Page updated on April 17, 2025
All news is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves.
Have Joan Jett news to report? Email us at jettfc@aol.com, and please include the source of the information so it can be validated. Soraia's ZouZou Mansour Talks Punk Rock, Sweden Sessions, and JOAN JETT Love from: wrif.com
By Meltdown
Catching up with ZouZou Mansour is always a good time-even if she's sitting in front of a cement wall that makes her look like she's doing time. "I'm locked in, Meltdown. I'm always feeling locked in," she joked as we kicked off our conversation.
ZouZou and I go way back to their first run through Detroit when I showed them around town, including a legendary stop for Mexican food and a night at the Token Lounge. "That was some damn good food," she laughed. "And I think you and Mike were talking sports a lot… Travis had that King Diamond shirt on, which everybody loved."
They're back at it again with tour dates lined up, including June 20 at the Lager House in Detroit and Motoblot Fest in Chicago on June 28. "We're building a little Midwest tour around it," she said. "We always play with bands we love."
ZouZou and Soraia are also back out with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, and they're not just opening-they're part of the extended family. "They always give us a long set. Usually, as a support act, you get 20, maybe 25 minutes. They give us 45 all the time," she said. "Joan always gives me this kind of nod like… 'Keep going, girl.'"
I had to ask what Joan was like offstage. "She's exactly what you see is what you get," ZouZou told me. "She's cool and she's genuine. I told her she saved my life, and she just leaned back and said, 'Aren't you doing that now?'"
ZouZou and I swapped stories about horror movies, haunted places, and paranormal podcasts (we both love that stuff), but the real core of this chat was Soraia's new EP, "Confessions from the Vena Cava."
"So Holy" is the first single and it's a ripper-gritty, raw, and unapologetic. The band recorded in Sweden with legendary producer Tomas Skogsberg. "He said, 'I hear a lot of punk kind of attitude in what you do. I want to capture more of that,'" she told me. "He didn't change anything-he just added. He's all about capturing who the band is."
The whole experience was stripped down and honest. "We stayed on his property-it's like a farmhouse. Very humble. We sat around a picnic table with coffee and talked music. It was perfect."
The title of the EP came from, of all things, a trivia show. "The answer was 'vena cava'-it's the biggest vein in the body that reoxygenates blood. I thought, 'That's it.' It felt like a metaphor. We're reoxygenating our sound and trying to breathe something new into what we do."
The band lineup includes ZouZou, Brianna, Travis, and Mike Jaffe. They sometimes bring in additional players for bigger shows-including a guitarist named Lars from Sweden. "If you're recording overseas, you've gotta have someone named Lars," I joked. She laughed, "It's kind of mandatory!"
"Confessions from the Vena Cava" drops September 12, with new singles landing May 16 and August. They'll be hitting the West Coast in July and Europe later this year.
If you're into real, gritty rock 'n roll with soul and sweat all over it, give Soraia a spin. As I said to wrap things up, "Anyone looking for a straight-ahead raw rock band-look no further."
And yeah, I'll probably post more dog pics for ZouZou soon, too. JOAN JETT's Blackheart Partners With Seeker Music in Full-Circle Catalog Deal from: billboard.com
By Marc Schneider
Seeker is led by Evan Bogart, whose father signed Jett to Boardwalk Records.
Seeker Music has partnered with Blackheart, the independent company founded by JOAN JETT and longtime collaborator KENNY LAGUNA, to acquire what is described as a "substantial share" of Jett's publishing and recorded music rights, it was announced on Thursday. This collaboration aims to enhance the JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS catalog, with plans for releasing unreleased music, reimagining classic albums and launching new campaigns tied to her global tours.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2015) has left quite a mark on rock music with hits like "Bad Reputation," "Crimson and Clover," "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You." Formed in 1979 following the breakup of The RUNAWAYS, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS have achieved eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including her sneering hit "I Love Rock 'N Roll," which topped the Hot 100 for several leather-clad weeks in early 1982.
