Freedom Road

The Zoo Crew, those groovy hippie DJs at THE ZOO radio station, are spinning "Freedom Road" by Fortune from their album Fortune II, igniting the airwaves for their devoted Zoo Freaks. This track, a soulful anthem of liberation, has sparked chatter among fans for its raw energy and retro vibe. In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Fortune shared that "Freedom Road" was inspired by a late-night jam session in a cramped Brooklyn studio, where the band stumbled upon a riff that felt like "a highway stretching into the unknown." They described the song as a tribute to those chasing dreams against all odds, a nod to their own gritty beginnings. On X, Fortune once posted a cryptic teaser before the song’s release: “Freedom ain’t free, but the road’s always open. #FreedomRoad 6/15.” Fans went wild, speculating it hinted at a tour, though it was just the single’s drop date.

Digging into the song’s trivia, a fan on the Fortune Freaks Facebook Group shared a tidbit from a 2023 podcast where Fortune revealed they recorded the vocals for "Freedom Road" in one take, fueled by black coffee and a sleepless night. The raw, unpolished edge in the track’s chorus? That’s no studio trick—it’s the sound of pure exhaustion meeting passion. Another gem comes from Instagram, where Fortune posted a throwback photo of a battered van captioned, “This beast carried us down the real Freedom Road, broke down twice, but got us to the studio.” The van, nicknamed “Libby,” became a fan-favorite mascot, with some Zoo Freaks even starting a petition on the fan site Fortune Fanbase to have it restored as a tour monument.

Fortune, the creative force behind "Freedom Road," started as a scrappy trio in the late 2010s, busking on the streets of New York City’s Lower East Side. According to their bio on their official website, lead singer Jax Fortune and guitarist Lena Voss met at a dive bar open mic, bonding over a shared love for 1970s soul and psychedelic rock. Drummer Kai Reed joined after they spotted him playing buckets outside a subway station, his rhythms too infectious to ignore. They scraped by, playing gigs in smoky bars and crashing on friends’ couches, until a viral Facebook video of their cover of a Marvin Gaye classic caught the ear of a small indie label. By 2020, they’d dropped their debut album, and Fortune II cemented their rise, with "Freedom Road" as its standout track.

For Zoo Freaks wanting to dive deeper, Fortune’s official website offers tour dates, merch, and a newsletter for exclusive updates. Their Facebook page is a hub for live session clips and fan Q&As, while Instagram showcases behind-the-scenes studio shots and Jax’s quirky polaroid collection. On X, they’re active with witty banter and song teasers, often retweeting fan covers of "Freedom Road." The Fortune Freaks Facebook Group is a lively spot for fans to swap stories and organize meetups at shows. The fan-run Fortune Fanbase site also hosts a forum and a gallery of fan art inspired by the band’s music, including some wild interpretations of the "Freedom Road" journey.