SANTA CRUZ >> Since establishing the genre-bending quartet The Heavy Hitters, Santa Cruz-based singer Trianna Feruza has had an outlet to perform original songs rather than strictly covers. However, until recently, the only place these songs could be heard was by going to the band’s concerts.

“A lot of people have been to all of these shows, and they have their favorite songs,” she said. “They’ve been asking, ‘Where do I find it?’”

Now those songs have been compiled into a format where anybody can listen to them anywhere. Trianna Feruza & the Heavy Hitters released their first full-length, self-titled album May 1, and fans will have a chance to also see the songs performed live when the Heavy Hitters play The Crepe Place on June 7.

The album is the culmination of a literal lifelong love of music for Feruza. She was born into a musical family, as her grandfather Solomon Feldthouse was a founding member of the Los Angeles psychedelic group Kaleidoscope and her grandmother Marta Feldthouse was a belly dancer in the LA area. Her father and uncle were members of various rock bands, and her mother also was a professional belly dancer.

“I really started performing in embryo,” she said.

Feruza began singing when she was 2, began playing piano at 7 and picked up guitar at 10, all the while being a part of her family’s world music touring band.

“It’s a lifelong love for me,” she said.

Feruza compared music to that of a human relationship: For those willing to put in the time and effort, they will get some truly great experiences out of it.

“It has given me some of the greatest experiences of my life,” she said. “I’ve been really fortunate that I’ve grown up jamming, so I have a really good comfortable place that I get to have with music that is probably one of the most special relationships I’ll ever have.”

As a vocalist, Feruza’s influences run the gamut from Etta James and Amy Winehouse to David Bowie, Prince and Freddie Mercury. She also takes inspiration from neo-soul acts such as Anderson. Paak and Thundercat, funk metal band Primus and funk legend George Clinton. Performing at music camps and festivals also gave her an opportunity to work up close with professional musicians and performers Zoe Jakes, David Satori and Sean and Lars Tergis.

“Being so up close and personal with working performers my entire life made being a working musician seem really achievable and possible,” she said. “I’m very lucky that I have a family that was never waiting for me to get a ‘real job.’ They’ve always been very supportive because we’re all performers.”

The Heavy Hitters came about as Feruza met drummer Ryan Ouse and Zach Latham through Cabrillo College’s jazz program. She and Ouse formed a band called WavFile which she said had a major impact on allowing them to grow as musicians. Feruza and Ouse continued to write music together following WavFile’s dissolution, and when they were approached to play a New Year’s Eve gig at The Crepe Place, they recruited Latham.

Once all three became serious about the Heavy Hitters becoming an outlet for performing original material, they looked to hire a guitarist. At the recommendation of Feruza’s friend Troy Nadeau, they settled on Josh Baldwin, a metal guitarist from Maine.

“He ended up coming to the audition and just killed it,” she said.

After playing with older musicians for many years, Feruza was excited about the energy that came from playing with peers her own age.

“They’re all really hungry to figure out the best way to do everything,” she said. “Nobody’s set in their ways yet, so it’s really nice to be in a band that’s really excited to figure out the next sound and try new things and go on the tours and figure out what works.”

Trianna Feruza & the Heavy Hitters have played many shows, including California festivals such as the Lucidity Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival and Mountain Vibe Music Festival. In addition to covers, Feruza said they also have written about 2.5 hours’ worth of original material, much of which was included on the band’s first album.

The album was recorded locally at Sungrown Studios and was a bit of a reunion for Feruza, as it was engineered by former WavFile guitarist Nick Rio and mixed by Nadeau and his production company Almost Islanders.

“Trianna Feruza & the Heavy Hitters” contains 10 songs, which Feruza described as being like “a journal entry from the band” with themes of growing up and finding one’s place. One song, “More and Enough,” is about the line between work and pleasure, especially when living in a place such as Santa Cruz.

“It’s so wonderful to have your destination and to have where your journey’s going but also to take a second to stop and smell the roses because you can’t work all the time,” she said. “You’ve gotta find your line and your balance, and I feel like that’s important to a lot of us right now, especially as the economy is moving into the zones that it’s moving into. That was a pretty big motif for me.”

The final track, “Energy,” explores where people put their energy and what the next step is.

“How do I walk through the world by maintaining my integrity and myself while also being loving and being kind and showing up?” Feruza asked.

To celebrate the album’s release, the band will be returning to The Crepe Place, where they will be joined by Oregon grunge band Wet Thud and singer Megan Black, whom Feruza described as “the Scottish Stevie Nicks.”

Feruza described it as a “polyjamorous” show.

“There will be many genres available at this event, and it’s just gonna be a good time filled with original music,” she said. “The 20 somethings are about to bring a collection of tunes that are gonna knock people’s socks off.”

“Trianna Feruza & the Heavy Hitters” is available on all streaming platforms and the band’s website at TriannaFeruza.com. The Crepe Place concert is 8 p.m. June 7 at 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $15. For information, go to TheCrepePlace.com.