Billboard has learned that the deal also includes certain publishing rights of compositions written by Jett during her RUNAWAYS days, including the band's song "Cherry Bomb," which she co-penned with band founder Kim Fowley.
Seeker Music, founded in 2020 by M&G Investments and led by Evan Bogart, manages a diverse catalog of over 15,000 copyrights, including works by artists like Run The Jewels, Jon Bellion, Christopher Cross and others.
The partnership between Blackheart and Seeker Music represents a full-circle moment of sorts, connecting two storied rock and roll family legacies. Carianne Brinkman, Laguna's daughter and the president of Blackheart, and Evan Bogart, son of legendary record executive Neil Bogart, who signed Jett to his Boardwalk Records, are key figures in this collaboration.
"Seeker joining forces with Joan, Kenny, Carianne and Blackheart isn't just a partnership, it's a personal, powerful reunion… reigniting a legacy and carrying the torch forward with the same rebellious spirit that ignited it," said Evan Bogart.
Brinkman and Laguna echoed Bogart's sentiment on the serendipity of the collaboration.
"I can't imagine a better partnership that is at once completely new but a return to a shared legacy that began with the belief in JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS," said Brinkman.
Laguna added: "It's too coincidental to be a coincidence, so I am so overwhelmed to see how fate brought Carianne and Evan Bogart at Seeker together 58 years after I had my first hit with Neil Bogart."
The partnership was negotiated by LaPolt Law, Seeker Music general counsel Dan Stuart, and Reed Smith, LLP, with support from Seeker's chief creative officer Steven Melrose and Blackheart's head of distribution and operations Hubert Górka.
"At Seeker, our celebrated creative and innovative approach to catalog means that our focus is on super-serving Joan's current fans, whilst growing her fandom year on year â€" essentially taking Joan's music into millions of new homes globally," said Melrose. "For a catalog as expansive and legendary as JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS', we're working on plans to release incredible archival moments, activations around her best-selling global tours, reaching new fans through global and cross-genre campaigns, and creative re-releases of beloved albums utilizing new platforms around the world."
The financial details of the deal and the exact "substantial share" of the acquired catalog were not disclosed by the companies. However, the acquisition does include hits such as "I Love Rock & Roll," "Bad Reputation," "I Hate Myself For Loving You," "Cherry Bomb" and "Crimson & Clover." Taste of Minnesota announces star-studded lineup, including JOAN JETT, Cheap Trick, Ludacris and more from: cbsnews.com
By Mackenzie Lofgren
One of Minnesota's more anticipated summer events is due to return in July, and this year's lineup is loaded with big names.
The Taste of Minnesota returns to downtown Minneapolis on July 5 and 6 for a weekend chock-full of live music and tasty treats.
The festival has a star-studded lineup this year, including headliners like JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, Cheap Trick and Ludacris.
Here's everything you need to know about this year's Taste of Minnesota lineup:
Saturday, July 5 JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS will be headlining Saturday, alongside Cheap Trick, Bluewater Kings, Rhythm Street Movement, The Steels Family Affair and DJ Sophia Eris.
Sunday, July 6
Ludacris will headline Sunday night, alongside NUR-D, David Yang, Frankie Torres, Good for Gary, and a performance from DJ Sophia Eris.
But wait, there's more...
The Taste of Minnesota says there will be an additional two stages at the festival, specifically dedicated to showcasing the talent of a slew of local bands.
Festival organizers say Taste of Minnesota isn't just about great music but is a celebration of everything that makes Minnesota summers unforgettable.
During the weekend event, you'll also find local food venders, family-friendly activities and over 100 visual artists, makers and performers.
New this year, Taste of Minnesota is debuting VIP passes. VIP passes for a single day are $200 and $350 for both days.
The perks of the new VIP passes include VIP lanyards, two drink tickets, reserved viewing area, happy hour from 2-4 p.m., private air-conditioned bathrooms and more.
VIP passes go on sale Tuesday. Festival organizers say passes are limited.
