Zahna is a hard rock force of nature who has passed through death itself — and it’s made her fearless.
On her power-packed 2023 album Stronger Than Death, this accomplished artist offered songs about overcoming a near-terminal bout with kidney failure. With “Pile of Pills” and “Defiler,” fans have caught the first glimpse of the Zahna who has emerged on the other side: an artist who has no qualms about pursuing her purpose, despite personal hells.
“Everything bad has already happened. For once I’m not scared anymore,” the rock vocalist offers honestly. “I’ve lost everything so many times, nothing scares me or can hurt me. Suffering, like a mirror, shows us who we are, but faith and hope make a future of who we could be.”
Some of that loss she’s referring to comes not only in the form of health struggles, but deep personal betrayals and struggles within the industry itself. Fortunately, this chapter of her career is rooted on bedrock with XOVR Records, the imprint founded by Brian “Head” Welch.
She says, “The mutual trust, the enthusiasm for the art, the wonderful communication, and the attention to detail makes me feel XOVR is home. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to prove myself as a creative professional and a star player on a team like this.”
And it really is a team of all-stars behind Zahna as she prepares to launch a new album in 2026. Zahna and her husband Patrick Madsen are at the core of the creative team, crafting songs that outline in poignant detail the roads they’ve walked. Kellen McGregor (Memphis May Fire) is back in the producer and and mix engineer role, a proven perfect collaborative fit after Stronger Than Death. Cory Brunnnemann (Through Arteries) is assisting with writing and co-producing. Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound rounds out the roster with mastering.
Having such a solid team around her created the kind of support structure Zahna needed to creatively explore the depths of the battles she’s faced: physically and spiritually.
“‘Defiler’ sets the stage for one of the most spiritual albums I’ve ever written,” she explains. “It’s based off a years-long dark period of my life that seemed to never end. It sets the stage for the crucible of the spiritual thematic war of the new album. Chaos and hopelessness really tried to have domain in my life. ‘Defiler’ represents the last stand against an overwhelming enemy, reiterating that peace with evil is impossible, but surrendering is out also out of the question.”
That’s a message she hopes to pass along to listeners, many of whom have been drawn to Zahna over the years because of her blistering honesty about the overwhelming odds we can be up against.
“I hope it gives people strength to resist against any oppositional force in their life that is wearing down their willpower to survive and thrive,” Zahna says. “The whole new album is an allergory of walking through your own personal hell.”
This unshrinking acknowledgement of the forces we face in this world have marked Zahna’s career since she first exploded onto the scene as vocalist of alt-rock group ILIA, and later through her debut solo album Red For War. Every ferocious vocal, from screams to keenly-honed melodies, is driven by the same spiritual urgency that imbues every area of Zahna’s personal calling. At this moment in her life, it’s clear: nothing can stop her now.
“I’ve felt the urgency to challenge the status quo current popular artists are imposing on the current culture. Music is so spiritual. My focus is to provide songs with substance and honesty that allow people to grieve, rejoice, fight and conquer, and revisit places of emotional pain,” Zahna says frankly. “My urgency is also to speak simple truths in complex ways and complex truths in simple ways. No matter what, music needs to point to truth, as all great art does. Artists are free to talk about whatever they want in their art and songs, but impressionable people can be negatively impacted. We need to present different voices, choices, and influences in the sphere. This is what I am here to do: through beauty, art, and music.”
Zahna’s third full-length studio album will release in 2026. In addition to being a seasoned solo artist, Zahna is a vocal coach who has offered her expertise to train the next generation of vocalists. You can follow Zahna and learn more about her zahnaofficial.com, or by finding her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.