We were lucky enough to catch up with musician IZZY PINGREY following her brilliant release, ‘Sick Of It’. Enjoy the full interview below!
Hi Izzy, what is your earliest music memory?
When I was really young, maybe 3 or 4, my dad used to take me into the studio and have me record freestyles. I think that’s my earliest memory of ever recording. I would get on the mic and just say or sing whatever I was thinking, which, for a 4-year-old, is some great shit. I might put “I Love Fruit” or “The Goodest Rap” on my next EP.
How did you get into the music industry?
I got into the music industry through my dad. Him being a music producer has given me the opportunity to take something that I’m passionate about and have put a lot of time and effort into and put it out there into the world. His time and support have given me a really unique opportunity to do what I do. Without him, all of my music would probably be only on voice memos.
Who influenced your brilliant latest release, ‘Sick Of It’?
It’s hard for me to say that there was one person who influenced it. In terms of stylistic influence, I feel very inspired by artists who portray very real and raw emotions in their work. I love when women sing about their rage or their, sadness or their happiness. I draw from Taylor Swift, Alanis Morrisette, Fiona Apple, etc. Anyone whose emotions I can really feel in their art. In terms of events that made me write the song, it also was more than one person.
I’ve been in a few situationships in the past few years that really messed me up. I had all of this anger that was hard to take out on the subjects of them. It was my loneliness, in large part from COVID isolation, that caused me to project people I saw on TV onto real people. It gave a lot of people chances to take advantage of me, whether intentionally or unintentionally. These people were young and couldn’t see inside my brain and understand what I was going through or what I was doing. So I wrote a song to explain and to take out that anger.
What’s the live music scene like in New York in 2023?
I don’t know. I haven’t played a live show, or even really gone to one, in forever. Once I put some more music out, I’m really hoping to play a few sets around the city. I’ll update you!
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I think beabadoobee is awesome. Everything that she does really exudes authenticity, and in every interview that she does, she is so herself. I think that’s so cool. I really love her sound, too. If I could make a song with any artist out there, and it would just be guaranteed that they’d do it, it would be Bea. I was so sad I didn’t get tickets to her concert for when she’s coming to New York. I love her.
What’s your dream venue to play?
My dream venue to play is Webster Hall on 11th Street. I’m aware that there are more ambitious venues to want to play. I’ve seen Webster Hall leaving dance class every week since I was 10. I always would picture my name on that Marquis when I was younger, which is a little stupid, but I don’t know. I saw Claire Rosinkranz there, and I’m going to see Sabrina Carpenter there in a few days. That venue has such an amazing vibe to it, and the stage is so cool.
Other than music, what are you passionate about?
I’ve recently been becoming passionate about the prison system in this country. This year, I started an internship with the podcast for the Innocence Project. One thing I do for them is transcribing podcast episodes, and it’s taught me so much about the injustices in this country. It’s a huge source of anger for me; how many innocent people are sitting in prison in America? One day I would love to have the platform and the power to help change that. With my internship, I do what I can. But besides that, on a less serious note, I love to read, ride bikes, to spend time with my friends. I also love learning about the brain and am thinking about psychology or neuroscience as a major for college when I apply.
What changes would you like to see in the music business?
I read an article a few months ago on how less than 3% of music producers are women. I mean, my producer is my dad, so there’s not much I would change in my individual situation. But the voices and artistic skills of women are so incredible, and our voices are so wonderful when they’re heard. Female music producers are underrepresented in the business. I would love to see more women becoming music producers and more of the already deserving women getting more opportunities to do awesome shit with it.
What would it be if you could choose one thing for fans to take away from your music?
I want people who listen to my music to feel supported and sane. Especially as a teenager, it is so easy to feel isolated by your emotions. That feeling has inspired me to write over the past few years because these new and unique experiences feel very personal to you. And while everyone has their own experience, the general events and their frameworks happen to a lot of people. I really try to highlight that in my music, and I would want anyone who listens to feel more validated and safe in their emotions.
What is your favourite song to play live?
I haven’t played that many songs live. I only have one song out right now, sick of it, which I’ve played live one time. But out of every song I’ve ever done live, my favorite was my rendition of “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash on the autoharp at my third-grade talent show. Classic.
Have you started working on your next release?
I’ve been working on my next release for a while. We’re putting the finishing touches on it. I don’t totally know how much I can say, but I’ll say it’s a sadder song. It’s different stylistically from ‘Sick Of It’, but I have some other songs in the vault that match ‘Sick Of It’ a little more.
FVMusicBlog May 2023
Leave a Reply