Earlier this month, we joined rising alt-pop star, Dora Jar, for a closer look at her new album No Way to Relax When You’re on Fire.
While sitting in the driver’s seat driving through a west coast highway, Dora Zoomed myself and other journalists who were looking to question her about her new release (That’s one way to pass time on the road, right?)
So, joined by many outlets, we picked her brain and got a little closer to knowing the girl behind the music. For starters, Dora Jar gained widespread attention for her experimental pop sound, first showcased on her EPs, Digital Meadow and Comfortably in Pain. Known by listeners for her imaginative persona, uniquely textured instrumentals, and introspective lyricism, she has gone on to tour with Billie Eilish and The Neighborhood.
While there was so much we wanted to ask after a few listens of No Way To Relax…, we had to start somewhere. “Hi Dora,” I said as she cheerfully greeted each reporter with her colored sunglasses, again in the driver’s seat of a moving vehicle.
I was intrigued by her album’s title, No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire. So that became my question. Is being “on fire” a good thing brought on by success or does it symbolize chaos?
“Sometimes I feel like I am on fire and keep going like right now,” she responded. ” Sometimes that is very good and sometimes that is very crazy.”
In the title track, Dora sings ” No way to relax when you are on fire/ There’s no way to rise up when you’re already high.” Those lyrics carry a lot of meaning from an artist like Dora Jar who opened for some of the biggest names in music after releasing just five songs.
Elsewhere in the interview Dora shares how she has become more comfortable sharing from her heart and not necessarily explaining when her lyrics become a riddle. She shares that her inspirations come from literature and film, as much as it comes from meditation and traveling. Films like Mary Poppins and Fantasia that combine cartoons with live action play a heavy part in what she wanted this album to represent visually.
She also takes inspiration from a book Julie Andrews wrote called The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. “I don’t know if anyone has read it, but it is a children’s chapter book and it is about a scientist who is studying the DNA of the imagination,” Stating it helps her to connect science and imagination.
That imagination becomes apparent throughout the album. In “Debbie Darling,” Dora sings “You’re like a witch without a broom stick.” She describes the moment she wrote this lyric as an example. While in New York City, she noticed what looked like witch hats coming out of the ground and her imagination took over.
After just a short discussion with the rising star, it was apparent that she is true to her craft. While she finishes up her Behind The Curtain tour, you can catch up with her latest album below!
Listen to No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire and let us know your thoughts!
