With “Spill A Little Tea,” Zuko Sian arrives as an artist who treats vulnerability not as a risk, but as a source of power. Blending jazz, soul, and hip-hop into a warm, intimate soundscape crafted in her Bethnal Green home studio, the single feels less like a performance and more like a confession whispered directly to the listener. Written in a burst of emotional clarity following a breakup, the song captures the courage it takes to speak your truth—especially when doing so invites judgment. That honesty extends beyond the music into its striking visual world, where historical imagery and modern feminist resolve collide. In this interview, Zuko Sian opens up about creative chaos, emotional reckoning, tea-fueled studio sessions, and the joy of choosing self-respect over silence.
If “Spill A Little Tea” were a drink, what would it be — and why?
If it were a drink I would say a smoked honey bourbon as this drink is both felt in the chest and head and writing this song felt like that.
What’s one tiny, petty thing that instantly gives you the ick?
I don’t know about tiny but the first thing that came to mind was amateur cyclists and manspreading on public transport.
You’re stuck on a desert island and can only bring three albums. Which ones go in your bag?
I would say Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas, 19 by Adele and Doja Cat’s Scarlet
What’s your most chaotic studio habit that your collaborators tease you about?
When I am in the studio I always need tea which is not very chaotic but it is something that is a must.
If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who are you picking and what’s the first question you’d ask them?
Probably Howl Jenkins Pendragon from the anime film Howl’s moving castle I would ask him if I can go on one of his adventures. It’s one of my favourite movies and I would love to be in that world for a day.
What was the first song you ever felt truly seen by — the one you played on repeat like it was medicine?
Hometown Glory by Adele, even though I was very young when that came out I remember feeling emotional for the first time listening to a song.
If your life had a loading screen, what image or GIF would appear every time?
That lady who runs away with the shopping bags in her hands. I feel that sums up life, constantly going back to Tesco’s because I forgot an item.
What’s the most surprising thing you learned about yourself while making this video?
I learnt that I still have love for the people I had to walk away from in my life. It surprised me that moving on didn’t mean I stopped caring, it just meant I started caring about myself more.
If you could teleport to any era of music history for a week, where would you go and what role would you play there?
I would want to be in the studio when Michael Jackson recorded Thriller in 1982.”
What’s one “unserious” goal you have for 2025 — something purely joyful or ridiculous that you’d love to do?
Recently I got into baking again, I want to bake cookies with outrageous designs just to see if I could pull it off.
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