WRIF Virtual Rock Room with Soraia's ZouZou Mansour
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00:00Thank you so much for watching Riff TV. Now, this interview is obviously with video, but I don't interview everybody on Zoom.
00:07That's why I put it on my Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast. We talk to rock artists from all over the genre.
00:13So check out Talkin' Rock with Meltdown wherever you get your podcasts. And now, to today's video interview.
00:21Zuzu, how are you?
00:22I'm doing good. It's great to see you, Meltdown.
00:25Great to see you as well. For those that don't know, you've come through the Motor City many times, and we've had some fun times.
00:31Let's see, a Mexican restaurant, an Irish restaurant, and more to come.
00:37The Irish restaurant was good. I like the Mexican one better. I like the whole vibe of it.
00:42I think it was, yeah. I wasn't really down with the Mexican, but I'm done. You guys want to go Mexican? Sure, we'll go there. It was fun. It was a great night.
00:49It was nice of you. You hosted us very well.
00:52Yeah, it's always fun when you guys come through. So what's happening with the band here? Tell me everything that's going on.
00:57Well, we have a new record coming out in October, and we just released a single, I Seek Fire, August 19th, and did a video for it earlier this summer.
01:06The same guy directed Tight Lips, so I'm very excited about that.
01:11And yeah, everything's going great here. We're about to leave for a tour in a couple days, and West Coast first, and then we hit the Midwest.
01:17We're doing some dates with Joan Jett again, which I can't wait. It's her birthday again.
01:21We always love playing Joan's birthday, so that's the first one with her.
01:26So yeah, I'm excited, and then I'm sure when it's over, I'm going to be really sad.
01:31So lots to look forward to. I'm excited, but the record will be out in October, and I'm really looking forward to that.
01:39And the record looks killer. All I've heard so far is I Seek Fire, but I saw it on your Facebook. It looks awesome.
01:46So the record now, you guys are playing a special show coming up. Is that also the same day the record drops in Philadelphia? You're playing a show?
01:53We're playing a Philly actually a little later than the record drops, only because the venue we normally do it at is having issues.
02:00So we had to move the show to December.
02:03Yeah, December. Okay, that's what I thought. So when does the record drop exactly? October 1?
02:07Friday, October 28th.
02:08Okay, so near the end of October. Is Halloween, is that your time of year?
02:13Sure is. Come on. Look at me. I was just in a drive-thru yesterday, and the girl looked at me. She goes,
02:19do you read tarot? And I'm like, am I that obvious? Like, you know what I mean? Like, there's no mystery to this at all.
02:27Well, I mean, the video for I Seek Fire, obviously, is, I mean, it's a perfect time of year to drop that.
02:33It sure is. That's all Sam's idea. He made that story himself.
02:38But I was like, yeah, let's go. Let's go.
02:42And of course, so you had to shoot different parts outside the band and stuff. What was that like?
02:48It was good. I actually, the very first day we shot the performance stuff, but we also shot the car, like the very opening scene.
02:54And that was one of the first shots we did, and that was outside the performance hall where we did the, where we had all the roots coming out.
03:02And that was fun. And then the second day is when we did the cabin shots.
03:06And that was just, there's a lot of mosquitoes and bees.
03:09But other than that, it was a lot of fun. It was very spooky.
03:12It reminded me, like the evil dead cabin, like, you know what I mean?
03:15And, and like, it was just the whole vibe of the place was terrifying.
03:18So I was kind of like, if I didn't know I was in California, I'd be a lot more scared.
03:22Like if I, if this actual cabin was in like, say Salem, Massachusetts, I'd have a whole different like fear level.
03:28But it was, it was, it's a very small cabin. We shot it in too.
03:32So the band was there outside just making fun of me pretty much the whole time.
03:36So, I mean, there's no like relief from that.
03:39So, but it was, it was really, I like doing that, that part of it, you know, with the videos.
03:44I like the acting part of it a lot. I get into it.
03:48Now I heard the song before I saw the video, I heard the song a couple of weeks before the video came out and I cannot place my finger on it,
03:55but it reminds me not of something, but of like a certain genre.
