My name is Gina Zo! You might have just met me now as Gina Zo, or you might be here because you followed Velvet Rouge, the rock band I was the lead singer in. Or maybe you know me as my legal name Gina Castanzo because you are in my personal life or you could know me from my time on The Voice. Simply put - there are many ways that you might have gotten to this moment.

I am reclaiming my name.

After my time on The Voice (I will fill you in on this another day), I signed with a small indie label in Philadelphia in 2016. At the time, I was under the name Gina Zo, and I was learning what it was like to be a young woman; at the same time, I was learning to be a musician. Those two things are really hard to put together as we have seen so much in our culture - women are objectified at a young age and are often made to feel like they have no power in the same breath, almost like putting a woman on a pedestal just so you can look up her skirt.

It is not until I look back now I categorize what I was going through as abuse. In the moment, nothing felt right - but what are you supposed to do when you sign a 2-year contract at 18? Nothing. You push through, and you do your best.

I quit the music industry and thought I’d never look back.

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Something kept music around my orbit - call it destiny poking at me or call it an annoying coincidence; everyone kept asking me when I was going to put out more music or sing again. At some point, I thought - well, if everyone keeps asking, there must be some truth here, and I should see what I could do if I got back into the industry.

I set some ground rules: I was no longer going to sign contracts that didn’t make sense for me, I was going to go ALL IN, and I was going to do this my way.

I called up the incredible band that had been with me when I started at the label and asked them if they would want to try again. Graciously, they said yes even though the end to my music career before felt like an Irish Goodbye. We formed Velvet Rouge. Velvet Rouge was a project that was so clearly an incredible moment for ROCK music in Philly. There was truly power in being able to sing about taboo subjects like discovering your sexuality. I learned what it was like to co-lead a group of musicians. I encourage you to take a listen to the music that we were able to do with Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey at Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia. My favorite is I Don’t Know Why.

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Then this summer, I moved to LA.

I discovered in my move to LA that I wanted to take a different route - I felt a continued calling and push to go on a journey of a solo career. Somehow, I no longer felt I was delivering an authentic message to my audience. The way I wanted to perform and the songs I wanted to sing didn’t necessarily fit into the 70s & 90s rock style anymore. I started to work with producer Justin Miller, and it opened my eyes to a new journey.

There is strength in finding out that you want to try a new adventure in life. In order to grow you have to keep moving forward, you have to change your business plan, you have to master a new technique, and maybe sometimes you have to let things go to move forward.

My new life in LA looks a lot different than it was when I was living in Philadelphia.

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The sky is always blue. I take walks around the Silver Lake Reservoir. New friends, new home, new adventures. I make more time now for simple things like watching TV (my best friend Ally is VERY proud of this change in my life). I don’t feel the same pressure because I am living for myself. I am not so focused on a romantic relationship - I’d say I am focused on my health, my friends, my work… and my daily adventures.

The new music is VERY different than what I have ever done…

Now if this is your first time listening to me then it is just going to sound like new music for you in general, but overall I want you to know that I am creating music that is a whole new experiment for me. Nothing is off-limits. Everything is new. I am trying things that before I would be too afraid to try… but I want to give the world something new.

My new music. My new story.