Izzy Bizu is wonderfully revitalising.
Fresh from playing her first actual proper headline show, the singer is still adjusting to what's happening around her. “It's crazy!” she exclaims, before adding: “I never, ever thought it could have gone this far.”
Uncovered at an open mic night, the soulful vocalist's approach is like honey on the ear. Brought up in a musical household, Izzy came of age listening to the greats: from the jazz world, Ella FitzGerald, and from the soul sphere, Marvin Gaye. “It was really eclectic,” she comments. “Anything went, really. There was always music around me”.
Creative from an extremely young age, Izzy's room lingers with piles of diaries, notepads and jotters containing all manner of musings. “I started keeping a diary at the age of four,” she recalls. “Writing pieces of poetry, all kinds of personal stuff. It's something I still do, to an extent.”
Of course, Izzy Bizu now has music. Debut EP 'Coolbeanz' spread online, winning support from the likes of Zane Lowe and Sam Smith in the process. “It's been mad,” she admits. “It doesn't feel real. You look at the stats of a YouTube video, for example, and it just doesn't feel real. It hasn't sunk in.”
Aware of her influences yet forever attempting to move forward, the South London artist clearly knows what she wants to create. “I just want to keep it simple,” she says. “I normally start with an acoustic guitar or piano. No matter what you put on top, if the basics work then the song works.”
With her remarkably mature yet deeply invigorating debut single 'Adam & Eve' set to arrive on June 21st – and breakthrough track 'White Tiger' achieving vast viral success – the singer is poised to achieve something special, to take her intimate music public.
“I suppose this is a little like keeping a diary,” she says, “except there's nothing secret about this!”
WHAT: Beautifully refreshing modern soul
WHERE: South West London
3 SONGS: 'Adam & Eve', 'White Tiger', 'Diamonds'
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