03:59And I don't know, what, what have people told you that that song still reminds them of?
04:02A lot of people are saying like metal.
04:05And it's funny because when I keep thinking when Travis first played the riff for me,
04:09and it was a different tone than that's on the record.
04:12And I immediately was like, that sounds like Jack White.
04:16Like, you know what I mean?
04:17Like, so I, I had a whole different vibe going into this song than people are hearing in it.
04:21Um, but to me, I, I, um, I hear that a lot.
04:25I also hear like different things.
04:27Some people are saying like Foo Fighters, some people are saying Pat Benatar,
04:30and some people are, are just saying it just sounds classic.
04:33Like it doesn't sound like, like, like current modern rock.
04:37And I was like, it's funny because when we go in the studio, we don't, every song, you know,
04:42when you do the album, except for Tight Lip, which we did separate from the album, but is on the album,
04:46every other song was done in a period of time, um, together.
04:50I Seek Fire was one of probably the last ones we added guitar to and stuff, but, but, um, you know,
04:56I always, that was my favorite song when we wrote it.
04:59I was like, this is my favorite.
05:00And, um, and I, so I, it's like, I kind of go like, we bring so many styles.
05:05If I told you how many different styles we talk about when we write these songs, you'd be like,
05:09what is the final product really?
05:12Like, you're just like, why does it sound like this?
05:15So it's kind of, it's kind of interesting because I honestly, um, this is probably the only one we've
05:20got this much varying opinion on, but it's, it's, and I like it.
05:26I kind of, I think that's a good thing.
05:28You know what I mean?
05:29Yeah.
05:29You mentioned the word classic and that's, that's what I'm thinking too.
05:32It's, it's obviously a classic song, but when I hear it, I think like, like the, the, like the,
05:36uh, remember the old cartoon, like the Archie's or something.
05:39It's like, it's got that kind of classic vibe, but kind of a modern thing too.
05:42It's, it's kind of hard to place that's good.
05:45Yeah.
05:45Make me feel good.
05:48As long as you added modern in there and we're not trying to, you know, like we're not
05:51deliberately going for anything, which is probably a really stupid decision, but we really go
05:56in every time.
05:57Luckily we have the same producer.
05:59This is our third record with this producer and that Jeff Sanoff and he kind of understands
06:04us well, more, way more than we understand ourselves where it comes to.
06:08Yeah.
06:09Yeah.
06:09He's got to be the fifth member for sure.
06:11Hey, speaking of that, how come I, how come I only see pictures with, uh, with three of
06:14you guys in the, on the, uh, Facebook and whatnot.
06:17You know why?
06:18Cause I've been like, Travis and I have been working together for years and, and Brianna
06:22has been in for like years.
06:24And I go like, we seem to have a rotating cast of guitar players.
06:27So I go like, until they've like, really, like, I feel like we had this guy, Mike Reisman
06:33within the band.
06:33Like he was the, there were the four of us.
06:35That was it.
06:36But so when he left, since he left, it's been very difficult to keep, um, which is it's,
06:43you would think would make the music suffer, but the music is written by Travis.
06:46So it's like, it's like, it doesn't really make anything suffer.
06:50It just, it's just more that we're trying to find the right fit in a lot of ways that
06:55can end up contributing as well.
06:57We want a fourth member, but for whatever reason, every time we get a really great
07:01guy in there, it's like something happens and he's got to go, or he's got to do this.
07:04Or, you know, so, um, I decided instead of trying to put forth this image, um, the real
07:11honest truth is it's been the three of us from day one, um, me and Travis since day one.
07:15And Brianna really feels like she's been in it since day one.
07:18Why not, why not show the band as we really are?
07:20You know what I mean?
07:21And, um, and it's funny because I was really kind of, it's funny you brought that up because
07:25I was kind of not sure that we should do that, but I was like, isn't it worse to keep putting
07:30a guy that changes in the pictures?
07:32Like, you know what I'm saying?
07:34Like, yeah, or that we act like they're just not that significant at all to the sound of
07:39the, like, so, um, it's funny because who was it that started doing it?
