Soraia (w/ Dance Cancer, Joe Mansman, Anacortez, Chapter 11)

FULL BIOGRAPHY:

As a spiritual descendent of iconic women in rock such as Patti Smith and Joan Jett, ZouZou’s Philadelphia-based band also embodies elements of kindred spirits of the ’90s and beyond – like PJ Harvey and The Kills, with more than a sprinkling of ’60s Garage Rock and Soul. Their primal sonic attack spreads a message of perseverance through trials of love, loss and letting go.

Bassist Travis Smith continues to be a crucial root of the Soraia tree, co-writing most of Soraia’s songs.

Further nourishing their roots is the continued support of Wicked Cool’s Stevie Van Zandt. The label head has been an advocate ever since naming their breakout track “Love Like Voodoo” the Coolest Song in the World on his syndicated radio show and SiriusXM channel Little Steven’s Underground Garage in 2013. In January 2021, the band’s newest single “Tight-Lipped” became the thirteenth ‘Coolest Song’ they’ve earned.

Van Zandt has even become a creative collaborator, penning “Why” for Dead Reckoning and co-writing two Roots tunes: 2019 Coolest Song “Still I Rise” and forthcoming single “Darkness (Is My Only Candle).” “I trust him more than anyone in knowing what I’m trying to say and who I am,” says ZouZou.

Complementing them in the studio once again is producer/engineer Geoff Sanoff, whose credits include notable work with Bruce Springsteen, Fountains Of Wayne and Dashboard Confessional. “He’s a member of the band when we’re in there,” ZouZou acknowledges.

Soraia has come a long way since their punked-up cover of The Kinks’ “(I’m Not) Like Everybody Else” hit #1 on Rock radio in South America in 2015. Their independently released debut album In The Valley Of Love And Guns from 2013 features five songs co-written with Jon Bon Jovi.

“I’m all about playing a fun song and throwing myself around, that’s Rock ’n’ Roll at its heart,” ZouZou remarks. “But I’m also about telling the stories of resurrection and life and hope and darkness.”

###

”Soraia is an extraordinary, exciting, and ‘sure to make waves’ band who I love and admire” – Joan Jett

“Ultimately, our new album is about rising above all of the slights, injuries, and traumas we’ve all experienced – personally and together – and positioning ourselves into a new place we’ve chosen. A place with renewed courage and vitality.

We realize we are all deserving of a life driven by our choices and power,” affirms ZouZou Mansour, lead singer and lyricist for Soraia.

Anyone who’s overcome mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual barriers will relate deeply to this ten-song collection, aptly titled, Bloom. Soraia’s third studio album with Wicked Cool Records showcases tragic romance, awakened passion, fiery desire, and lost identity – yet is ultimately filled with their consistent foreboding of hope.  These themes – combined with the band’s signature hard rocking, motivating sound – create a unique listening experience. Bloom inevitably empowers the listener to make the change they choose– it advocates speaking your truth and living your life – consequences be damned.

Bloom builds on the themes established throughout the band’s career. Their first studio album “Dead Reckoning” (2017) featured songs defining where they stood from the viewpoint of where they’d been. 2020’s “Dig Your Roots” was all about accepting who and what they are, and Bloom – the third in the series – is about letting go of all these things and finding that new place: musically, as a group, and as individuals. If 2020 taught us anything—it is how to unapologetically stand up proudly for who and what we are.

The EP begins with the hard rock we’ve all come to expect of the band. As David Fricke, formerly of Rolling Stone Magazine claims, ”Searing guitars, burning soul, and true CBGB grit: Soraia are the rock you need in your face now” and they have not changed their step here. The album opens ferociously with an emblazoned “YEAH!” in “Jokers, Thieves, and Liars” and doesn’t let up through Side B.

Though the album focuses on hard driving melodies, the band passionately explores new territory in some tender moments. ‘Jackson’s Song’ – a surprisingly simple song yet beautifully tragic love story between two bikers – is a vulnerable spot on the album. It’s one partner’s confession of her changing emotions and personhood that ends in a solid moment fated by twisted loyalty. Another anthemic song is the soul-defining and very personal ‘Mephistopheles’ which closes the record. A claim on current culture mirrored in an intimately personal experience, Mephistopheles himself is a charmer – both wildly alluring and utterly deadly. The song’s highlight is the dark angelic backgrounds in the final chorus—a statement that visually brings to mind Dante’s Inferno. ’’Mephistopheles’ is about a real experience and holds its place at the end of our record for a reason….” affirms ZouZou Mansour, lead singer and lyricist for Soraia.

With every release, Soraia continues to gain experience, momentum, and strength. They have garnered the attention of many soulful rock legends in the music business, including Jon Bon Jovi, Steven Van Zandt, and Joan Jett. The core band features ZouZou Mansour (lead vocals), Travis Smith (bass), and Brianna Sig (drums).  Together, they have unmatched chemistry and passion for the music they play.

Soraia does what they do best on Bloom: shine and reflect through personal stories a universal identity we all share. Their songs promise life after loss, and survival that is both fragile and tough.

Bloom is the promise of redemption, newfound passion, and dark warriorhood. The black lotus rising from the mud that blooms into the most beautiful flower: it blossoms from its sin, scars, and final survival—a spirit brimming with strength. What has kept these warriors together through thick and thin is that bond. That darkness. That hope: To grow together.

We will keep telling our stories.