Najuah

Don't put Najuah (Nahj-oo-ah) in a box. The Toronto-based sextet, fronted by sisters Hanifa and Juliet, takes the fiery burn of R&B and mashes it with arena-rocking guitars, playing like classic Hole being mashed through Led Zeppelin and Tina Turner filters.
But average rock chicks, they are not. The hard-edged Sirens bring respective triumphs and pitfalls of romance to their upcoming debut EP Misery & Love, a reflection on relationships past. Produced by Bill Bell (Justin Nozuka, Jason Mraz), mixed by Paul David Hager (Goo Goo Dolls, American Hi-Fi, Our Lady Peace) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Arrested Development, U2, Muse,), the electrifying anthems take the emotional spectrum and stretch it across passionate, saucy compositions.
"We just paired the two together and we feel like we're that yin and yang of misery and love," explains Hanifa of the title, chosen while reflecting on their hearts' varying perspectives. "I think in the process of writing the songs that we wrote, I think they kind of just spoke to that. They're very personal songs and there was a lot of love, a lot of heartbreak."
The album shows for it. Recorded in November 2010 in their native Canada and Los Angeles, California, Misery & Love is a roadmap to romance, set to blistering melodies and velvety vocals. First single "Eden" sees the girls baring their souls over slide guitars and an unshakeable melody, surrendering their souls for a night of bliss.
"'Eden' has that element of sin and love and that summer night where you do crazy things," explains Juliet. Her sentiments align with those of Hanifa - a common occurrence, given their collaborative writing process. "That, to me, is the most personal because it's just so raw and it kind of speaks to something that I think happens to a lot of people."
"This is All" parallels the breeziness of "Eden," stripping away the ferocious instrumentation of album cuts "Whisper" and "Fade Away" and leaving their voices to intertwine over a spidery guitar confection. On the cut, Hanifa and Juliet struggle with unrequited love, promising, "When the silence takes us under / This is all we'll ever feel / Hold on my love / This war is love / I'd die with you."
"That's a personal song that's very much concerned with the dynamics of a relationship and how there's that struggle in that relationship," admits Hanifa. "It's a song that when I hear it, I get really touched by it."
"We want to form a connection with someone. We all come from different walks of life, but we all, to some degree, experience love, we experience pain, and I think those are the connections that you make," says Juliet. "I think that's why anybody - even yourself - can relate to a song. It either speaks to you at a time when you're really happy or sad, but you just connect to it on a different level. Regardless of who the band is or whatever. That's an experience that everybody shares."