07:43Cause his bass player left and now it's just the three of them in the pictures.
07:46Oh, oh, it's somebody we've played with.
07:49You, you know who they are too.
07:50Oh God, it's going to drive me crazy.
07:52I don't know.
07:52It's like, it's like Tyler Bryant.
07:54Oh, Tyler.
07:54Okay.
07:55Yeah.
07:55There you go.
07:55Yeah.
07:56Yeah.
07:56It's like, you know what?
07:57Todd Bryant can do it.
07:58So I can do it.
07:59That's right.
08:01Well, he's in the video.
08:03So that's all that matters.
08:05And he's, he's definitely, he's definitely, yeah, we miss him.
08:10So, so tell me about the rest of the, uh, the rest of the album bloom, which drops on
08:14October 28th.
08:15Like you were saying, like, obviously we've heard the one song, uh, I seek fire.
08:18What else is, what other kind of stuff is on there?
08:21Well, um, I, I feel like it's, it's definitely, it's definitely us like maturing as writers
08:28and production and everything like that.
08:30Like, it's definitely, uh, a cool, um, I have the, I was saying this just a minute ago.
08:34I was like the, the distance between when we finished recording it, which is last October
08:39to when it's releasing, which is this October because of the weight on the vinyl was really
08:44kind of productive for us because I get to hear the songs now as a listener and not as
08:49the artist seeing everything that's wrong with like the final piece.
08:52It's like Mephistopheles is probably now my favorite song on the record, which is the
08:57end of the record, the last song on the record, because, uh, Travis and Brianna like layered
09:01this like dark angel, like orchestral vocal that is like, I just get goosebumps every time
09:08I hear it.
09:08So Mephistopheles is one that like, I really love that concludes the record.
09:13She's already dead is another, uh, really cool song.
09:16There's, there's just a lot of cool songs on there.
09:18And, um, um, I'm really proud of it.
09:20It's, it's probably as every new record is probably going to be, it's my favorite Soraya
09:24record.
09:25So is it, is it, is it heavier?
09:27Is it lighter?
09:28Is there a more intricate writing that tell me a little bit more?
09:31I think it's, it's, there's songs that are heavier, but there's also songs that are lighter.
09:35I think one of the things that we, we do, that's a little different from probably a lot
09:40of bands is we have that, like, you know, I, I kind of, I think the one Venn diagram
09:44area where we all kind of meet is, is we were all huge fans of like the white stripes
09:49and garage rock.
09:50And, and, uh, I think we bring that, um, where you have like a, I remember elephant was one
09:55of my favorite records and I love like the lightness of some of the songs and then the
09:59heaviness of, and the almost like a punk attitude with some of the other songs, nobody
10:02done that.
10:03And I, I've always kind of come from that school of like, give them like all that you
10:07are, not just what they expect.
10:09So you, you'll definitely hear there's a song on there called Jackson song, which I wrote
10:12by binge watching Sons of Anarchy for like, you know, the entirety of March and April of
10:182020 in quarantine.
10:19Is that right?
10:20Yeah.
10:21I told, I finally told our label manager, I was like, that song's about the guy from Sons
10:26of Anarchy, the relationship between Jackson and what, I forget her named Tara.
10:30And, um, I was like, that's all it's about.
10:32And it was kind of built on the idea of Dolly Parton's The Bridge.
10:35If you ever heard that, um, which you'll, you'll hear it.
10:38That's a very light song, although it's about a very tragic, obviously romance, but then there's
10:42other songs like that are heavier, like She's Already Dead and I Seek Fire and Joker, Steves
10:48and Liars, which starts out the record, you know, and a little bit of punk in there, like
10:52attitude, not so much style, but, um, definitely a little more spit in the vocal that I was
10:58just trying things, you know, I, like I, I, I just feel like we've just all kind of matured
11:02and are okay getting out of the box of, of what we've done before.
11:06When do you, when do you start to go back out on the road?
11:08Um, this Saturday, this like literally two days from today, we leave.
11:13And I think our first show is Tuesday night in San Diego.
