Independent singer/songwriter Izzy Mariano discloses her “go for it” moment, talks about songwriting inspirations.
Ella Co
In a music industry that has foul play, an environment that is filled with familiar connections, other artists may find it hard to release and showcase their music. But not for long, digital music has arrived and taken over.
An actual thank god for the internet moment, Izzy Mariano proves you can build a fanbase through the internet. She gave us a bit of her time and agreed to let us interview her.
“My image as a musician is the same as how I am usually in the first place— lots of pink and cutesy stuff all around me but also with existential dread[…]”
Izzy Mariano on her visual image.
It’s actually refreshing to hear a new sound and today, we’ll talk about Mariano’s sound. A bit more Clairo on the vocal side and Melanie Martinez on the musical sound and visuals.
With playful beats and hi-fi elements, anyone who has appreciation for youthful music will enjoy Izzy Mariano’s craft.
E: First question for you: How would you explain the moment you realized that you want to make music?
Izzy: I was pretty young when I discovered that I wanted to make music, probably at around 12 I started writing lyrics. I just kept that realization to myself because I thought that dream was too high for me to reach. Well, I’m here now and in retrospect maybe I should’ve been more vocal about my passion for music.
E: I see. So I’ve actually listened to a couple of your songs and I feel like we need more of that vibe that you were giving off with your music. When did you actually decide that “that sound” is what you are going for?
Izzy: I knew right away what kind of sound I wanted to have when I got my first MIDI controller, and found out I could experiment with so many different sounds. I used to think back then in my senior year of high school that I was going to end up in a band because I’m an avid fan of pop punk and the like, but things really took a turn when I found my sound! (Grinning emoticon)
E: Yeah I can really hear the pop-punk influence a bit! You have a very clear vision of what you are as an artist and that’s good. What about your influences? Can you, maybe, name a few?
Izzy: I really love mitski’s songwriting, as well as modern baseball writes their songs as well. I find inspiration on how kero kero bonito’s sound really brings out the identity in their music. I also really like listening to grimes and kyary pamyu pamyu during my spare time (smiling emoticon)
E: Interesting! Every artist knows that it’s important to have an “image”, when it comes to your visuals, how would you simply explain it?
Izzy: My “image” as a musician is the same as how I am usually in the first place— lots of pink and cutesy stuff all around me but also with existential dread HAHAHAHA
E: We noticed hehe! So, when did you get the “go for it” moment and what did you feel after that?
Izzy: My “go for it” moment was when I decided to take up music as my college course. No one expected me to be taking music as my course since everyone in my batch thought I’d be taking Law. So right in my first year in college, I started working and making music.
E: And how did your parents react to that? Are you comfortable when they listen to your stuff?
Izzy: During my first year in college, my parents were pretty iffy about the whole music thing, and it came to the point where I was supposed to leave the college that I’m currently in and shift to a different university and course, but after showing them my music and explaining the different environment that my school has, everything aligned in my favor. (Grinning emoticon)
E: It’s always about good communication! Anyway, what exactly do you want your music to promote or to say? Have you thought of a certain something that you want your music to be proportional to?
Izzy: I really want my music to convey that it’s okay to be emotional, and that expressing how you feel doesn’t mean you’re weak. I feel like a lot of people (including myself) tend to bottle up our feelings as we’re mostly afraid of our emotions getting invalidated or overlooked.
E: Wonderful. When and where did you actually first perform your own songs? Do you still get nervous or are you used to singing in front of crowds now?
Izzy: I performed my first original song during an open mic at uke box caffe in cubao. it was fun but i had a panic attack right before my set so i had to calm my nerves down at the 7/11 near the cafe at that time. I only get nervous for mall shows now, mostly because of how hard it is to read the crowd there, but bar or cafe gigs are really fun because the energy feels light and comfortable in those venues!
E: I totally understand what you mean, people who actually come for the music tend to have a more welcoming energy and vibe. If you were ever given a chance to collaborate with any local artist or band, who would you pick?
Izzy: There’s a lot of local artists and bands who I really want to work with, possibly with rusty machines, ysanygo, or even megumi acorda but i dunno, it almost feels like such a long stretch hahaha.
E: Nothing is quite impossible these days! Anyway, this is the last question, we actually ask this everytime: if you were given the chance to give up your songwriting skill in exchange for 1 million US Dollars, would you do it?
Izzy: I don’t think i would or could ever give up my passion and skills in songwriting because of how much it helped me cope ever since i was in grade school. until now, i have a bunch of my notebooks kept in my room and they’re all full of my writings. Looking back at it now, writing really was /that/ outlet for me from then until now whenever i experience anything in my life. So, yeah. I don’t think I could replace something so important and vital in my life for money. (Grinning emoticon)
-end-
The artist has recently released a colab track with another artist, Malli, titled “24/7”
Give it a listen here:
Her solo song, Crush:
The Quiet Elf 