A Podcast Conversation With ... Erez Zobary

"If April showers bring May flowers, July Clouds brings August smiles and a new artist worth hearing." — Brad Wheeler, The Globe And Mail

I came to Toronto artist Erez Zobary through Release Radar at Spotify. Both Jesse King and I are always searching for Canadian talent that fits Soul Nation, our Tuesday night excursion into hip-hop, neo-soul, funk and funk jazz at JazzFm91. Unfortunately, the pickings, for the most part, are thin, much to do with the dull thud of trap drums, monotone vocals and ever-present explicit language.

To create music, Erez has released three EPs in collaboration with various artists, including Enoch Ncube of MoneyPhone (Erez & Enoch Love You, Twenty) and Brahny (Love and Lots of Sleep), to create music that combines her distinctive sense of storytelling with experimental sounds and diverse genres.

In 2019, she partnered with frequent musical collaborators Adam Eisen and David Lipson to create her first full-length project, July Clouds, which received national attention for songs like Love Me (CBC Song of the Week) and Before I Knew You (Spotify Fresh Finds). 

Now, at a time of great self-discovery and uncertainty, Erez turns inward to create a collection of deeply personal songs – To Bloom.

ExclaimI Magazine summed up nicely. "While many self-empowerment anthems tend to be laborious attempts at being 'inspirational,' Zobary just is. Simply sharing her own experiences and singing her progress into existence may prompt self-reflection through the vehicle of her thoughtful songwriting and vocal delivery. This is not an escapist venture: it's the kind of music you live alongside and go through the motions with. Zobary's refrains — like the whir of "Was it the name? / Was it the mention? / Was it the sound of good intention?" on Stair Song — hang in the air like mantras. Likewise, To Bloom only gets better with repetition."

Raised on Stevie Wonder and Amy Winehouse, Erez's soulful vocals echo the sounds and styles of her youth. Lyrically she is raw and passionate, writing openly about universal yet highly personal feelings of self-worth, uncertainty, and vulnerability.

Zobary is a participant in the RBC Master in Residence Program with Steven Page. In 2019, Erez was selected by HoneyJam as one of Canada's up-and-coming female artists.

Learn more in this FYI podcast.