Raye Zaragoza Releases New Studio Album ‘Hold That Spirit’
Raye Zaragoza has unveiled her new studio album Hold That Spirit today via her own Rebel River Records.
The LA Times calls it “a torrential cloudburst of jangly folk catharsis,” and Folk Alley named it a “lyrical and sonic masterpiece.” Funded by her canceled wedding budget after calling off her engagement, which she explains in an essay for No Depression, the 12-song collection is a triumphant celebration of womanhood and freedom. Hold That Spirit was created exclusively with a cast of female producers, engineers, instrumentalists, and co-writers – a rarity in an industry where less than 5% of production/engineering credits go to women. Alongside collaborators including fellow social activist / singer-songwriter MILCK and producers / writers Anna Schulze and Belinda Huang, Zaragoza welcomes a spiritual awakening and ultimately discovers her own strength and resilience.
Listen to the full collection, out now, here: https://ffm.to/holdthatspiritalbum
Watch the official music video for “Not A Monster” here: https://youtu.be/eR88XmGsc1k
Watch the official music video for “Joy Revolution” with MILCK here: https://youtu.be/Lt3LvpOxDVk
Watch the official music video for title track “Hold That Spirit” here: https://youtu.be/HSiXZZsZINQ
Known as “one of the most fresh and compelling voices in folk music today” (NPR Music), Raye Zaragoza is no stranger to writing songs that inspire positivity and change. Zaragoza, a woman of mixed Indigenous, Asian, and Hispanic heritage, gained recognition in 2016 with “In The River,” which was written to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. Her 2020 female empowerment anthem “Fight Like a Girl” advocates for reproductive rights, while her single “Red” spotlights domestic violence and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women organization, and “The It Girl” calls for colored women to have greater representation in the media. She also writes the music for Netflix’s ‘Spirit Rangers,’ a show featuring an all Native American writers room and cast, which was recently renewed for its third season.
The LA-based musician made her Newport Folk Festival debut earlier this summer, and she is set to embark on her first-ever headline tour this Fall, making stops in Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston and more. For more information, please visit https://www.rayezaragoza.com.
Hold That Spirit was brought to life by women on the traditional lands of the Tongva, Chumash, Cherokee, and Chickasaw; and the unceded traditional territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation.
