About
photo by Don Adkins
Singer-Songwriter
Emily Zuzik is an L.A.-based Americana singer-songwriter who has planted her musical roots in a unique eclectic blend of alt-country, modern, rhythm & blues and rock music. She brings to her songs a woman’s vulnerability and strength in the tradition of Patsy Cline and Madonna. She is currently working on her follow-up to 2020’s Torch & Trouble with Ted Russell Kamp.
As a singer-songwriter, her music captures the film-noir essence of Los Angeles’ haunted past infused with the soul of the Memphis Stax sound. Her songs compel and engage as they call to mind her musical kinship with Carole King and Rickie Lee Jones. Her voice is warm as she seduces the listener in a way reminiscent of Sheryl Crow and Liz Phair.
Her new album, Torch & Trouble, is a well-focused blend of earthy singer-songwriter centered Americana music. The thread of meaning that runs through the ten-song collection is hope, redemption & faith in love even as we face daily conflict, change and challenge.
Year-end lists for 2020 were kind to Torch & Trouble
Radio WigWam “Best Song 2020” - Trouble
Twangville Best Americana Albums of 2020 - Torch & Trouble
Americana Highways Favorite Music of 2020 - Torch & Trouble
Torch & Trouble has been featured in by Ditty TV New Music Friday, Bringin’ it Backwards podcast on American Songwriter, Twangville, The Moonshine Experience, Americana Music Radio Show, The California Country Show, Nashville Cats, Mike Ritchie on Sunday, NOLA County, Making a Scene, iRock109, Zetland FM Country, PT’s Roadhouse, Rocking Magpie, The Alternate Root, Pasadena Weekly, Texchromasome Radio, Front of House podcast, American Songwriter’s Daily Discovery, Tony Moore’s Musical Emporium on Soho Radio London and RealMusic Radio Show UK!
Emily featured on NOLA County Radio. Listen to the show!
Other features appear on Crooners in Coffeeshops and Tone Talk in Guitar Girl Magazine.
Spotify love for T&T by MurderFolk , Indie Music Women, Eagles Nest Radio, New Western, Big Sun Records Modern Country, NuShe - She Wolf Radio, Real Roots Cafe, Adobe and Teardrops and Girl Gang Music Country playlists.
Past Credits
Emily Zuzik’s musical odyssey over the last two decades has moved through a variety of genres including soul, rock, country, blues, electronica and folk. From this she has developed a unique signature style that provides her own brand of roots music that is simultaneously urban and earthy.
In the 1990s she was vocalist and writer in the successful San Francisco alt-country band, SexFresh, who released two critically acclaimed albums, The Fainting Room (2000) and Vacancy (2003).
Over the last two decades as a solo artist in Los Angeles, Emily has released 14 solo and collaborative albums, EPs and singles. Most recently, her 2017 three-song EP Tender includes the blue-eyed soul of the title song, met with critical acclaim. In 2016, Emily teamed with Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band, David Bowie’s Blackstar) to create an experimental EP titled, Angelenos.
In 2003, Emily released her debut solo album, The Way it's Got to Be, in February 2003, which received praises from NYC's The Village Voice and Time Out, as well as on of Performing Songwriter Magazine's Top Picks.
Emily sang the theme song to the NBC rom com Love Bites (2010-11). Additionally, Emily sang songs for the Aimee Teagarden character in the WB series Aim High. Her music has been licensed for the MTV show Catfish, Bravo!'s Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, the El Rey Network's Matador (episode directed by Robert Rodriguez), Sundance Selects film Free the Nipple, films The Endless and Spring, CW show Smallville and The Nate Berkus Show among others.
Electronic Music
Emily’s synth projects WOVES signed with Retro Reverb Records. The band features EZ, Josh Ricchio and Kolby Wade. Its first two indie singles, Release, and So Used to Heartbreak, both landed on numberous synth radio shows and Spotify playlists. Each single has an accompanying music video that can be seen at Emily’s YouTube Channel or Woves Youtube Channel.
Its latest single, 1 am, has been praised and played on KCRW, Nightride.fm, Artefaktor Radio, Static Realms, In the Moog with Chris Watts, Lone Frequencies, MCR Synthwave Show, SineFM with George Joping, Midnight City Radio, XRP Radio, Amazing Radio, Synthbeat.com, The Sol of Synthpop, Tony Moore’s Musical Emporium on Soho Radio London, Shoreditch Radio, Revival Synth, Spectrum Radio, Cyberland, Synthestral, Cyberpunk Radio, Synth Lovers Cafe, Radio Dark Tunnel and Darklands Radio.
Woves members previously working as Will Pharoah had its song “Perfect Mistake” appear on the Bravo show Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce.
In 2011, Emily was a featured singer and cowriter of "The Low Hum" on Moby's Destroyed album. She has worked with several other downtempo artists over the years including South London's Sizzlax, Toronto’s Solid Stone, and Los Angeles' Acacia Downs and Will Pharaoh, as well as released two albums of electronic music with Tim Lefebvre (Domestic Blitz, 2010 and ANGELENOS, 2006).
Emily’s single Lucid with Indian progressive house duo, Enchanted Kids, came out in August ‘21 on Minds Alike Records. It recently landed on Rolling Stone India’s September ‘21 curated playlist.
Epiphone Endorsed Artist since2004
Shubb Capo Artist since 2019
Hear Emily’s song, Get it Right, on Nic Harcourt’s Nine O’Clock News Show and Local Music Spotlight with Mookie on 88.5 FM
See Emily’s feature on The News of Nashville from France
Hear Emily on Making a Scene Podcast Interview
As premiered by Americana Highways, Stay Wild is the first song off Torch & Trouble. The video was shot and produced by Emily as well.
All that Love is the story of closure and forgiveness. The song is about a relationship that didn't work out the way you originally thought. Video shot by Zuzik and Cynthia Brando and produced by Zuzik.
BIG RADIO LOVE: Thanks to Gary Calamar for debuting Trouble to greater LA on his The Open Road radio show on 88.5 FM on Feb 9 and John Ford for hosting EZ on Americana Radio on KX 104.7 FM Laguna Beach. You can stream the show here. More love from NOLA County Radio, E2TG Spotify Featured Friday playlist, The Music Authority, Nashville Country Radio (Netherlands), Shoreditch Radio (UK), The Americana Music Show (UK), and Electric Rodeo, Outlaw Country Sirius XM 60.
BIG VIDEO LOVE: The Trouble music video had a TWANGVILLE premiere! It also appeared on American Songwriter’s Daily Discovery and The Curve on Ditty TV on 2.26.2020. You can also tune into Nashville’s Music City Arts channel on NECAT to see the video on its Indie Rock Block.
GUITAR GIRL - TONE TALK INTERVIEW
Trouble was added to The Alternative Root’s Video Pick of the Week list and its Top Ten Spotify playlist for 2.26.2020.
Recent review of Trouble in Skopemag.
Bucket list checked - Review in No Depression!!!
Read the Pasadena Weekly interview and show preview for Aug 20 Levitt Pavilion Pasadena show.
"Tender is a short and sweet three-song EP that merely whets our appetite for more of this amazing Americana artist....Zuzik truly brings it every time, and always leaves us wanting more. Grab this tasty hors d’ouevres to tide you over until her next full length release."
Read Emily's profile on HuffPost
SPIRITUAL HEART teaser from ANGELENOS ep
A look behind the making of the new record by Emily Zuzik, Tim Lefebvre and Gary Novak, live from Kronos Studio in Burbank, CA. Hear new songs, interviews with the band and more... Video by Enrico le Pera