Indie Pop artist BIZZY talks her latest singles “Out Loud” and “I’d Never Tell You”
Written by Tiara Grace
Photos courtesy of Max Goldberg
As her stage name suggests, BIZZY is always busy. You can see it in the numbers as her music currently has over 150k+ monthly listeners on Spotify and whether she’s writing new songs or planning to go on tour with artists such as headliner FRENSHIP alongside gavin!, and torine, the singer-songwriter continues to exude positivity while being tenacious in her journey to make music for her loyal fanbase and beyond. We sat down with the natural-born storyteller to learn more about what BIZZY means, what it means to be a collaborator, and the unlikely love story that served as inspiration for her latest song, “Out Loud.”
So I just want to jump right in, and the first question I had, which I'm sure you can truly elaborate on, is, what made you want to be called BIZZY?
Bizzy: Okay, so that one's actually a really funny story. So my real name is Elizabeth, but I usually go by BIZZY. I got the nickname “Bizzy” when I was about, like, two or three from my dad and it was just basically because I was always this very ADHD [kid], running around, had so much psycho energy, and he was like, you're always so busy. It was kind of a joke to the point where I was four and my sister was playing crafts and I remember we had this cute little craft table in our kitchen, and I was like, “Do you want to go play house or something?” and she was like, “No, go away. I'm busy.” I looked at her with literal tears in my eyes, and I was like, “Wait, I'm Bizzy.” I was so confused. I really thought it was my name. So I just grew up always being called Bizzy. Then, when I decided to be an artist, I was like, it just feels so much more authentic to me and the person that I try to like when I'm writing rather than, like, Elizabeth, because Elizabeth just feels so serious to me. It feels like I'm in trouble. Yeah. So BIZZY. That's how it became.
That is so funny. I love that and I love that you are also just so open about the actual experience of getting that nickname, because I feel like some people feel like it's embarrassing when they have childhood nicknames.
Bizzy: Right. I love it. It just feels I don't know, feels very me. So I'm grateful for a good nickname.
That's awesome. I also read that one of the catalysts for you starting music was going to an Ed Sheeran concert. I wanted to know specifically about that experience and why it sparked your interest in pursuing a music career.
Bizzy: Totally. Yeah. That was definitely, like, the pivoting point. Before that, really did want to do music, but this just kind of, like, hammered it in. So I was at a concert, I was, like, 16 or 17, with my friends, and Ed had just played some big upbeat song and it was at the Merriweather Pavilion, if you know where that is. It's a pavilion in DC. It's very large and he finished playing like a big loud song and then he was like, okay, guys, this next one, it's going to be a quiet one. The whole entire stadium, I'll never forget the sound, it was just like from 100 to zero. Everybody just didn't speak. You could hear a pin drop in the freaking place and he started singing. It was like one of those moments where I'm so glad I looked around instead of just staring at him, I was looking around and I saw other people next to me sobbing. There was another person next to me and was like, “Remember when this song played in…” It was just so crazy to me that this one person and one song could affect thousands of people in such different ways, and each of them [audience members] have such connections to it in different ways. I don't know, it was in that moment that I was like, “That's all I want to do. I don't care.” I came home so jazzed from that concert. I was like, “Mom, I have to do this.” But that was the pivotal moment.
That's so cool though, because I think it's all about emotion and I think you know this too, obviously. As an artist, when you are affected emotionally by someone else's work, it really just inspires you in whatever way. Not even if you want to be an artist, but just in general. So that's so cool.
You yourself have grown tremendously. One of your songs; I listened to a couple of your songs, but I know “Just Yet,” that one has a pretty good ‘streamership’, as I say. What about that song specifically, do you think resonated with audiences?
Bizzy: I don't know. I think that one's really special to me because I solo wrote that one and it was like such a hard time in my life. I was going through such a terrible breakup and I was like, really? I just sat in my basement and I just said what was on my heart. And I think that music that is so vulnerable and honest is easier to hit the audience because people can be like, yeah, I've been through that, even if they don't want to talk about it or whatever. I just think that it's one of my most vulnerable songs. So I think that might be why it resonates with so many people. But yeah, it's definitely a favorite, for sure.
