I Seek Fire
”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.
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.