"Although I didn't write this song, it spoke to me in a way that made me feel as if it was my own story,” Brandon said. “I found myself playing it over and over again in my bedroom, remembering situations that I've been through.”
Check out the video for yourself below.
Self-proclaimed “punk Lady Gaga with hip-hop 808s and glitter everywhere”, Sizzy’s sound feels much more true to herself now that she has more autonomy over her career and narrative. Her new single, “Rollerskating," is giving us sweet n’ romantic summer 2020 bop energy, accompanied by a very floral lyric video. As she gears up for the release of her third album, expected later this year, Sizzy is spending the summer finding a perfect balance between working hard and hardly working.
Hi Sizzy! So you’re new single, “Rollerskating”... tell us about it. What inspired the song and what story does it tell?
We wrote "Rollerskating" on the last day of making the album. We basically wrote and recorded half of the album in a loft downtown over four days, and then the other half in a house in Laurel Canyon over four days. So eight days total. This was the last song that we did. I wrote it with my writing partner, Eric, who knows me really well. I feel like the whole record is so aggressive, we really just needed a softer more vulnerable vibe. It kind of just happened. We were kind of just talking and the lyrics started happening, and the producer, Benny, just got the 808s going. The song just kind of happened. I think that’s how the best songs happen.
Totally. So, how have you been spending lockdown?
I’ve been cooking a lot. I’ve rearranged my apartment four different times, just buying all this furniture. I’ve been reading a lot and taking film photographs. I feel like I love to learn new things and just be creative in different ways.
What have you been reading?
Right now I’m reading Castle on Sunset. It’s a memoir of the Chateau Marmont, and it’s absolutely incredible.
I’ve heard of that, I really want to read it.
You should, it’s so well written, and just like, what a crazy place!
What a crazy place!
I’m reading that, and The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown, which is kind of self-helpy, but super necessary.
She’s great.
Yes, amazing.
You’re well known for being unapologetic in your queerness and also in your artistry. It takes courage to be yourself. Can you elaborate on your road to speaking out about your sexuality?
I was actually super closeted in the beginning of my carreer. I was signed to a label that used to tell me that being out would alienate me from certain audiences. I feel like growing up in the 90’s, there weren’t any openly queer popstars or rock stars, so I just kind of was scared of myself. I believed that I couldn’t be successful and queer. It’s just not in my nature to hide who I am, so I was just like, I’m gonna chose “Bestie” as my first single. It was a whole thing with the label because they sent out a press release that I was “bi-curious”, and I was like, “no, I’m sexually fluid. I don’t want to put a label on it.” I’ve been with women and men, and I feel like as artists and humans, we need to give ourselves space to evolve. So, I feel like my journey really started in 2016 when I decided to just step out and say, Hey, I’m queer.
Hell yeah.
But then last year, when I put out the record, “Grrrl”, I feel like I really got into the complexities and the emotional part of that, and became super open with my relationship with my girlfriend at the time. I feel like it formed a really strong connection between me and the fans I have now. Being a queer popstar today is super inspiring. There's King Princess, there’s Girl in Red; There are icons to look up to, and I didn’t necessarily have that when I was growing up.
And then you can be that for someone, too, which is amazing.
Exactly.
With “Bestie” and that press release saying something about you that didn’t feel true, what made it so important to you to set the record straight? What did that feel like when it happened?
I feel like being honest and open is something that’s important to me in my art and in my life, and why I admire my idols, like Peaches, David Bowie, and all these artists on the original punk scene like Patti Smith and Iggy Pop. I think I was kind of destined to be this super raw, honest artist. I feel like I’m actually just beginning my career because the first couple records, I was in contract - you know, it’s the typical story - with older, white, straight men, who saw me as this product. I feel like it took me a while to fully see that and grow out of it, and take control and power back and say, “This is actually who I am, and it’s okay to be who I am,” and muster up the strength and courage to do that. But I feel completely liberated. Now, I trust myself to make decisions with my art and in my career and I do feel like I’m growing more and more every day into the artist that I’m meant to be.
That’s so good to hear. So, do you think your writing process has changed at all since you’re not in contract anymore with people that make you feel controlled or oppressed?
