First writing songs as a way to cope with her feelings during her freshman year of high school, singer-songwriter Zoë Ferguson was establishing her craft from an early age. Now emerging at the end of her teenage years, the 19-year-old, Portland-based artist has channeled her experiences into her stunning debut EP Probably About You.
Filled with relatable lyrics, spotless production, and all the whims and worries of being a teenager, Probably About You is poised at the precipice of a metamorphic career awaiting Miss Ferguson. The initial track “fuck love” is a perfect realization of an angsty teenager’s love-hate relationship with a budding romance. With bubbly, 80’s-inspired production and lyrics focused on the turmoil of a love gone south, “fuck love” is starts the EP off strong.
Her tune “i’m ok” reminds people that, yes, being young has its moments of melodrama, but other times reality has its way of unexpectedly crashing in. To bring us out of that emotional pitfall, she follows it up with the upbeat tune “christine.” Chronicling the torment an ex best friend had over her and what Ferguson would say now, “christine” is a truly heartbreaking tune that reminds us that friends have a way of changing and growing apart. At the time, it hurts just as much as losing a lover, but we come out of it realizing we’re better off without them.
In this similar vein, “loyalty” dives into the pain of a heartbreak prompted by cheating and disrespect. Speaking to every younger version of ourselves, we’ve all felt the pain of seeing someone we loved so much fall into the arms of another. There’s a bit of spite as Ferguson sings “you said you would keep all of your loyalty,” and it’s an anger we all have felt before.
The twisted and energetic tune “she’s so pretty” follows the young artist’s spiral down the dark hole of internet stalking on an ex’s new partner. Without knowing her, she passes judgements and also compliments the new girl in her ex’s life, getting caught up in her own assumptions about this other girl’s behaviors, friends, and life. It’s not so much Ferguson’s ex has a new girlfriend, rather that he just had to go and find himself one that’s so pretty.
Moving on from an ex can be hard, but what about when they keep asking about you? Zoë channels the frustration behind setting boundaries and creating space between her and an ex with her tune “stop asking my friends about me.” The snarky lyrics and spotty synth lines complement each other and communicate this feeling of annoyance. Ending the EP with “80’s music” this tune brings a bit of closure to this chapter Ferguson chronicled across seven songs. There’s a hint of longing in her lyrics, but also nods to moments of healing. Here, we confide within our own confidence and revel in the thought that everything is changed, but also life is ok.
Zoë Ferguson grew up with music and songwriting in her blood seeing as her father, musician/singer Bart Ferguson, is a familiar performer in the Portland music scene. Teaching herself piano, Zoë self-recorded and uploaded some of her tunes to SoundCloud, which launched her journey as an original artist. After she was chosen to participate in Atlantic Records’ and APG, EMERGE program, Zoë continued to develop her unique voice, recording demos in a studio where her passion for performance and composition only grew. With the help of professional producers her sound came to life, and at age 17, her first single as an independent artist, “Dip”, proudly showcases her talents as a singer/songwriter in the bedroom/electro pop genre.
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