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We’re very excited to be speaking today with acclaimed Brooklyn-based electro duo FIIZ; holiday greetings and salutations, gang! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, could you both say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive readers?
Hello, I’m Fiona or FI from FIIZ, Happy holidays! Hi readers it’s Iz, see you in the mosh pit! We’re your new favorite independent undiscovered artist made up of two best friends blending everything you love about pop with all the fun of EDM 🙂
Major congratulations on your freshly-minted new single ALL MY WORLDS! Fiona, what inspired this beautiful new dance edit?
We came up with this song idea when we were traveling together. We wrote the bridge first when we were in Edinburgh, just walking down the sidewalk. Traveling, seeing theatre, and live music always get us talking and get those creative juices flowing. The concept came together quickly from there- we were exploring the idea that our dreams and trips all play a part in the fabric of our actual reality. I’ve always had crazy dreams and daydreams so that’s an important idea to me.
Isabelle, the rightly celebrated Sieste was the producer of note on ALL MY WORLDS. What did the collaboration between FIIZ and Sieste look like in the studio while working on the tune? “ALL MY WORLDS” was definitely the song that had the biggest transformation while recording. The demo we went in with was just a synth line we had produced and the refrain and bridge you hear now. This song is truly a child of collaboration because it went through so many iterations. We intentionally didn’t write any verses because we wanted to be able to play with structure once we had Sietse in the room with us and not halfway around the world on a Zoom session. We spent so long trying to build it and ended up scrapping pretty much two days of work. This song is really special because it became the crux of the EP as a whole and how we were going to maintain cohesion and storytelling. Fi and I really had to take a moment and let go of some ideas that just weren’t working for what the song wanted to be. When Sietse thought the direction we were going in (dark, heavy stabbing synths, pulsating beat) wasn’t honoring the song’s potential we let him follow that intuition. He came back with a more trance atmospheric soundscape, we started carving in things that felt like important kernels of the demo and it led to a place where all of us were happy and proud of the final state.
Fiona, in your humble opinion what differentiates ALL MY WORLDS from the Distinguished Competition in the 2023 music landscape?
It’s a very thought-provoking concept but tucked into very simple lyrics in a dance song.But I think the sound itself really sets it apart. When we created our first demo, it was heavy bass sounds and most of the synths were made from haunting choruses of our voices. We created this really dark feel, almost a tunnel of sound, and then with Sietse’s help translated this into a track that still holds this feeling. But also, you just have to dance.
Isabelle, word ‘round industry campfire has it that FIIZ is busy in prepping an EP release for 2024 – Congrats! Can you give readers a hint or three as to what they can expect from the upcoming EP? Hmmm, those rumors MAY be true and if they are you can expect to party, to be shocked and unsettled and hopefully really feel like you’re tripping in our universe with us.
A question for both of you: Who inspires you musically?
Fiona- Who doesn’t? Both of us listen to a bit of everything. For this EP specifically, I was pulling my inspiration across a spectrum from Daft Punk, Sofi Tukker, Tove Lo, New Constellations, Troye Sivan, LSDream and so so so many more. Part of my writing process is consuming a ton of new music.
Iz- of course, there’s a bunch of crossover between the two of us not only as writing partners but also from a personal standpoint. Anything really important to one of us we share with the other. Especially when we’re writing an EP or LP we create very specific playlists with each other and usually the inspiration comes from whatever music we’re discovering and fixating on. We even share “pregame playlists” for each song on our Spotify and Instagram for listeners to have. For me in this last year, Caroline Polachek, Tove Lo, Flume, and Labrinth were my main footholds for this project. A big goal of mine was to let go vocally and still feel whimsical and cinematic in the production so those four really are some of my GOATs. Also have to shout out a band called New Constellations their song “Hot Blooded” was a major spark for this project.
Fiona, how did you and Isabelle form FIIZ? Is there a VH1-Behind the Music secret origin story on the formation of the duo that you can share with us?
The origin story is a modern-day tale as old as time. We’d been writing and creating together in college for a while and we ended up quarantining together right after graduation in 2020. There were some brutal life circumstances, we were up all night talking which turned into writing, which turned into us having maybe 50 songs and a band name, FIIZ. And the next few years have all been dedicated to making FIIZ come to life. Not with those original 50 songs though. We’re still constantly writing new, more exciting material.
Isabelle, FIIZ is based out of Brooklyn. How do those roots inform the sound and energy of the two of you? We love the Brooklyn energy! We really feel like Brooklyn is the pulse of NYC right now. There’s a certain playfulness, confidence and diversity in the communities we’ve found. The people are so creative and harness their individuality and in a way that doesn’t really have any rules or expectations. Plus the electronic scene is so lively with most of the venues and literal pop-up shows being in the streets and warehouses. We’re ready to receive and reciprocate that.
Fiona, in the wake of the release of the new dance edit for ALL MY WORLDS, can fans look forward to catching FIIZ on the touring/performing circuit?
I hope so. It’s our number one goal at the moment. For now, you can catch us at our local Brooklyn DJ shows. Once we start touring, I don’t know if we’ll ever stop.
Isabelle, at the end of the day what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving many-a-spin to ALL MY WORLDS? For me it’s really about facing mortality and energy. Whatever it is you believe in, I think everyone wants to know where they came from and where they’re going. With the idea of lives and lifetimes, what we want to accomplish or feel in our current reality, and the constant desire for more, this song is a safe space to unleash your subconscious and liberation from time itself.
LISTEN: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/fiiz/all-my-worlds