Oh, that's awesome. I know that you're also releasing two songs in one day, which is exciting “Out Loud” and “I'd Never Tell You.” So you did speak about how you wrote that song [“Just Yet”] on your own, and I see that you wrote with other people and collaborated with others for these two. As a songwriter, do you prefer to work solo or are you just a major collaborator by nature?
Bizzy: I've always loved group projects, which is such, like, an opinionated thing to say because I feel like so many people are like, “I hate group projects.” I love them because I just feed off people's energy. I think it's fun to be like, “Oh, what are you doing?” I definitely see the benefit of writing alone, too. I just think that the outcome is so different for each, and I think depending on where I am. With “Just Yet,” I was like, that's a song I had to write alone because there was no way I would be able to be that vulnerable in front of someone else. I can get pretty vulnerable, but it's hard to really let your mind just completely come down in front of other people. So I enjoy both. I think it just depends on what I'm going through and where my emotional status is right now. I've been doing a lot of co-writing, which has actually been really fun, but I definitely want to dive back into solo writing.
That's awesome. I listened to “Out Loud,” obviously, I got a little insider listen, and I really enjoyed that one. Specifically, I loved both, but I loved “Out Loud.” What really inspired you to put those lyrics together? What was it about whatever experience you had that made you think, oh, this is going to be a great song?
Bizzy: Totally. So it's funny, the story behind the song. So there's a guy that I've known since fourth grade, and we were always crushing on each other through middle school, and it was like the cute back and forth, and it was like, “I think he likes me. Whatever.” So that kind of went all the way through middle school. Nothing ever happens. We're freaking, like eight or however [old] you are in middle school. Then we get to high school and he asks me to homecoming, and I'm like, freaking out. It's the best feeling ever. I'm like yes. So we go into homecoming and we both kind of like each other, but still nothing happens. Then I get a serious boyfriend, and a year later, he gets a serious girlfriend. So we kind of maintained friendship, but did our own thing for a while, and then we both went off to college with those serious, significant others. Then it wasn't until halfway through college that I broke up with my boyfriend and he broke up with his girlfriend. And it was like we would always see each other through breaks and when we would come home for Thanksgiving and stuff like that, and it was one of those things that was always a flirty vibe.
Bizzy: Obviously we're never going to do anything because we're dating other people. And then finally we came home, and we were both like, oh, shoot, we're single. Okay, this actually could be a thing. And it lasted like that for a while. And then it was finally like, okay, we're going to do something about this. And we kind of started to talk, and it was like at the point where there was so much history, where it was like, I don't know. We got into it, and we were like, what the frick is going on? Because I feel like when you have a relationship that's so much history, there's already so many feelings that you've had for that person. So when it actually happens, you're like, “Oh, my God.” So I remember for months when we were talking, my friends would be like, oh, how's it going? What's the status? Whatever. And I remember just being like, I really like him, but I just don't know if it's like it. And then a few months after I'd been saying that, one of my friends came over, and I can still remember perfectly. We're sitting in my kitchen, and she's like, knitting a scarf.
Bizzy: So weird. We sound like we're 800 years old. But I'm, like, sitting there telling her about my life, whatever. And she's like, “oh, and how's the relationship going?” And literally out of nowhere, I have no idea where it came from, I was like, I think I'm in love with him. And we were both floored that the words came out of my mouth because I was so shocked. And we just sat there in kind of awe. And I was like, oh, my God. I didn't realize that I did until I said it out loud. And like, straight up, right after I said that, I wrote it down on my phone and I was like, that's a song. And so the next day, I walked into the write with Dave Villa and Maddie Simmons. And I was like, so I kind of have these feelings for this guy. I didn't realize it until I said it out loud and then it actually took us a very long time to write that song. It was like a really long write. Normally songs will fall out for me that I love, but this one, I think because there was so much history with this person, it was like, “Okay, how do I hone in on this exact emotion?”. I really wanted to emulate that butterfly excitement feeling when you realize you start liking someone instead of the history that we had been through, that was kind of like the vibe for ‘Out Loud’.
Wow! That is so funny and also super sweet at the same time.
Bizzy: I love the history of that song.
Kind of an aside, but I watched the music video for one of your songs called “Spinach In My Teeth.”
Bizzy: Yes!
I loved that it was super stylized. I'm wondering, and I don't know if you have plans to do this, but for either of the new songs that are coming out, do you have plans to do visuals or some type of visual element to those songs? It sounds like you really know the story behind both of those songs. Is there going to be a music video or something like that?