11:15And then we, we just do, uh, we're doing like San Diego, San Francisco, LA, Palmdale, Reno,
11:21Nevada, fly home for a couple of days to drive out to the Midwest to play the Midwest with Joan.
11:26And, uh, I think we're playing Indiana and Wisconsin with her.
11:29And, uh, then we're hitting Chicago and all the way down to Nashville and back up again,
11:35everywhere, Detroit, we're heading everywhere.
11:37Um, and then we come home October 10th and do a few things, uh, around here and then go
11:44back out on the Northeast area for November.
11:47Yeah.
11:48I guess when you come through Detroit, we'll have to go to a, um, uh, uh, Benihana or a
11:53hibachi restaurant this time.
11:55We should keep it, keep it always fresh.
12:00That's right.
12:01Always fresh.
12:02You, you definitely bring us to the best places and we always get to visit, um, Nick,
12:07which is cool.
12:08The vinyl story.
12:10Nick from, uh, yeah.
12:10Rock city music.
12:11Yeah.
12:11For sure.
12:12I won't even look at the instruments in that story.
12:14Cause I don't have that kind of money right now.
12:16So yeah.
12:17Right.
12:17Yeah.
12:17You got to sell some records here, man.
12:19Yeah.
12:19We got to sell the record first.
12:21Yeah.
12:22How excited are you for the, for October 28th?
12:24What's that?
12:25How excited are you for October 28th?
12:27I'm very excited.
12:28I'm very excited.
12:29I've been excited since like two weeks before August 19th.
12:32Actually when hammering the envelope came out in June, I was pretty excited.
12:35But then when I knew it was like a couple of weeks before I seek fire, I was like,
12:39Oh, this is going to be good.
12:41And then I seek fire came out and then the video came out.
12:43It's like bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
12:45You know, it's like, it's like that, that stimulating energy is back, you know?
12:49Yeah.
12:49I'm like anxious and excited to go on the road.
12:52I'm like, you know, it's like such a weird time.
12:55You're like kind of worried because I haven't played really, we haven't played since June,
12:59but we've been rehearsing, but then we're going to like, or July.
13:01And then we go out and it's like five in a row right off the bat.
13:05And I was like, Oh my God, are we going to be able to do that?
13:07Like, is that okay?
13:08And then like, you know, but then like, once you're out there, you're like, thank God
13:11I was bored.
13:12You know what I mean?
13:13Yeah.
13:14Yeah.
13:15And you guys, you know, you guys for all intents and purposes kind of started, I guess, or
13:19started your, your climb during the pandemic.
13:22So now it's like time to really hit the ground running, isn't it?
13:25Yes, it is.
13:26Yeah.
13:26I definitely feel that way.
13:27I feel like, especially with this record, um, already so much has happened.
13:31I'm very excited about that and to see the band, you know, where I feel they've always
13:35like, I'm a fan of my players and of the music and which is weird.
13:40Cause I hated listening to myself before, but I, I'm just kind of like, go Sariah, go
13:44like, so I'm very excited to see what's happening for us.
13:48And, um, I feel like it's been a long time coming.
13:51So I'm excited.
13:52Does Steven Van Zandt help you out this record at all?
13:55Oh yeah.
13:56Yeah.
13:56Yeah.
13:56He, he actually co-wrote hammer in the anvil with us, which was originally called hammer
14:00in the fire.
14:01And he's like, we, we argued over the word anvil for a while.
14:06And, um, by a while, I just mean one day, but that's a while for us.
14:09So I was like, I don't know about that word.
14:12That's like, I was like, I don't know.
14:14And then he would just tell me, I've never heard that word.
14:16That's a good word.
14:16Like, you know, and we went back and forth via, we didn't even argue in person.
14:20We argued via email, which was fun.
14:22Um, and then, uh, I was like, you know what?
14:24I woke up the next day and I was like, you're right.
14:26Let's try it.
14:27Like, it's not the end of the world.
14:28If it sucks, it's not the beginning of life.
14:30If it's not, you know?
14:31So, um, that also comes, I think with time, but he, he did that.
14:35He also produced the B side of the, the single we released in June,
14:39which was a cover of heartbreaker by the rolling stones.
