This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Robert Bannon: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[0:30] Izza: I was watching Family Feud, too. I love Family Feud. So, you know, we're the same. We're the same.

[1:00] Robert Bannon: But you were writing songs. I was doing nothing.

[1:07] Izza: On the commercial breaks. I was just writing the lyrics.

[1:10] Robert Bannon: When you read about you and your backstory a little bit, you were inspired at a young age by a lot of various different types of music. When did you first discover you had this gift to write a song?

[1:26] Izza: Well, I don't know if it was like, really, I was, it was maybe subconsciously because I was just writing my feelings, honestly. It was just like an outlet to get out what was inside of me. And it felt like, you know, my emotions were trapped and I just needed some sort of like therapy. And that I found that through writing. And I didn't know how to write a song, per se. I felt like it was just more writing like poems and kind of different, you know, paragraphs or sections. But I think learning how to incorporate the writing portion with the performance and, you know, my background in dance and piano and putting it all together, it became, you know, what I'm doing now.

[2:16] Robert Bannon: I got it. I don't know how to, you got to listen to her music if you want to get the vibe of what her music is, because there's various different influences in your sound. Like your sound has pop, it has hip hop, it has rock, it has dance. Do you describe it in a certain way? Or is it, it's one of a kind? It's just you?

[2:34] Izza: Yeah, I mean, those are like, basically all the influences. But I think nowadays, genre is so fluid. And it's so cool to experiment and kind of just take different parts from each and create your own formula. So that's basically kind of what I'm doing is just figuring out, okay, what is my formula? What is it when you hear it? Is a song you're expecting? And I mean, there's definitely very theatrical kind of elements with the pop catchiness and then kind of like the hip hop, riz and storytelling and just performance aspect of that. So yeah, just combining all those together.

[3:12] Robert Bannon: That's what I liked. You took me on a ride. Because at first, I listened to an older song. I listened to Wild Wild West. And I was like, all right, she's a cowgirl. I'm a cowboy. Hey. And then I was like, Oh, now we're going somewhere. Oh, and now we're somewhere else. And now we're somewhere else. And you got to listen to it. I love that you put out, talk about theatrical, talk about drama. I mean, you give A Night at the Ballet. Girl, the drama, the drama of A Night at the Ballet. It's two parts. And you also have a single that's called Prima Ballerina. So there's something about ballet that is it a metaphor? What is the idea of the ballerina and the night at the ballet?

[3:58] Izza: Yeah, so I was inspired. So I released an EP called Confessions of a Valley Girl. And that's what Wild Wild West was on. And that whole experience, I was just revisiting my past and my origins and growing up in the valley and being a valley girl. And I through that process, I revisited my past in dance, and I became really inspired by kind of tapping into that more and, but making it relevant to me today and how a ballet is my life and the more modern take of Swan Lake. So Swan Lake was actually the first song I wrote for A Night at the Ballet. And it's obviously referencing this very famous ballet, but in a way that's more, you know, relevant to myself and using it as a metaphor for my dating life and kind of how those things play together.

And I write, you know, my life, it's pretty and it's fake. And I feel like a lot of things is very much like a facade. And you know, ballet is also like such a beautiful thing, but then there's also like a lot of pain and hurt within that as well. So, and I think that's the same with love. It's love is very beautiful, but there's also just very devastating parts of that.

[5:20] Robert Bannon: Absolutely. We've all been there. Part one is out right now, like you could stream it right now. It says, if I go to Spotify, I got to wait 126 days for part two. So is part two, like, is there really a part two that's ready to go? Are you in the process of writing it?

[5:42] Izza: Act two is done. We just rolled out act one. We actually have a music video coming out Thursday for Cars with the Horse. And then we'll be releasing another lesson music video two weeks after that. And then we're going into act two. And yeah, that's going to be rolling out end of August. So we're just we're just keeping it moving.

[6:03] Robert Bannon: Yeah. So you got a seven tracks are out right now. And I did the ballet act one, just listen to it wherever music is streamed and heard. It's, it's, I'll tell you the old, like I said, it's a it's a fun project. I love that there are seven songs on it, because it's like a little each song is a little movie, but it's telling a little story. Without the visual, what do you hope people listen to? What was your, I hear you say life is fake, and love is great and terrible and all of that. When people are finished it when they when you finish the last track on the album, when you finish another lesson, what do you hope people take away from?

[6:36] Izza: Oh, I mean, I think, to not take things so seriously. I think and also, but be invested and be committed. And I love putting all my effort in love. And I think that's what's beautiful about love is that, you know, falling in love and just immersing yourself into that is such a great thing. But then also, you know, it doesn't work out or you know, there's heartbreak, it obviously feels 10 times worse. But the way I think, to think about it is the gift to be able to feel so deeply. And I think like as an artist, I'm sure like you can resonate with that too, or just any type of artist. I think, yeah, having that gift to be able to storytell and to just feel your emotions to the most to the max is a gift in itself. So even though we feel joy so strongly, we also feel pain so strongly, but to put that into our art and use that as kind of our North Star and our, our inspiration.

