Highest Sea takes us on a journey under the burning sun and into the night, carried on a wave of melancholic and solar indie rock. Behind the name is songwriter Leïla Zanzibar, whose raw and mystical vocals tell bewitching stories about haunted hearts guided by the call of the sea.

 

Zanzibar’s main influences range from The Velvet Underground to Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley, with Beach House or Atlas Sound making their marks along the way. Started as a solo project, Highest Sea has evolved over the years from a duo into a four piece, opening for bands such as Sasami, Lala Lala, Hand Habits and Penelope Isles and performing in Paris (Supersonic), Vienna (Porgy & Bess), Prague and all over Germany.

Zanzibar’s debut EP Haunted Hearts was released by Späti Palace in 2017. In 2019 Duchess Box Records (Jettes, Shybits, Gurr) released the single I’m on the Moon and its David Lynch-inspired video, as well as her second EP Haven, produced by Joe Kelly (Mother of the Unicorn).

 

Since the release of her last single Dreaming Awake (2020), Zanzibar has been focusing on songwriting for her debut album and forming a new line-up.

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