14:42Yeah.
14:43That's right.
14:43Yeah.
14:43It was the very first song I ever sang really one.
14:48I think I, I always say that, but I really think that the pretenders, um,
14:53that pretend to chip back on the chain gun was the first song.
14:55I think it might've been the second song, but it's one of the first songs
14:57I ever did live.
14:59And I was like, wouldn't it be full circle if we did that song now?
15:01And he came in halfway through the recording of it.
15:04We were almost done.
15:06And he's like, oh no, you did it just like the stones.
15:08You can't do that.
15:08I was like, well, I'm kind of honoring the first, you know, the way I used to do.
15:12He was like, no, no, no, I don't care.
15:13Like, it's like, let's try that again.
15:16Like, so yeah, he stayed that and he, we ended up spending two or three days
15:20just on that one.
15:21So, um, it's always fun.
15:23He just walks into his office and he sees us there and he's like, let's do
15:26something, you know, it's never like planned ever.
15:30You can't plan it with him.
15:31It doesn't work that way.
15:32And Chrissy Hine, I can't imagine you doing any Chrissy Hine songs.
15:36That's why I try not to do Chrissy Hine song.
15:45What are we talking about it?
15:46Didn't you, didn't you meet her or her brother or something in Cleveland?
15:49That's funny.
15:50You say that.
15:50I just talked about this with Terry and, uh, WDHA.
15:53I never heard of her.
15:54We're keep going.
15:55Yeah.
15:56I was like, I don't know if I'm supposed to say those things or not, but anyway.
15:59Um, so we walked in, uh, I walked into this club in, uh, I think it was the first time
16:06it was like two nights before we, for the first time hung out when we went to the Mexican
16:09place, um, we ate or I walked into this club and there was like, I forget what club it is.
16:15And I forgot it the other day too.
16:16And in Cleveland, Cleveland.
16:19Yeah.
16:19And there's like a big room that his jazz band was playing in a small room.
16:23And I walked in the green room downstairs and he's like, oh my God, I thought you were
16:26my sister.
16:27And I was like, oh, that's a pickup line.
16:31You know what I mean?
16:31Like, I was kind of like, oh no, it's going to be where a shared green room with this guy.
16:35Like, you know who he was?
16:37No.
16:37Oh, so it could have been anybody.
16:39No.
16:39And then I sat down, he's like, you know who my sister is?
16:41I was like, no, I don't.
16:43I like, why would I know who your sister is?
16:45And he's like, Chrissy Hine.
16:46I was like, come on now.
16:48Like he was telling me, yeah, Terry Hine is his name.
16:51He actually, you'll see him on our page a lot.
16:53He he's really supportive.
16:55He loved us.
16:56He like, really, he came and watched us and he, he still writes under almost all our
17:00posts.
17:01It's adorable.
17:02But he said that he's, he's actually a musician himself.
17:05He plays sax.
17:06So that's great.
17:07And a little bit creepy at the same time.
17:09I'm just kidding.
17:13Hey, speaking of creepy.
17:14So it is coming up to the Halloween.
17:15So do you have any particular horror movies that you like?
17:19Every one of them.
17:20No, I can't watch possessions.
17:21Don't show me possession.
17:23Really?
17:23I will not sleep for years.
17:24Years, years.
17:25And that's not an exaggeration at all.
17:28I want to watch the, the devil in Ohio.
17:30That series.
17:31I, I, right now I'm watching Sandman.
17:33Are you watching it?
17:35I'm like three episodes.
17:36And I it's, it's okay, but I really want to watch this devil in Ohio.
17:39So I'm going to try to blast through the rest of the man.
17:41I'm telling you, you're going to, as it goes on, it gets more and more.
17:44That's right here.
17:44I'm going to keep saying it.
17:45Okay.
17:45Yeah.
17:46Trust me.
17:47And it's weird.
17:48Like I grew up in Buffalo and some of it takes place in Buffalo.
17:51I'm like, how just like random is that?
17:54It is so random, right?
17:55I was just rewatching a couple episodes last night.
17:58Cause I was like a couple, I really like, and it said Buffalo.
