At just seventeen years old, New York-based singer/songwriter Izzy Pingrey exhibits a wisdom that far surpasses her years. Last month, she released a cracking new tune called ‘flatline’ which describes how she finally let her guard down to someone she connected with. I fell in love with the track and Izzy’s sound and was intrigued to find out more about the gifted young musician.
Thrilled that she agreed to an interview, Izzy chats with us about just how important ‘flatline’ is to her, who she’s been listening to recently, and what she’s preparing for next. Please give a big welcome to our new friend Izzy Pingrey!
Hey Izzy, thanks a lot for chatting with us! I love discovering artists still in their relative infancy musically! Before we get into the nitty-gritty, could you tell us a little bit about your musical journey? What has led you to where you are today
Music has always been a huge part of my life. The arts are something that is familial for me in a lot of different fields. My older cousin was super into musical theater as a kid, and I saw her middle school play of Cinderella when I was like 3. I think she was an evil stepsister. But that for me was just such a huge deal, because I’d never seen someone sing or do something performative in that way who I knew.
I mean my dad is a producer but I don’t remember any instances of seeing his band play that young. Pursuing that from such an early age is what allowed me to discover my love for songwriting so young. I’ve been writing since I was 13, and recording since I was 15. I’m 17 now.
Congrats on your brand new single ‘flatline’. It was my introduction to your music, and it’s a tune that just really resonated with me. Can you tell our audience what it means to you?
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. ‘flatline’ is super important to me for a couple of reasons. For starters, although it contains many allegories of death, it’s probably my happiest song because it’s kind of the first one that wasn’t a vocal middle finger. It was me processing really falling in love for the first time, and as cheesy as it is, it’s really a love letter for my boyfriend. He’s just been so supportive and caring throughout my pursuit of this and it’s so important to me that he and everyone else know that. Also, ‘flatline’ is just my favorite musically. I think it’s the most accurate depiction and combination of my musical style.
I imagine this might be like asking you to pick a favourite child, but which song of yours are you most proud of releasing so far?
Definitely ‘flatline’. Throughout my interviews, there’s totally been a pattern of me just saying the most recent track. But at this point, I do have some other ones ready to go, and I think that I like ‘flatline’ more than those too. It’s especially heartfelt and caring and was probably my favorite to write so far.
If I grabbed your cellphone and opened Spotify (or your streaming service of choice), who would I see under your recently played section?
A lot of Olivia Rodrigo’s new stuff is so good. I’m counting down the days until her new album comes out. I listen to a lot of Stevie Nicks, SZA, Beabadoobee, Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, and obviously Taylor Swift. I like Fiona Apple and recently I’ve been listening to so much Charli XCX. I like women who are angry or confident. But I also listen to a lot of Childish Gambino. The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Elliot Smith. My music taste is a disaster.
Who would you put down as some of your biggest musical influences and who would you ultimately credit for helping shape and mould your overall sound?
We look at a lot of 90’s music. Stuff like Nirvana, Mazzy Star, and Alanis Morrisette. I also like to draw from artists who are doing similar styles like that now, like Beabadoobee. But I absolutely have to give credit to my pop-punk phase from middle school. I don’t think that my love of the electric guitar would’ve persisted and come out in my music the way that it does (ESPECIALLY in some unreleased tracks).
Einstein famously said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician.” If you were not a musician, what would you be?
I’m super young right now. I’m actually doing music at the same time as I’m doing my college applications. I love music with my whole heart, but I’m actually planning on studying something in media, art history or psychology. There are a lot of things I want to do while I pursue my music. I think it would be super awesome to be a curator for a museum. Sometimes I think about being a therapist. Mostly, I want to be a TV producer.
OK, Izzy – desert island time! You’re allowed to grab 3 albums before being stranded on an island. Which do you choose?
Taylor Swift – Speak Now
Mac DeMarco – One Wayne G
SZA – Ctrl
What, to you, is music’s role in society?
Music is such a cool thing because it can take on the meaning and power of poetry but can be catchy and accessible. Music comes in every possible genre, language and scale that you could picture. Almost everyone you know has a favorite song. I love how music is something that can be enjoyed by any hearing person. I think that’s so fascinating. You don’t need to be literate. You don’t even need to speak the language of the lyrics. There don’t even need to be lyrics at all. I like to make music because it helps me connect with people, whether I know them or not.
Thank you so much for chatting with us Izzy, it’s been an absolute treat! What can we expect from you next?
Thank you so much for your great questions! Right now I’m working on finishing up the EP. I won’t say that much, but I will say that ‘flatline’ has a sister song that’s one of the first songs I ever produced. Maybe I’m working on a music video too. There are definitely some cool things coming!
