Inside Zyra’s Vision for a New Era of Artist-First Creativity

Zyra’s voice is one of those rare sounds that can shift from the pulse of global festival stages to the intimacy of late-night headphones. Known first for her soaring collaborations on electronic anthems, she has since carved a path as a songwriter, producer, and artist with her own distinct vision. Now, she is stepping into an even bigger role with the launch of C.A.A.S. (Collect All And Save), the artist-first creative powerhouse she co-founded with producer Matt Sampson.

More than a label, C.A.A.S. operates as a production house, publishing company, and management collective designed to empower musicians at every stage of their careers. With a philosophy rooted in integrity and radical honesty, Zyra is redefining what it means to support artists — not only in making their best work, but in protecting their value and giving them the tools to thrive in an industry that often asks them to compromise.

I sat down with Zyra to talk about the dual worlds of global collaborations and personal artistry, the ethos behind C.A.A.S., and her vision for the future of independent music.

Your voice first reached millions through global electronic anthems, yet your solo work feels far more intimate and expansive. Do you see those two worlds as opposites or as different expressions of the same artistry?

They’re different languages telling the same story. The collaborations that broke me globally were snapshots of euphoria, while my solo work zooms out into intimacy and depth. They’re not opposites - the interest in developing material in both styles sharpens my two sides, and that’s very much how we think at C.A.A.S.: the global-facing cuts and features give artists leverage and the resources to fund their projects -  in the interest of transparency, all songs worked on at C.A.A.S. are split equally on both sides between all the collaborators involved and there are no hidden costs or fees on the production arm. We want our clients to have a good quality of life and mental wellbeing so that they are able to focus on what they do best - create the music. Once they don’t feel the pressure to compromise or seek big advances for the wrong reason, their more personal work, which we help them to create the breathing space to make, is what defines their long-term artistry. We help them have both the commercial power to stand tall as business entities, and the freedom to make passion projects without compromise.

Your songs often feel like emotional landscapes that combine atmosphere with confession. When you sit down to create, are you following a story, a sound, or a feeling?

Always a feeling, but one I want to build into something lasting. For me, music begins as emotion, but it becomes powerful when it’s structured like a story and supported like a business. That’s why with C.A.A.S., we don’t solely chase moments of feeling - we develop catalogues, cuts, and collaborations that gives our clients and collaborators the creative freedom to develop music they truly love. The goal is for our artists not only to move people emotionally, but also to have the leverage, catalogue, and knowledge to communicate their value clearly to anyone they work with. Feeling and innate, instinctive talent is the seed - structure is how we protect it.

With C.A.A.S. you have built more than a label. It is a creative ecosystem. What was missing in the industry that made you feel this type of collective needed to exist?

What was missing was integrity. Too often, artists are asked to hand over their power - to sign contracts they don’t fully understand, to let others define their value. I wanted to build a home where artists could not only make their best work, but also learn how to operate as business entities - we work within a music ‘industry’ and the key concept to be mindful of as a creative is that the core part of the commercial music industry moves with the intention to make money from anyone with raw talent or potential as a brand. At C.A.A.S., we protect the artists and musicians from the unsavoury contracts, the people who see them as commodities, and instead we give them the tools, the cuts, and the collaborations to stand on their own. It’s about creating an ecosystem where artistry and business literacy grow together, so that by the time an artist leaves us, they can walk into any room and negotiate their own worth with clarity.

The JVs we offer are intentionally not designed in our favour from a financial standpoint but Matt and my ethos is extremely artist led and we’re both creatives so we’ve essentially built the simple and flexible contracts we wished we could have signed from day one. There’s an initial term, the contract rolls on if the client is happy but, crucially, the client can terminate the contract at any time with a reasonable amount of notice so we can seamlessly transfer their IP wherever their next opportunity is taking them.

The mantra of artist first with no fluff and no ego is striking in a business that often thrives on the opposite. What does that philosophy demand of you as a leader and what does it demand of the artists who join you?