Bizzy: I would love to do a music video eventually for “Out Loud.” I don't think it'll be now. Hopefully in the future when I kind of start putting out chunks of music, then I'll do a music video because that one would be so fun to do because there is just so much story to tell behind it.
Oh, my gosh, I personally would love it. I'm a big music video fan, so that would be really cool. Just to see it play out in front of us would be so awesome.
Bizzy: Totally.
Another question I had, and it relates back to maybe even “Out Loud” or maybe some other songs you've written in the past, but did you ever encounter any obstacles, whether they'd be emotionally, musically that you had to kind of overcome in order to get to the place you wanted for a specific song? Could be either the ones we just talked about or ones from the past.
Bizzy: Interesting. That's a cool question. I've never been asked. Thanks for asking. That's awesome. I'm trying to think. I think…I don't know about a song in particular. Honestly, right now, the songs that haven't come out right now, it's like I'm in this very weird place of like, I have music out, so I have music to compare to, which is tough. Then I also have a bunch of ideas and things on my heart, but it feels like there's this blockage of fear of like, okay, you have to make it good. You have to be really good. It has to be awesome. That kind of builds a wall of like, “Okay, so don't mess this up.” It makes it harder to try, I think. So I wouldn't say one of these songs that are already out, but I would say the ones that are going to come out in the future. There's definitely been that kind of fear of comparison and fear of is it going to be as good?
Yeah, I totally get that. Hearing that from an artist that sometimes it doesn't come out as naturally, you know what I mean?
Bizzy: Totally.
That happens. That's good for listeners to know, too, because, especially now, there's always urgency with audiences. Like, you need to put this out now, but it takes time to write really good quality songs.
Bizzy: Totally. It's tough because like you were saying, it's such a demand now to get songs. Like once a month, have a song out, but, mentally, that's a lot. That's so much life into the world at such a fast pace. So I'm trying to figure out how to balance that.
Also to acknowledge the elephant in the room, you're going on tour, which is so cool! I saw and I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is like a nationwide tour.” You're going everywhere.
Bizzy: So excited! I think it's going to be so fun. I've never been [on tour] before, so this is my first time.
That was exactly what I was going to ask: If this is your first tour and if so, what were your initial emotions when you found out that this was going to happen?
Bizzy: Literally was peeing my pants. So the guys in [the band] FRENSHIP have been my friends for a year or so now. They're just amazing humans, like such good guys [who] really care about music and care about other people and I just admire them. So I started writing with them last year and then they came to one of my shows in LA. They were like, “Oh my, you're awesome, dude, you should open for us;” Said it kind of in passing and I was like, “I would love that,” but wasn't going to push it. I was like, whatever I'll let you tell it. Then, about probably like two months ago, like a month before I announced [the tour]. Brett, one of the guys in the band FaceTimed me while I was at the beach with my family. He was, like, what's up? And I was, “you know, nothing.” I walked in my room and he was like, “would you maybe want to go on tour with us?” I literally was jumping up and down, screaming my freaking head off.
Bizzy: I was like, “Yes, please.” Oh my God, it was so awesome. Then I did a video. I don't know if you saw this on my Instagram, but I was trying to figure out how to tell my sisters. My sisters are like my best friends and biggest supporters, they're awesome. I was like, “Okay, I have to figure out how to do it.” So you know how they do pregnancy announcements, where they'll stand and they'll be like, okay, everybody say “blah, blah, blah.” I did that with my sisters and I was like, okay, everybody say, “BIZZY is going on tour!” and I will save that video forever because their reactions were priceless, it was so good.
I love that! Especially since this is your first tour; To get all of that excitement initially is just so cool. Do you have a stop that you're especially excited for?
Bizzy: I think my hometown, DC. All my friends have already bought their tickets and I think it's just going to be fun. I've played one other hometown show, but I'm excited to tour through my hometown.
BIZZY will be kicking off her tour with FRENSHIP on Oct. 5 in Carborro, NC at Cat’s Cradle
You can follow BIZZY on her socials below:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@srryimbizzy
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4cWyHZZF6764fNSMnEkYdk?si=K9sdHs7PQQKfDUsjYFvnsg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srryimbizzy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/srryimbizzy
