Dora Jar: there are “a lot of contradictions in being an artist—you want to share so much but you’re afraid to be seen.”

Step into Dora Jar’s debut album, No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire, where eclectic indie rock meets whimsical pop. Blending raw vulnerability with genre-blurring sounds, Dora’s self-assured work explores themes of identity, contradictions, and embracing the unknown.

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ALYSSA SUAREZ

10/15/20244 min read

Genre-blurring, whimsical Gen Z artist Dora Jar strikes again, setting audiences worldwide ablaze with her debut full-length album, No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire, released on September 13th via Island Records. The record is a journey into the heart of a musician who balances both vulnerability and strength. Infusing indie rock guitar, imaginative lyrics, and electronic beats, Dora crafts her own type of pop music, hoping to leave fans feeling “courageous, open, and dancey”.

A key aspect of Dora’s art is a sense of contradiction—the desire to share deeply personal work while struggling with the fear of being seen. As she shared in a recent press conference, “there are “a lot of contradictions in being an artist—you want to share so much but you’re afraid to be seen.” This push-and-pull between openness and vulnerability fuels her new album, creating a space where uncertainty is embraced.

Dora’s creative process is deeply rooted in the unknown. Rather than following the ordinary, she has learned to welcome ambiguity with open arms. “I’ve become more comfortable with being in the mystery... not needing it all to make sense,” she says. Feeling braver to share different sides of herself has allowed her music to unfold naturally, giving listeners room to interpret her songs in their own way, encouraging them to embrace their own uncertainties.

The curation of the album’s tracklist also reflects this theme of accepting contradiction. Dora describes it as a “fun house,” where each song–or “room”–offers a vastly different experience, yet all belong to the same family. “I want every room to be radically different but all part of the same house,” she says. This inventive approach highlights the diversity in her music, with each track standing alone as its own story, yet together forming a cohesive exploration of emotion and self-identity.

Organizing the tracklist was not a linear task. Rather than just ordering songs, Dora removed tracks that didn’t fit the overall vision. “It was more about elimination than ordering,” she explains. The result is a collection of songs that take listeners on a journey of self-discovery, navigating their own internal landscapes.

The album cover adds another layer to Dora’s extraordinary artistry. Drawing inspiration from Mary Poppins, the art features a staircase made of smoke–an intentional contraction. “Smoke as a staircase is a big contradiction. Something that lifts but is not grounded,” she says. This imagery mirrors the contradictions within Dora’s own life and art: the constant tension between stability and uncertainty, being grounded and taking flight.

What makes Dora’s artistry so compelling is how instinctive it is. She describes her visuals as more of a feeling than logic, almost natural as opposed to overplanned. When asked about her fashion choices for the album, she explained how she “wanted to wear paper & wrap boots in potato sacks...tapping into basic textures”. This raw, primitive style reflects her grounded nature, even as her music delves into playful sounds and ethereal themes.

Another key aspect of the album are Dora’s fast-changing emotions on full display. “My inner weather is super temporal...watching the sky change is a source of comfort,” she says. This theme of impermanence is showcased in her work, as she explores the transient nature of feelings and identity. By questioning who she is, Dora ultimately lands on the answer: “ever-changing.” Much like life’s ebb and flow, Dora’s music captures the beauty of impermanence, offering listeners a deeply relatable exploration of self-identity and emotional transformation.

“In the creation of this album, I was very obsessed with contractions in myself and smoke as a staircase is a big contradiction. Something that lifts but is not grounded and you would fall right through if it were real.”

At the heart of Dora’s music is the courage to embrace contradictions. Her work isn’t about providing answers but rather exploring the questions. No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire invites listeners to accept their own complexities, just as she has accepted hers. She hopes to leave them reassured that “the strange parts of them are the best parts.”

Overall, No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire is an invitation to connect with oneself and others. It is both an obvious and abstract journey, filled with complex guitar parts, eclectic sounds, and masterful genre blending that invites listeners to both enjoy and reflect. With endless ways to interpret Dora’s songs and feel the emotions they evoke, she has crafted a deeply meaningful experience, encouraging her audience to discover themselves. By sharing her own vulnerabilities, Dora opens a door for listeners to do the same, creating a space where contradictions and uncertainty are not only accepted but celebrated.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out No Way To Relax When You’re On Fire—an album that truly welcomes you into Dora’s world of creativity and contradictions.

“Fire can sometimes feel like anger and I think that always underneath anger is some kind of universal sadness that can help our hearts open and ultimately we can get out of our own heads and connect to each other when we realize that we are all struggling.”
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Press Conference (Dora Jar - 10.03.24)

Image: Haley Appell

Words: Alyssa Suarez