With The Voice alumna Gina Zo as their lead singer, Zo is ready to take listeners on a gypsy soul rock-n-roll journey through their new fiery single.
At just 17-years-old, Gina Castanzo captivated the hearts of The Voice fans across the country, including Blake Shelton who granted her a spot on his team for the series’ tenth season. Now known as Gina Zo, she has released two albums, My Weakness and Free Your Soul, and later became the lead singer of local Philadelphia gypsy soul rock-n-roll band, Zo. Since forming in 2016, Zo has made their mark on the music scene, working with esteemed musicians like Buddy Mazzenga and continuously selling out hot Philadelphia music venues, from Kung Fu Necktie to Bourbon and Branch. Zo’s debut EP, Dark Hallways, has already accumulated over 30,000 Spotify plays since its release last October and now, the band is launching their latest track, “Fire in the Building” on May 6. Here, the lead singer dishes on all things music, Zo’s upcoming new song and what the future holds for the eclectic band.
1. Has music always been your passion?
“Yes! It is so funny to watch tapes from when I was younger, and the number of videos of me singing in the mirror or on camera is insane. Songwriting became a passion of mine as I grew up and was given my first guitar in middle school. What I loved so much about it is that I could express what I was going through in my mind as I was learning what love was.”
2. Where does your inspiration for music come from?
“Most often they are my personal relationships, but they also have to do with ones I conjure up in my mind. These are not just romantic relationships, but ones of friendship, family, and career.”
3. What was the inspiration for “Fire in the Building?”
“It was probably one of the most organic things we have ever written because our guitarist, Joe, suddenly started playing a cool riff and I hopped on with lyrics and then the bassist Andrew and drummer Buddy hopped in. The inspiration was a woman who gets so mad at the men in her life when they do the slightest thing wrong, and goes to the lengths of setting their house on fire. Romance and true crime totally played into this tune.”
4. What sets this song apart from other music you have written?
“I think of music in colors, and for me, this song is the most ‘red’ of the songs we have done. It is warm, inviting, but when you hear the lyrics you think ‘damn, I have felt that way too sometimes.’ You can relate to that person on a level that you almost don’t want to admit. The song itself is very hard rock mixed with some southern influence, and that isn’t necessarily common for this band.”
5. What has been the response to “Fire in the Building” at shows?
“The first time we played it, we told the audience that we were going to base whether or not we record this on their reaction. They died for this song and we knew instantly that we had to pursue it.”
6. What does the band hope for in the future?
“Sustainability of our career. The most important thing that can happen is that we put out music that we love and our audience loves. We want to tour, spread gypsy soul rock-n-roll, and make people remember why they love music.”
Photography by: Hunter Carrico
