INTERVIEW: Soraia bring their rock music to Teaneck’s Debonair Hall
Photo: Soraia will play Debonair Music Hall Friday, April 7. Photo courtesy of Cassandra Panek / Provided by Earshot Media with permission.
Soraia, a hard rock band out of Philadelphia, are having a banner year in 2023. They recently released their new single, a cover of the Hellacopters’ “Baby Borderline,” off their new LP called Bloom, and they are gearing up for a few more dates on their spring tour, including a Friday, April 7 gig at the Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, New Jersey. The intimate venue will play host to the big sound of ZouZou Mansour on lead vocals and tambourine, Travis Smith on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Brianna Sig on drums and backing vocals.
Bloom is Soraia’s third recording effort with Wicked Cool Records, according to press notes, following 2017’s Dead Reckoning and 2020’s Dig Your Roots. There are 10 hard rock selections on the album, including the tunes “I Seek Fire,” “Jokers, Thieves, and Liars” and “Mephistopheles.”
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Soraia about their new album and their upcoming concert at Debonair, which is presented by local radio station WDHA and also features the Neverends, King Like Mom and Lost Romance. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Were you happy with how Bloom turned out and how audiences embraced the LP?
Yes! The goal is always to try and top ourselves and what we’ve done on the previous record. It’s always fleeting though because by the time a record comes out we are already working on the next one and challenging ourselves to grow and get better. And I think audiences have embraced it well, too. When we see people singing along at shows, that’s usually a good indicator.
Do you feel that Bloom was a response, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic and the world being upside down?
We’ve always kind of been outsiders, collectively, so the world feeling upside down is not totally new to us. But of course the pandemic presented a lot of challenges to a lot of people in various ways. I think Bloom is more of a response to those challenges, not specific necessarily to the pandemic but to the feeling that you gotta get buried in the dirt and darkness before you can really bloom.
Are you the same songwriters today that you were back when Dead Reckoning was released in 2017?
I think over the years we have figured out how to approach writing with each other in a way that works for us, but also always have the intention of trying to grow and expand as writers. Personally I’ve been putting extra focus on identifying my own patterns and disrupting them, trying to find the balance between challenging myself and growing but also just making something that is fun and that may speak to someone.
What inspired you to record The Hellacopters’ “Baby Borderline”?
We had an opportunity to record while we were touring in Sweden, but nobody was into my idea of covering an ABBA song, haha! But really some of our friends out there are also friends with some of the Hellacopters guys — and it just made sense for us.
What can fans expect from your spring tour?
We always just want people to leave our shows feeling inspired and invigorated. We have fun, and we try to bring the same energy whether we’re playing to a small room or a huge venue.
How difficult is the musician’s life?
Life is life. We’ve forfeited the comforts of routine and normalcy for something that fits us better. There’s a set of challenges and rewards that come with working a 9-5 for 20 years and a different set that come with doing what we do. Sometimes the challenges can be discouraging, but I think ultimately we all do this because it’s in our blood, and it’s who we are.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Soraia’s new LP is Bloom, and they will play Friday, April 7 at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
