ZOO

As a Cincinnati-based songwriter, Cory Pavlinac found his writer’s voice during late-night drives accompanied by music laureates Bob Dylan and Patti Smith. After his four years of exploration at Belmont University in Nashville, where he switched from majoring in jazz guitar to creative writing, Cory returned to Cincinnati and began his first DIY project. 

With a borrowed 16-track recorder, Cory left his insulated study of classic rock and indie greats to begin his own songwriting journey. After releasing his home recordings on Bandcamp and conceiving a band name that would last past his DIY days, ZOO was born. A chance encounter with former Pomegranates band members Isaac Karns and Jacob Merritt led to his first studio-produced EP, Tree of Knowledge. 

Since then, ZOO has emerged from shelled, young songwriter to an artist featured on Noise Trade’s Notable releases and reviewed musician on Consequence of Sound. In this period of growth, ZOO has culminated three years of recording into the much-awaited first, full-length album release titled No Man’s Land. 

The ten tracks on the album chronicle Cory’s experiences through life as a father welcoming his baby daughter into a divided world and defining home “as a mental and emotional state of peace and contentment.” Each song is a snapshot along the timeline of Cory’s life, from meeting his wife to revitalizing the perception of mundanity within ordinary life. ZOOs’ album is the perfect timepiece to hold close to your heart through the challenges of growing up, falling in love, and learning to trust yourself in the process. 

Be sure to follow ZOO on any of the social links detailed below and look for No Man’s Land out in October of 2021 via Good Eye Records.