It demands radical honesty. For me, Matt and Ben as leaders, it means stripping out the ego and putting every resource in service of the artist - protecting them, educating them, and building leverage for them through strategic collaborations. For the artist, it means showing up with curiosity and a willingness to learn because our dream clients don’t just want to make songs, they want to understand the industry enough to steer their own future. Together, we create a partnership where there’s no f***ery, no false promises - just the craft, the business tools, and the confidence to stand tall as both artist and business entity.

Welcoming Dan Devlin to the C.A.A.S. roster feels like a statement of intent. Beyond the music, what qualities matter most to you when deciding who belongs in this creative family?

Courage is the starting point - Dan has it in spades. But beyond the music, our dream clients are hungry to learn. We want artists who care enough about their own future to understand the business side too, so that eventually, with C.A.A.S. behind them, they have the tools and the cuts to walk into any room and clearly communicate their brand identity & ethos, their goals, and their worth as a business entity. A huge part of what we do is protecting our clients from the unsavoury people, especially where money is concerned, that are everywhere in this industry, and teaching them how to leverage their value instead of being taken advantage of. We also develop their catalogues with high-profile cuts and collaborations they genuinely love - not just to build credibility and help them scale to the level they aspire to reach, but so that they can fund the passion projects that define who they are. Dan embodies that balance: fearless artistry with a long-term vision. That’s who belongs at C.A.A.S.

Dan Devlin (Right), Zyra (Left)

You have spoken about treating every release with the weight of a global campaign. In a culture that rewards speed and virality, what is the power of slowing down and being deliberate?

Longevity. Speed gives you spikes; deliberation builds careers. And part of that deliberation is teaching artists to see each release not just as content, but as an asset - part of a catalogue that gains them leverage, funds their artistry, and communicates their value clearly to the world. By slowing down, you’re not just making sure the art is excellent - you’re making sure it carries business weight. That’s why we treat every release like a global campaign: because we want our artists to last decades, not weeks. Patience, in this industry, is both a creative act and a financial strategy.

You are simultaneously an artist and a builder of platforms for other artists. Does stepping into those dual roles sharpen your creativity or do you sometimes feel one side pulling harder than the other?

The two roles speak to each other and intersect and are similar conceptually in intriguing ways. Being an artist keeps me empathetic - I know exactly how vulnerable it feels to sign a contract you don’t understand, or to feel pressure to compromise. Building C.A.A.S. keeps me strategic - it reminds me that artists need not only inspiration, but also infrastructure. Yes, sometimes one side pulls harder, but the balance is powerful: what I learn about protecting artists informs how I protect myself, and what I continue to learn about building leverage for my own career helps me guide others. Both roles share the same mission: creating a model where artistry and business strength walk hand in hand.

The landscape for independent musicians has never been noisier. If you could share one piece of survival advice for artists trying to cut through in 2025, what would it be?

Don’t chase the noise - build your signal. And part of that signal isn’t just your sound, it’s your business clarity. The algorithm might change tomorrow, but your ability to stand in a room and say, “This is who I am, this is what I’m worth, and here’s the catalogue to prove it” - that cuts through every time. My advice is to see yourself as both artist and enterprise. Make something undeniable, learn the tools, protect your worth, and align with people who amplify you rather than drain you. 

When you picture the future both for your own artistry and for C.A.A.S. as a movement, what is the headline you would love to see written about this era a decade from now?

“C.A.A.S. changed all the rules in the music industry without losing its soul.” I’d love the legacy to be twofold: that my own music made people feel deeply, and that our collective built a blueprint where artists thrived as both creators and business entities. Ten years from now, if the headline reads that we gave artists the tools, the protection, and the leverage to control their own narratives, and that the music born from that autonomy defined a generation, we’ve done what we set out to do.

Speaking to Zyra make one thing clear: she is not just an artist creating songs, but an architect building a new framework for how artists can exist in the modern music industry. Through C.A.A.S., she and her team are challenging outdated structures, prioritising wellbeing and business literacy, and giving musicians the space to pursue both commercial success and deeply personal projects without compromise.

Her vision is ambitious but refreshingly grounded, a future where artists are no longer commodities, but empowered voices shaping their own narratives. As her own artistry continues to evolve and C.A.A.S. expands its roster, Zyra’s journey stands as proof that creativity and business strength do not have to be opposites. Together, they can write the headlines of a new era in music.