18:00And I'm like, why?
18:01Yeah.
18:01I forgot that even happened.
18:03You know what I mean?
18:03Why not like Dallas or New York city or anything?
18:06It's like somewhere that's just, you know, obscure or whatever.
18:10But yeah, I, I love, I love the original Halloween.
18:13I love Rob zombies.
18:14Halloween two is my, one of my favorite, believe it or not.
18:17Halloween two by Rob zombies, probably my go-to, like I'm waiting to watch that one.
18:22I don't know why I'll probably watch it later, but, um, um, all the original, like the seventies
18:27kind of, um, Oh, the seventies are great.
18:30You had to change Tom Asker and stuff.
18:33Yes.
18:33Yes.
18:34I can.
18:34I like the only things I can't watch, like I said, are like possession things like the
18:38possession or whatever exorcism of Emily Rose.
18:40I've watched that once and I've just never been able, and then that other one, hereditary.
18:44Oh, I can't watch that.
18:45Anytime somebody's crawling up a corner, like that just freaks me out.
18:49Like I used to be able to watch, um, exorcist, the original exorcist.
18:54I don't know what happened.
18:55All of a sudden my brain like switched.
18:56And like, I saw a picture of her walking backwards down the stairs.
18:59I was like, that's it.
19:00Can't watch that anymore now.
19:01So yeah, I just watched the, uh, the conjuring two the other day.
19:05So yeah, that was pretty decent.
19:07Yeah.
19:07I like conjuring movies.
19:09There's a lot of floating at the end of them, which is, what about the witch?
19:12Did you ever see the witch?
19:13I think I have, uh, that was on Netflix too.
19:16I think I have watched that.
19:17Um, I can't recall it, but yeah, I think I have.
19:19Yeah.
19:20That's creepy.
19:21I was like the 1600s or something.
19:23Yeah.
19:23It's just creepy because there's so much like silence going on and you're like, what is
19:28happening?
19:28And there's a goat that's black, black.
19:31Oh yeah, that's right.
19:32I forget his name, but he's lucid.
19:34He's supposed to be the devil.
19:35And I'm like, of course it's a goat.
19:37That's just terrifying.
19:38So that movie I like, I can't watch the end of that either.
19:41I've never watched the end of that.
19:43Yeah.
19:43I've really gotten, uh, this is, I don't, the older I get, like the fall just becomes
19:47like my time of year.
19:48I don't know.
19:48Summer's great.
19:49I love summer, but also it's like, all right, cool things down.
19:52The leaves start changing.
19:52That's why people like, you know, you know, like us, well, like we're, we're fortunate that
19:56we live in places where they have four seasons.
19:58I don't know.
19:58I think it's really cool.
19:59Some people like, you know, my friends down in Arizona and stuff, it's like one season.
20:02And now I like, I like, honestly, one of my favorite times to be on tour is the fall
20:07because when you're driving, you see all the leaves changing.
20:10What's the podcast we always listen to?
20:12Actually, we haven't listened to it since 2019.
20:14Now, um, fucking rock with meltdown.
20:16That probably is one of them.
20:18That's one of them.
20:19That's so weird.
20:20So you should do a scary story podcast or like, talk about like places in Detroit that
20:26are haunted.
20:28I would listen to that all the time.
20:30That might be a good idea.
20:32Yeah, that might be a good idea.
20:33There's probably a few of them here in Detroit.
20:34So I want to go to one.
20:37Let's do that next time.
20:38All right.
20:38Yeah.
20:39I'll have to try to find some haunted.
20:40Uh, um, I don't want to tell you the name of the town I live in, but, uh, yes, it's,
20:45uh, it could be a little bit creepy.
20:46So, but anyhow, well, black back to you.
20:49Uh, bloom comes out October 28th and, uh, anything else you want to plug here?
20:54No, I just make sure you watch the video for I seek fire.
20:57Cause I think it's very Halloweeny since we've been talking about that.
21:00And, um, and just, yeah, just see if we're coming to your town soon.
21:03I knew I would get her to say weenie at least once.
21:10No, you didn't.