From self-producing his first album, Toute la Distance, at 18 to captivating audiences with his heartfelt live performances, Izarry is a force of creativity and passion. Drawing inspiration from life, he creates an atmosphere and blends it with catchy pop appeal. With his latest release, Call Me, creating quite the buzz, Izarry writes, performs, and experiments with the world of Modern Pop. In an exclusive interview with The Skadoosh, Izarry shared his journey with us!
How did you journey into music production and songwriting?
I have been writing and composing since my teenage years because I have always needed to externalize things, and music has helped me a lot in that regard. I really got into production at the age of 18 when I self-produced my first album "Toute la distance." Since then, I have never stopped writing, composing, and arranging to make everything exactly as I envisioned it in my head.
What drew you to making pop music your main genre?
The inspiration came in this style, despite myself. Quite naturally. Nothing was calculated. I grew up with rock and pop, whether French or English.
What kind of artists have inspired you?
I don't really have any artist who has inspired me specifically. I know it might seem surprising, but I am open to and listen to many artists and styles, and in the end, I listen to quite a little music.
What’s your usual process for writing a song?
In general, it all starts with a melody on the piano. That's how I compose. A melody, an atmosphere, and that quickly leads me to lay down a tune and then lyrics related to the atmosphere I've created. When I then move on to the production part of the track, I already have everything in my head: how the drums, the synths, etc. will be... It's quite quick at that moment.
You sing in both French and English. Is it easier to write lyrics in French or English?
I am a beginner in English when it comes to writing. By the way, my new album only has its choruses in English. A way for me to dip my toes in, but I write much more easily in French, of course. I love the French language.
Your live performances are the perfect blend of intimate and energetic. What’s that experience like?
Thank you very much. Live performance is essential. When composing alone, I always envision the live performance, and I really enjoy revisiting all my pieces in live versions so that the audience's experience is even more different. I just got back on stage to promote my new album "Horizon" in Paris at Les Etoiles on November 17th, and I can't wait to offer more dates in 2025 all over France. It's the best way to live your music.
What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
There are so many. The most impressive moment was my opening act for Calogero in front of 40,000 people, just as much as meeting Stromae's team for my album "Vis" or simply seeing my face on a music video channel after many months of work to deliver a project.
Your track "Call Me" has been quite successful- what’s the story behind it?
Call Me is the story of a meeting, a feeling with someone, but without knowing what it will lead to because no one dares. Who will call back first? Is one of them going to call back? At what moment does everything change? Hard to have a crush and not dare. Call Me is the story of a single call that can change everything. I loved directing it in the music video.
Are there any dream collaborations you’d like to pursue?
Of course! Collaborating with Stromae, Angele, or Oscar and the Wolf would be incredible. Writing and composing for other artists would also please me immensely. For the moment, there hasn't been an opportunity in that direction.
How was the experience of producing, recording, and releasing an album?
When I left my label in Paris, I didn't know if it was the last album or not. But, the passion and inspiration were stronger. Starting from scratch alone is a huge challenge even though it's exciting. Having left Paris to return to my hometown, I really wanted to rebuild a musical core with collaborations from my city. The meetings took time, and then I met Martin Murer who helped me a lot with the production of my tracks. After that, I always record everything in my home studio. Today, it's so much simpler and easier to do everything. After 2 years of work, the album was able to see the light of day and work resumed on another aspect, which is social media and promotion, because an independent project requires even more energy to reach the public's ears. But I love challenges, it's very stimulating. I think I can say that I am very proud of this release and its reception.
What are your favorite things to do outside of making music?
I really love cinema and I have a passion for café terraces. Observing and drawing inspiration from life in general is an essential treasure for me.
What advice would you give to someone who'd like to pursue a music career?
Don't be patient, don't expect anything from anyone, go for it! You have a project, do it yourself. If people join along the way, great, but otherwise, you'll be even prouder to have done it alone without forgetting to work hard, again and again. There is no secret. There is nothing worse than thinking that it will come to us without doing anything.
You can stream Izarry’s music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1yO1rSKGOkp0PnWlAL0T6Z?si=6b643a3fa6734fe9
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