If you’ve seen ABC Family’s show “Pretty Little Liars,” then you’ve already heard some of ZZ Ward’s soulful, saucy, sexy brand of rhythm and blues. If you haven’t seen the show or heard ZZ yet, then you’re in for an amazing auditory experience RIGHT now.

Her EP, ‘Criminal,’ is just a preview of what’s to come from the Pennsylvania-born, Oregon raised ZZ Ward – who worked with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Neff-U, Freddie Gibbs and Kendrick Lamar for the tracks on her forthcoming LP.

My favorite part of our interview came when I asked her about good advice. She said, “Enjoy your life. And if you’re not, change it. That’s it. You decide what you want to do. I moved from a very small town, and I moved to the city. I didn’t know what I was gonna do. I knew I wanted to do music but I didn’t know where to start. I slept on an air mattress for two years. I know I’m saying, ‘enjoy your life’ and obviously that probably wasn’t that enjoyable for me [laughs]. But if you know what you want to do, just go for it – wherever you are.”

Love that.

ZZ is currently on the road with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and she was kind enough to sit down and talk to us in her trailer just after her set at the Woodland Park Zoo, where she opened for Grace Potter & the Nocturnals…her first show in Seattle! No doubt we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the coming months.

Thanks, ZZ! You can listen to our full interview here:

You can listen to and purchase ZZ’s EP here: