Bay Area’s Zelma Stone Heals With Music After a Family Tragedy

Zelma Stone singer Chloe Zelma Studebaker has endured unspeakable tragedy during her time on earth. After losing her brother to a tragic car accident at the age of 14, the Bay Area native then lost her mother, grandfather and close friend in the Oakland Ghost Ship fire in 2016. “Music has helped me immensely with my grief and got me through a lot,” she says. “Grief is something you shouldn’t walk away from because it will always follow you. You won’t heal unless you face it.”

Her forthcoming Dreamland EP, self-released in April, is an exercise in catharsis, starting with the title track, which is inspired by her brother’s passing. Studebaker’s delicate delivery calls to mind alt-goddesses like Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) and Elena Tonra (Daughter), or if you want to go back a little further, the sexy, poetic angst of T-Rex’s Marc Bolan. Watch the video for “Fly,” directed by Vanessa Pla, here, and listen to Zelma Stone’s latest singles on Spotify.