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Soraia - meaning "Bright, Guiding Star" from The Pleiades Constellation and meant to represent the raw power of the collaborative artistry that is Soraia. Soraia is a Philadelphia-based garage rcok /alternative-punk outfit, fronted by lead vocalist ZouZou Mansour (an expressive, big-voiced singer with a gutsy, edgy, gritty, forceful style). Loud, tough, and aggressive - yet highly melodic and hooky - Soraia brings a wide variety of '70s, '80s, and '90s influences to the table. L7, Concrete Blonde, Nirvana, Sonic Youth have affected Soraia's sound, as have the Pretenders, and Patti Smith. Another influence on Soraia is singer/songwriter PJ Harvey, although Mansour's vocals are not as stream-of-consciousness or as impressionistic; Mansour is more direct and to-the-point in her approach. And while Soraia is clearly part of a punked-out alternative rock live, the Philadelphians also get a great deal of inspiration from garage rock artists who were around before the rise of Nirvana and before the highly influential, mega-platinum Nevermind. Soraia is a band that has clearly benefited from Nevermind, although they realize that rock history did not start with that 1991 classic, and borrow more inspiration even from 60's garage rock, early 2000's garage revival - and the lyrics of artists such as Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Patti Smith - though more introspective. Honing their craft and writing during the early years of formatiion, Soraia released a collaborative effort which came to be "In the Valley of Love and Guns"--co-written with Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon, as well as fellow bandmate and current co-writer, Travis Smith. Mansour and Smith's "Love Like Voodoo" would be the beginning of what has become regular rotation on "Little Steven's Underground Garage" radio station, and would begin their relationship with Steven Van Zandt (The Sopranos, E Street Band) and his Wicked Cool Records for 10 years Fast forward to 2025, where the band has accrued many 'wins' under their collective belt. Soraia has toured with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, opened for Bon Jovi, Wolfmother, Sixx AM, and played several festivals (including Summerfest, MMRBQ, Motoblot). They've been highlighted as a show "not to miss" in Rolling Stone Magazine (January 2018). Now, the band is ready to release their newest EP recorded in Sweden with Tomas Skogsberg (The Hellacopters, Backyard Babies, Entombed) late in 2024. They've deliberately moved to a more punk edge, revitalizing their tough, up-front attitudes, but still pairing it with their melodic hooks. They've returned to the "who" they started as-- recording their music with a little less polish and even more ferocity. They reveal to their listeners yet more authenticity, and delve into more social topics. Now addressing both personal and more global concerns in their current lyrics. Keep listening: Soraia never fails to shockongly recreate themselves and intensely surprise their listeners!