The Womack Sisters – Zeimani, BG and Kucha, granddaughters of Sam Cooke and daughters of R&B duo Womack & Womack – have released their debut album after more than a decade struggling to gain recognition in the music industry. Despite their extraordinary soul pedigree, the Los Angeles-based trio spent years working as backup singers and songwriters, financing themselves through side jobs including ride-hailing driving, before finally securing a deal to release their own record.

The self-titled album, out via Daptone (the label behind Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones), draws on influences ranging from 1960s girl-group pop to gospel-infused sibling harmony, reflecting their family's deep soul lineage as nieces of Bobby Womack and granddaughters of Sam Cooke. Its opening track, "Chauffeur", was inspired by their years of being turned down by labels and having to drive for a living, and the record has already won praise from artists including SZA, Leon Bridges and Jon Batiste, who called the trio's fusion of classic soul influences a much-needed revival of the genre.