Zohra Atash is the gypsy godess frontmanning Religious to Damn. In this interview she gives us a clue about her roots, upbringing and mysticism.

When one went to school, being somewhat different meant a hindrance. In those days it was all about belonging to a group and difference meant isolation. But as time went by, those are the things that make us stronger and more interesting characters. I don’t know if this clichéd tale is applicable to Zohra, but she certainly has the rich background and the intelligence to make both ends of a double life meet in an incredible, human result.

“I think anyone raised in a family that’s conservative relate to a certain degree,” she tells us, “but even more so if they’re conservative and are in the process of adopting a new country.  My family really tried to resist homogenization when I was growing up. They had this silly notion that if they put enough fear in me, I’d resist giving into the parts of western culture they found offensive. More specifically, sex, not rock and roll. When your everyday experience is so split between languages, cultures, and even ways of thinking, unless you detach yourself from one or the other entirely, you are bound to find yourself living what feels like a 'double-life' “.

Luckily, that didn’t turn out to be a hindrance to her career. On the contrary, the mix of western and eastern sounds, the use of exotic instruments might probably be rooted to her family’s culture. As a matter of fact, her parents love rock & roll. “My father’s a musician, and used to keep all these strange instruments lying around the house.  He’d spend hours playing harmonium and singing, and I’d sit there with him, and try to sing along.  I guess those were my first memories of music, and I wanted to incorporate those sounds into my work“.

Not only her sound, but her imagery is filled of cultural background. If not religious, at least a deep respect for symbols and their sacred meaning was given to her by her mother. “I have always been fascinated by religious imagery.  My mother, instead of fairytale reading before bed, would regale me of stories from the above and the down below, with all of the delights and intense suffering. God was as merciful as He was vengeful, which was the part I really struggled with. Either way, I tried to approach my lyric writing the same way – reflecting this struggle with that unresolvable tension. There are elements of fantasy, but not for fantasy’s sake.”

Especially important is the presence of fire, so much as to help us understand better the very soul of her music. “I think it’s the element closest to God, in that it’s feared and revered. The images are so fantastic. Its movement!  It’s color!  We describe love and passion in terms of heat and sparks. When we talk about the search for truth, we use metaphors of heat and light. It’s just epic.“

Zohra’s Religious to Damn album has come out earlier this year in vinyl and digital releases. A new music video is also coming this way. Keep your eyes open and check it out!

Tell us a little bit about Religious to damn. It is described as your "brain child". What is it about?

I’d spent some time before I started this project trying to play in bands with other people, usually a rhythm guitarist. It took me a long time to realize that my strengths were singing and writing – by myself. And I knew if I was going to front my own band, the sonic approach would have to be really unique, not only to suit my voice, but because I’d always wanted to create something really polarizing.

Besides religion, which artists (musicians or not) inspire you?

Fleetwood Mac was a huge influence on all of us when we were making this record. Nick Cave, Japan, Jacques Brel, Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural, CCR, 60's psychedelic, Oum Kalthoum, Kate Bush, Genesis. Giallo films. My magpie eyes. I could go on and on, but I'll stop there.

Do you feel part of the whole gypsy wave sprouting in NY? How do you feel about it?

The very idea of 'gypsy wave' came from Pieter Schoolwerth of Wierd Records, who had actually used the term for years to describe a particular kind of music -- bands like The Red Temple Spirits. One day he and Josh, our guitarist, were hanging out and Josh was describing the band to him, and he started calling us gypsy wave. We played our first show ever at Wierd and then Pieter promoted an event with Religious to Damn, Tamaryn, and Vuk and announced that we were the gypsy wave. I guess there was enough of a cohesive aesthetic that the term has stuck around.

What should we expect to find in the album?

The record will be released on vinyl by M'Lady's Records in January, so you should be able to find it at most indie record stores. It will also be available digitally on Itunes.

How was it working with Brendan Curtis?

I met Brandon Curtis through my friend Tamaryn. She suggested we work together. From the first meeting, I could tell we were totally on the same page. I would say something like, “I want it to sound transparent and like this color with washes of this..!” and he got it, which was fantastic, because that was the only way I could communicate my ideas.

What are your plans now that the album's out?

My plan is to put this record out there and see what happens. I’m already working on the next record.

Text by Oscar Gomez Poviña @ Vnfold