"Talking At The Diner" Podcast Ep. 56 ft. Zou Zou Mansour of Soraia

My guest on Ep. 56 of TatD is someone whose persistence and sheer tenacity in keeping her music career alive and thriving is something I deeply relate to.Zou Zou Mansour - the driving force behind Philly rock band Soraia - has seen so many changes in her over twenty years fronting the band that she knows “better than this” when it comes to being attached. And this makes the longevity of the creative core of her band all the more special. While Soraia has definitely seen its share of guitar players come and go - I even did a brief stint with the band back in 2022 on some dates opening for Joan Jett - the foundation of Zou Zou, bassist Travis Smith, and drummer Brianna Sig (herself a previous guest on this show and an OG Meddling Kid) has remained constant for a decade.. no small feat.With a long history of working with big names like Little Steven Van Zandt and Jon Bon Jovi, the band has evolved into a self-driving touring machine that shows no sign of letting up.With a brand new single called “Queens and Pharaohs” dropping this month, the band continues to churn out gritty rock 'n' roll songs with Zou Zou’s lyrical vision at the center.We met up recently at the Llanerch Diner in Upper Darby, PA and talked about her musical roots, some sweet memories of her many encounters with Joan Jett, and a surprisingly in-depth discussion of how we both started out as drummers. I think you’re going to enjoy this conversation. I know I did!Enjoy!JKF <3