[7:48] Robert Bannon: I want people to go to your website while we're talking and people can also go to your Instagram, TikTok and follow you. Okay. All right. So you know, I'm going to ask you about this, because I'm sure you're bored of it. And I'm sorry, the billboard, you are very big. Firstly, 10s of 1000s and 100s of 1000s of streams, millions of streams are across the platforms for the music. And you have a big TikTok audience, hundreds of 1000s of people follow you. There's a famous billboard story. And a lot of people and a lot of companies, a lot of famous people, like people saw you take the bull by the horns and do what you did, and were very inspired and moved. Did you ever think that this was going to be what it became?

[8:31] Izza: No, not at all. Not at all. How can you predict that? I feel like you cannot predict these days with all these viral moments, you that's not orchestrated, like by by a lab by by the team in the office. Like, just, you know, I just write what I feel or what's going on. And I just hit and it just went off like it did. And, you know, that's just what happened. I didn't

[8:58] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[9:28] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[9:58] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[10:28] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[10:58] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:05] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:14] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:20] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:26] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:34] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:41] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[11:47] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[12:23] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[12:30] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Night at the Ballet.

[12:37] Izza: Steps Into the Spotlight With A Nasal Voice. Steps Into the Spotlight.

[12:49] Izza: I'm doing that for another lesson as well. So yeah, I've been putting on a director hat, which has been really fun, but it kind of feels like more of a title because I've already been kind of doing that. And I love it so much because when I'm writing, I see it in my head as well in the visuals and the fashion. It kind of it all goes together to me. It's really beautiful. It's exciting. While you were talking, you do have a Christmas EP, I think it's called Isimus. Yeah, like Christmas Isimus. Yeah, there's a song about Xmas and there's a song about bracelets like Cartier bracelets and holiday secrets and Naughty or added to your Christmas playlist along with all of the other. Do you have like next to your bed? Are you singing in your phone? Are you writing things down on a napkin at a bar somewhere like where when does these ideas come to you and how do you not forget them? How do you keep a list of what's coming up and what you're inspired by?

[13:44] Izza: Yeah, I think, you know, it always comes at the most inconvenient time. Like I'll be driving or I'll be in the shower or I'll be like right about as I'm about to fall asleep. And I just have to open up my notes and like write it down or just have my, you know, voice memo out and just sing this little melody or sing this little lyric I have in my head. But yeah, I just kind of feel like I don't know if it sounds like kind of corny, but it just comes to me. But they're kind of just like you're a vessel to express whatever is being sent to you. And I love that about making art because I feel like it's just very fluid and it just comes out and I don't have to think so hard. I never want to try to kind of fight that or fight the instincts or the initial kind of thoughts.

So I just roll with that. And obviously, I am constantly just writing down things. And then whenever I'm going to actually record or to sit down and produce something, I already have these ideas in my phone. So it's pretty easy. I'm never just staring at the screen trying to think of something.

[14:56] Robert Bannon: What a gift. It's brilliant. And then you get to share it and people will feel inspired literally all over the world. It's pretty amazing. If you love pop music, they don't make good pop music like they used to until we found this one right here. So if you're from like me and you're a Stefani, Britney kind of like, if you're ready to like throw down and play some good pop music but with good vocals and some singing and production, we found it for you right here. When you share stages, when you go on the road and do a show, what is and is a show like?

[15:27] Izza: Yeah, I mean, I definitely love to bring a high energy performance. I love to just jump around stage and get the crowd involved and just get everyone very hyped and excited. And I think, yeah, my songs are very upbeat and fun. So I definitely want to bring that energy to stage. And yeah, I love it so much. And if we follow you and stay up to date, I'm sure there's, I know that I know part two is coming out, but maybe more live shows, more music. I'm sure you have plenty of ideas, videos up your sleeve.

[16:00] Izza: Yeah, totally. I know way more videos, hopefully some shows soon. So yeah, I'm very excited. So if you have people that reach out to you, they DM you, they see you at a show or they talk to you before I let you go, what's it feel like to be able to tell your stories and tell your ideas and then hear people and how much the music means to them and they feel inspired by what you do?

[16:25] Izza: Yeah, no, it's everything. It literally is the best thing ever. I love social media in that sense. I mean, you can connect with anybody around the world and just you're just one message away. And I'm always encouraging my fans to DM me and I'm always sending them like posters or point shoes. So that's how I'm able to like interact with them. And it's like so fun to be able to like give back in that sense because I'm so grateful for them listening to my music. So yeah, it's the least I can do. And I'm just so appreciative of that.

[16:58] Izza: A Night at the Ballet Act One is out now. You can listen to it wherever music is heard. We can follow you on all social media. The links will be below. I'm going to hang up now. I'm going to watch the louder music video. That's what I'm up to. Then I'm going to watch Blood. I'm going to listen to Blood on my shoes. Then Cars with the Horse. That video is coming out soon. Criminal Behavior. And then we're going to wrap this up with another lesson. If you want to dance, if you want to have a good time. Look, if you got kids in dance, this is, you know, you want to show some so this if you want to just get your ballerina on, get your ballerina on, be that ballerina and go listen to Izza. Izza, you're an artist, artist. It's really an honor and a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you. And we can't wait for part two. Thank you so much. Thank you.