Name: Kayla Rita

Hometown: Cato, N.Y.

Kayla Rita

When and how did you discover Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros?
“I went to visit my brother when a friend of his was listening to Home. I instantly fell in love; it wasn’t like any other music I had listened to before. I asked him who it was by, and that night I had every song downloaded on my computer.”

How has ESMZ influenced your life?
“When I found ESMZ, I was at a time in my life where I had no idea who I was. I wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t unhappy. I was just there. Going through life as if there weren’t thousands of people who would do anything to be healthy and alive, like me. The band followed me while I found who I was, and a big part of me believes finding them has a lot to do with it. I learned how to take advantage of life and to enjoy the little things. They were there through the hard times, but especially for the amazing memories. Now, I listen to ESMZ with my 6-month-old daughter and I hope one day she’ll enjoy the band as much as I do!”

Favorite ESMZ song(s)?
“Remember to Remember, Better Days, Home, Life is Hard, When You’re Young”.