Izzy Day
Izzy Day is back with her first single of 2021, Silence. Izzy teams up with local Melbourne producers the munkyds on this latest single, blending perfectly together Izzys soulful, ethereal vocals with the munkyds elegant industrial production. They create their own unique, delicate sound, where you can feel every bit of emotion put into this song. Hazy Days Music would like to thank Izzy for taking the time out and having a chat.
I am a big fan of your music and I keep getting blown away each time you release a new single. When did you first start getting into music? And when did you start this project?
I grew up in a really musical family. My dad's always played so many different instruments, so that has always been a big inspiration for me. I started singing from a young age. I started playing the guitar around thirteen and began writing songs not long after that. Growing up attending the Woodford Folk Festival was so inspiring, being surrounded by so many different genres of live music.
I've been in a few different bands. I started a bit of a reggae band up on the Gold Coast a few years ago and started this project not long after that. I moved to Melbourne at the end of 2019 to pursue my music. I feel like there are more opportunities down here.
I am obsessed with your latest single Silence! What is the story behind writing and recording this one? And how was working with producers the munkyds on this track?
I started working with Melbourne based producers the munkyds about four years ago. I met them on a trip up in the north of Queensland. We got along straight away and have been working on music together ever since.
Silence is the first song we worked on in the same studio together. (We'd only ever worked remotely together before).
For a long time, I've had this chord progression that I've really loved playing on the guitar; I've just never really known what I was going to do with it. I was mucking around with that progression in the studio, and the guys were obsessed with it. We ended up laying it down and adding a few more layers over the top. The guys created this really chill, hip hop beat with a bit of an 808 bassline to go with it, and then we worked on lyrics and harmonies together.
In terms of what Silence is about - It's about those moments in a relationship when it's a really challenging time, you're longing to be reconnected with that person but everything you're doing isn't working. We were all on the same page with that message, and I think that's why you can really feel the emotion in the song.
I'm really happy with how it all turned out.
You released a gorgeous music video for Silence, it really captures the emotion behind the song. How was it making this music video? Who else was involved?
Making the music video for Silence was such an amazing experience! We did a bunch of pre-planning beforehand, and that made filming on the day so easy. I worked with Byron Bay based video production company Drishti Studio and had the incredible Kirilly Dawn as the dancer/performer. We filmed Silence at this hundred-year-old sugar mill, out past Ballina.
I think because we were all on the same page from the very beginning, it made everything run so smoothly. Vicky from Drishti Studio was remarkable to work with, and I was blown away by how Kirilly was able to emit through movement the feeling and emotion of the song. It was incredible to watch her.
I also just found out my music video for Silence has been added to rotation on MTV! I’m super stoked! It's such a surreal feeling.
Your single launch show looked like a lot of fun. How was it?
The show sold out!
I played at the venue Some Velvet Morning in Melbourne, with Maddy May supporting. The show had such a good intimate vibe.
It’s been a long time since I’ve played a show like that, and this was the first time I've played in Melbourne with the pandemic and everything else going on. Maddy is an incredible folk singer/songwriter from San Remo; I’ve been a big fan of hers for a while.
It was the perfect night!
How do you find writing collaboratively versus by yourself? Do you have a preference?
I was very out of my comfort zone when I first started writing with the munkyds years ago. I was used to writing and producing my own music by myself in my studio. It was all very new and very different to what I was used to playing, but that's what makes you grow and learn as an artist. Over the years, we have developed our own unique sound together, and we complement each other's styles really well.
It's great being able to bounce ideas off each other. I do still like having that time to myself. Where I can sit down and be with my thoughts and feelings, having that space where I can write and have the freedom to explore those ideas on my own. I wouldn't say one is better or worse. I like and enjoy both aspects of writing.
What are your plans for the rest of 2021?
I potentially have an EP in the works. I have a few songs that are ready to be released. I'm not too sure if I will keep them as singles or put them out together on an EP. I think I’ll see how they sound as a finished product. We will see what happens.
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