Tough, Rough, Beautiful, and Precious: Zoh Amba’s Eyes Full
- Samantha Blyn
- 46 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Zoh Amba’s debut album, Eyes Full, is a collection of thoughtfully told stories. Before their show at Philly’s Silk City Diner, Zoh and I sat beneath a tree to talk about those stories and explore the record’s roots.
At the time of our conversation, Eyes Full had been out for just under two months. Above all, Zoh expressed gratitude that the record “seems to be reaching the people it’s meant to reach.”Now that it’s out, they’re trying to “keep writing, keep living, and keep getting better at guitar.”
Already known as an accomplished saxophonist in the New York City jazz scene, Amba’s guitar-forward debut made me curious whether that background informed the writing of this record. Amba explained that although releasing this album may seem like a sonic departure, regardless of the delivery mechanism, the music always comes from the same place.
“A lot of times, people think an instrument equals a result, but my way of thinking is this: I have the same heart and soul. I could hit this tree, and it’s the same soul. Whatever I’m doing on the saxophone is the same as what I’m doing on the guitar.”
In listening to Eyes Full, I noticed a sense of urgency in many of the songs, especially in the guitar parts. That sense of urgency, Amba explained, was unconscious, perhaps stemming from the fact that they did not set out to make an album in the first place. Instead, they found that the songs came to them organically. They described “hard times” and the feeling of reaching a fork in the road: “When things get so bad, you can either sit in it or you can give up…I guess when I chose not to give up, these songs came, and I feel really grateful for it. To people who have a hard time with sadness around where they come from, I think there’s a lot of grace in all that. It’s tough and it’s rough, but it’s also really beautiful and really precious.”
Speaking of hometowns, I asked about the sense of pride that shines through on songs like “Smile With Your Eyes.”
“When I was younger, I was so ashamed–not of being from the South, but being from where I came from. I just wanted to not be from that. I don’t think I was consciously running from it, but that sort of ended up happening.”
Since moving away, a bit of distance and time have helped shape Amba’s affection for their hometown, and they are decidedly proud to be from Kingsport, Tennessee. The album is about actual people in Amba’s life. Many of the stories they tell take place in and around where they grew up, and the music and lyrics of Eyes Full treat them with a reflective grace.
As we wrapped up our interview, Amba made a point of mentioning their love for Philly. Their first time visiting the city was a few years ago to play the Ars Nova Workshop at the former Boot & Saddle, noting that “having that beautiful community changed my life.” They spoke highly of experimental guitarist Bill Nace, crediting him with contributing greatly to the scene in the area, and described Kurt Vile as “the most beautiful soul”.
They also noted that the last time they were in Philly, they played with Glen Hansard’s band. Hansard had passed away the day before our conversation. Amba, along with their current band, was heartbroken by the loss and reflected that playing with Hansard’s band had been another life-changing experience.
A recurring theme in our conversation was the positive impact of finding community in different places. As Eyes Full continues to resonate with listeners, that sense of community will continue to grow. Only this time, it will be Amba’s community, ready to welcome others into their world.
Eyes Full is out now on Matador Records. Catch Zoh Amba on tour here.
