-band KORN — ZAHNA was reborn.
A new album is coming in September called Break or Breakthrough on XOVR Records — pronounced “Crossover” — a label co-founded by Brian. The album features a collaboration with Head titled “Defiler.” Additionally, there are tour dates with her favorite band, Flyleaf, and a powerful new energy surrounding everything she’s doing.
For any struggling musician, it’s a story of survival that proves anything is possible. I absolutely loved interviewing her. ZAHNA’s energy is a force.
Terrie Carr on Women in Metal
Terrie Carr: I’m so inspired by what the women in metal are doing these days. I have to call this out because women in metal now are doing things that we didn’t in a different generation coming up in the music business and in the radio world. We were not allowed to do what you guys are doing. You guys are taking your careers and saying, “You know what, this is my career. I’m not changing for anyone. I’m gonna have good people in my wheelhouse. I have the tenacity to be in it for the long haul. And I don’t really care what a label or a manager is telling me.”
Now — I’m not saying you wouldn’t be open to good advice from a producer or someone around you who sees something or feels there is a way to make it better. But back in the day, you had to be one kind of rock woman. It’s you, Molly from Living Dead Girl, Kristin from Daedric — you ladies are doing what you want to do to move your careers forward.
ZAHNA on Kidney Failure and Finding Fearlessness
ZAHNA: I definitely used to be more timid. But after I experienced kidney failure in 2019, I realized I really don’t have time to worry anymore — I’ve got to just do or die, literally. So that’s what we’re here to do. I was 24 years old then. I’m 33 now, so it’s been about 10 years since I was diagnosed, and about seven years since my transplant. My kidney was donated by my mother, and it was such a paradigm shift in my mind — some really psychologically trying times.
But I have to admit that without that experience, I would not have found the tenacity to get to this point. Because there was so much more beyond that — it’s like just surviving by the seat of your pants. And then all of a sudden, it’s a Cinderella story. You’re out of the castle, and you don’t know how it happened, but it did!
Terrie Carr on Brian “Head” Welch and the XOVR Deal
Terrie Carr: You’ve got a new record coming out in September called Break or Breakthrough — very exciting. I want to talk about famous fans, because I think part of that paradigm shift you were describing was when Brian “Head” Welch became a fan. Brian, of course, is from KORN. And it’s not necessarily that you reached out to him and said, “Hey, here’s our stuff — can you produce our record?” He kind of became a ZAHNA fan because he saw you live, right? You got on his radar.
ZAHNA: Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. We have a really tight-knit music community, and you’re going to rub shoulders with a lot of cool people. We just happened to play his actual time slot at a festival — the show was running late, and our set got pushed to his spot. So he was already there. And of course, you hear about artists through the grapevine who are trying to come up. But if I hadn’t done my last independent album the way I did — I worked really hard for three years to come up not only out of kidney disease and transplant and the COVID mess, but also out of being on the brink of financial ruin. I had just put about $20,000 into touring right before the pandemic shut everything down. So I was like, “Dude, I have a lot of bills to pay.” It was just a different kind of hell.
I was working three jobs, pulling waitressing shifts. It was so difficult because I had lost so much muscle throughout my kidney transplant. There were real fears about not being able to stand very long. But literally, you have your health insurance and all your meds to pay for — plus all the debt you accrued because you believe.
A Victory Yell: The Signing That Changed Everything
Terrie Carr: So you’re on Brian’s label now — XOVR, or “Crossover” — which is very cool. It’s got that little X. When I first saw it, I was like, “What is this label?” Then I was like, “Oh, it’s XOVR — I get it now, it’s Brian!” (He’s well known for his Christian faith.) And I think it was your husband who came to you and said, “Head’s a fan, and I think he wants to sign the band.”
ZAHNA: When I found out they were actually interested in signing me, I was at my husband’s gig at the restaurant — he’s a working musician too. I just stepped out back and started screaming into the air. It was a victory yell, I guess. (Laughs.) Because you don’t know what you’re going to do when you finally catch the rabbit. You’ve been trying for years to chase this thing you don’t even know is real. You don’t even know if it’s actually a safe bet. Everything you do in music is kind of a gamble — it’s a really chaotic industry, and a lot of investment goes in that could be all for naught. But when someone like Brian finally sees you, you just feel unstoppable.
What’s Next for ZAHNA
Check out ZAHNA and Brian together on her song “Defiler” and her incredible latest single “The Archer.” ZAHNA and her band hit the road with their favorite band, Flyleaf, for some summer dates. My full interview with ZAHNA is linked below.
Metal fans have a lot to look forward to in the genre. It’s a really exciting time for heavy music.
Zahna Featuring Brian “Head” Welch – Defiler
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