Margot Zoé Ascends with “Elevation,” a Bold Cinematic Jazz Album Rooted in Poetry and Survival

Margot Zoé’s debut album Elevation is not just a musical release; it is a rebirth. Across 11 original compositions and two gorgeously rendered poems from Watership Down, the Metz-born artist delivers a deeply personal and imaginatively rich body of work that positions her as one of France’s most promising new voices in modern jazz. Drawing from classical piano training, vocal jazz, and a lifelong love for literature and nature, Zoé cultivates a dreamlike sonic universe where jazz meets poetry, introspection, and quiet rebellion.

Part of what makes Elevation so affecting is the life story behind it. After breaking away from a controlling religious community, Zoé rebuilt her artistic identity from the ground up. That liberation echoes through the album’s themes of escape, survival, and friendship, mirroring the very quest at the center of Watership Down. Rather than retell the story literally, she channels its emotional core through hypnotic harmonies, European folk textures, and atmospheric jazz arrangements that feel both fragile and fearless.

Key contributors help shape the record’s cinematic depth. Mixed in New York by Grammy winner John Davis and mastered by Alex DeTurk, the album boasts a warm, expansive sound that elevates Zoé’s luminous voice. Her ensemble of carefully chosen musicians who understand her vision brings sensitivity and open-hearted collaboration to every track. 

The lead single “ Fu Inle,” with its Celtic undertones and maloya-inspired finale, sets the tone for an album that refuses boundaries. Poetic, ambitious, and deeply human, Margot Zoé’s Elevation is a debut that doesn’t just introduce an artist; it introduces a universe.