Zoe Lister-Jones is an actress, writer, and producer. And now she’s a director. “Band Aid,” her directorial debut, is a terrific story about a couple who decide to turn their epic fights into songs. She’s a true talent and I look forward to seeing what the “Life in Pieces” star does next.

“Band Aid” is in theaters now and will be available on VOD June 9. Head over Fandango to find tickets and screening info.

W&H: I loved your movie. It’s so current and meaningful, yet funny. It’s just wonderful. Congratulations.

ZLJ: Thank you so much.

W&H: I’ve seen many of your movies, and we’ve had several conversations and interviews together. This feels like a big step for you as a writer-director. Do you feel that way too?

ZLJ: Yes, absolutely. It’s the first film that I’ve written independently of Daryl Wein, who’s both my husband and writing partner of many years. It’s my first feature as a director. It does feel different and exciting.

In retrospect, it was one of the most creatively enriching experiences of my life.

W&H: What made you decide to work independently from Daryl on this piece?

ZLJ: I think we were both looking to stake more independence in our creative pursuits. This is not to say that we won’t collaborate again — it can obviously be incredibly fulfilling to work with your romantic partner on art. But, it can also be difficult to create boundaries between the personal and professional. I think we were both excited to have space in our home life; it felt a little more free of the work itself.

W&H: You have written movies before, but you’ve never directed before. What went off in your head and said, “I’m ready to direct and star in this”?

ZLJ: Well, when I wrote it, I knew I would star in it. I didn’t yet know that I was set to direct it.

Once I finished the script, it just felt like the story that I wanted to tell as a director. I was excited about the creative autonomy that this would endow to the project. I was really excited about the intersection of those varying responsibilities. I was excited about directing while acting and directing my own writing.

At this stage in my life, both personally and artistically, it just felt like the next logical step.

W&H: Your lead actor, Adam Pally, is so good in this. I feel like it’s his moment, too. You two seem to have a great rapport; it really seemed like you had been married for a long time. Did you know each other before this?

ZLJ: We actually had — only very briefly — met twice before I offered him the role in the film. I was an admirer of his work, and in the brief interactions that we’d had, there was an ease between us.

There’s sort of this shared sensibility in terms of humor, so I was excited to work with him. I actually didn’t know how well he played guitar, so that was an added bonus since we played all of the music live in the film. It was a really amazing collaboration. I really love working with him as both an actor and director.

W&H: When we’ve spoken previously, you’ve talked about wanting to make films on your own terms — and that’s why you’ve made small films. I don’t know the difference in terms of funding and budget, but this one seems different in terms of its Sundance and IFC distribution journey. Talk a bit about how this process was different than your previous films.

ZLJ: Well, I asked Natalia Anderson, who produces “Life in Pieces,” if she wanted to produce this film with me. She had an existing relationship with a company called QC Entertainment that just executive produced Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” She brought them the script.

In a totally rare turn of events, they got the script on a Friday, and on Monday they signed on to finance the film.

W&H: That never happens.

ZLJ: It never happens, no. The rest wasn’t so different from my past independent films. We got it on its seat relatively quickly — the day we began production was five months to the day from when I asked Natalia to get on board. We worked really hard to get it up quickly.

We shot last June, edited over the summer, submitted to Sundance in September, and premiered in competition in January.

W&H: That sounds like a dream story. For some people, Sundance is a little overwhelming. As a first-time female filmmaker, do you have any advice? Can you share lessons you learned from that experience?

ZLJ: I think the important thing is to not get too caught up in sales. We were a film that premiered later — on the Tuesday following the opening weekend. As a filmmaker, you’re reading about all of the sales that have already happened and the films that are getting all of this buzz. It’s easy to get a little caught up in those elements.

From the beginning of the writing stages of this film, I’ve tried to really focus on the process almost exclusively — on finding the joy in the work itself and not letting those elements of industry and commerce be that experience. Of course it proves very challenging when you’re at Sundance, but I would advise to try your best to live in the moment and enjoy how exciting it is to be there, regardless of what happens with your movie.

W&H: That’s good advice. So, you had pretty much all women working on this film.

ZJL: It was an entirely female crew.

W&H: Right. Talk about why this was a deliberate choice for you.

ZLJ: On a personal level, I’ve always felt that something very special happens when women come together. I’d only really experienced that in social circumstances, and I wanted to see what it would feel like if that experience was translated in the context of making art.

Through my own experience both in front of the camera and behind it, I’m incredibly aware of the underrepresentation of women on film and television crews. I wanted to create opportunities in departments where they’re rarely afforded to them.

W&H: While working on your television show, “Life in Pieces,” how many female directors have you seen per season?

ZLJ: I think that television is actually in better shape than the film industry in terms of diverse hiring, especially when it comes to directors. On crews, it’s a very different thing. We’ve had a number of awesome female directors on “Life in Pieces,” and I’m proud of the show for doing that, but I do think that on the crew women are few and far between.

I think that was why it wasn’t just about department heads for me. It was really about creating an environment where women could feel their most confident and could gain the experience necessary to open more doors in the future.

W&H: Wow. That’s amazing and wonderful. Congratulations for that. Are there any women directors who inspire you or who inspired your directing?

ZLJ: There are plenty. I love Miranda July; I love her as an artist in general and as a director. Patty Jenkins is an amazing example of someone whose career I admire, and I’m so excited to see “Wonder Woman.” Helen Hunt has also been directing many episodes of “Life in Pieces,” and I really admire her and her work.

There are so many. Ava DuVernay, Kathryn Bigelow, Sofia Coppola, Gina Prince-Bythewood. The list goes on and on.

W&H: Do you and your friends or colleagues talk about the dire straits for women directors? Is that something you think about and discuss?

ZLJ: Totally. My female friends who work in the industry are all too aware of the double standards that exist. After working on “Band Aid,” a number of my crew members wrote to me afterwards about their subsequent projects and how they’re the only woman on their respective crew.

The reality is still pretty bleak. I think a lot needs to happen to effect change.

W&H: If you had one thing that you would tell someone to do to make the change, what would it be?

ZLJ: Hire all-female crews. I just knew that if I set out to hire as many women as possible, I would basically end up with the same ratio we see on day-to-day sets. Even as a woman at the helm, you’re still faced with similar pitfalls or biases in terms of perceived lack of experience or existing relationships.

In order to really effect change, you have to subvert the paradigm completely.

W&H: I totally agree. At Cannes, Jane Campion was suggesting that they have all-female juries.

ZLJ: That would be amazing.

W&H: What do you read, watch, or listen to that inspires you as an artist?

ZLJ: I’ve been so consumed by my own movie that I haven’t been a good consumer of popular culture lately.

W&H: How about when you were thinking of writing the movie? You’re a songwriter. That’s part of who you are. How do you find that spark?

ZLJ: I came of age in the ’90s, so a lot of my favorite musicians come from around that time. Matador Records was big for me: bands like Pavement, Yo La Tengo, and Liz Phair were all pretty transformative in terms of my musical sensibility.

I went to college in New York in 2000, and that was an amazing moment for music. The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Liars came onto the scene. In terms of my own songwriting, those bands are pretty influential.

Now, there are so many bands doing incredible work. I’m really into Angel Olsen. I think Grizzly Bear is great. There are too many to even list.

In terms of television and film, I love “Broad City”; it’s one of my favorite shows. I’m a big “Homeland” watcher. In television, there is a more space for complicated and unapologetic female protagonists, so I tend to be drawn to a lot of those stories.