I feel like it has completely changed. I used to feel like I had to turn in complete songs. I would show up at the studio and constantly ask people I was working with what they thought and work around that. I’d be really mad at myself if I didn’t finish a full song. But now I feel like I’m learning how to serve the art and serve the song. Making this current album, I found a process that works really well for me, where I’ll spend a couple months getting short little ideas together, whether it’s voice notes or lyrics or maybe a hook or some melodies. Then, we go in almost like performance art- go in for like four days at a time and just, super-work intensively, Make the Thing. I feel like it’s a constant learning process to figure out how to best write.
You also have songwriting credits with a multitude of different artists, like Noah Cyrus, Hey Violet, Anitta, and Bea Miller. I was curious if your process for writing for others is different than when you write for yourself?
Yeah, I think it's different. I don’t do a lot of it anymore because I have so much that I want to say and it’s very specific, and when I’m writing with another artist, I really wanna make sure I’m telling their truest story. So, it’s a lot more discussion, it’s a lot more creating a relationship and bonding with that person. It’s really fun. It’s just definitely a different sort of thing.
How did you end up songwriting? Was it something you’ve always done/ knew you would do?
No, I actually sort of signed my first publishing deal without knowing what it was. I was living in New York, 20 years old, super reckless, just discovered punk music. I was flying back and forth to LA and making little EPs and mixtapes and putting them online on Dropbox or Mediafire, and somehow one of my mixtapes found its way to an A&R at universal who started taking me out to lunch and was like, Do you want to write for other artists? I was like, Sure, that sounds fun. I signed with Universal, and started writing with other artists. That’s not the path I thought my career would take, but I learned so much and made so many great relationships with producers over the past 8 years that I’ve been doing that. I definitely always want to keep doing that, but right now I’m just super focused on my story.
When did you decide you wanted to be up there performing your own music?
I kind of always have been. I’ve been performing since I was 7, and then when I moved to NY when I was 18, I was booking my own shows and making music and starting my artist project. I think when I moved to LA in 2016 I sort of fell into the underbelly of the songwriting world and was doing sessions every day for other artists. I would come home and be so energetically drained that I couldn’t work on my own project. At the top of 2018 I realized that I needed to flip that narrative and put more energy into the type of songs that I wanted to make.
I’m curious what your name comes from—Sizzy Rocket!
I wanted an iconic, like Ziggy Stardust name. The first song that I ever wrote for myself when I was like, you know what, I’m gonna be an artist, I wanna be iconic, I wanna be a punk rock star, was called Rocket, and then my real name is Sabrina. So I was playing around with Ziggy, Sabrina combinations, and then Sizzy Rocket just clicked.
Genre-wise you dip your toes in many pools: pop, punk, electronica… How would you define your own sound?
I think my sound is punk Lady Gaga with… I don’t know… I have no fucking clue… punk lady Gaga with hip hop 808s and glitter everywhere.
Love that. Did you do anything to celebrate pride on a personal level last month?
Yeah. I released “Grrrl”, my record, last year on the first day of pride, June 14th. So, this year, we had a little zoom concert with my fans. It was really cute. It obviously will never ever ever be the same as a real show, but it definitely felt like that same togetherness energy. So that was really nice. I miss them so, so much. The whole thing about Pride is community, so it’s hard to celebrate when you’re isolated. But I don’t know, I celebrate Pride every day by just being my truest self.
What can fans look forward to seeing from you this year?
A really, really tight, dope body of work. I don’t think they’re expecting this level of craft from me. I feel like with my last record, you can kind of hear the trepidation. I was sort of coming into my own skin and figuring it out, and there’s a lot of vulnerability. But this album is hard and fast and very sure of itself. A really dope body of work and some crazy visuals and a lot of flowers.
How are you spending this summer? Working hard or hardly working?
Kind of both. I wake up and work super hard and then I’m like okay, cool, it's 5 o’clock, I can start drinking wine, and then it’s hardly working. The balance is key.
office spoke with Nilo on quarantine, Black Lives Matter, Bruno Mars, and TikTok, making for an interview that could only be found from someone of his generation.
What’s good, Nilo?
Just cooking up! In the studio cooking every day!
How are you living these days?
It’s definitely been a bumpy road but getting through it! The past three months have been a huge time of self-reflection and growth, so now I'm feeling re-energized and re-inspired.
What have you been up to during quarantine?
Well for the first portion of quarantine I was literally moping around my house and playing hella video games all day, still have those days occasionally. I’ve been trying to stay informed and educated on the Black Lives Matter movement and using my voice and platform as an echo of the Black community. I’ve been learning a lot about the history of the culture that has made me the artist I am today and I want to show my support and solidarity always. These times have been so hard for the world but I feel it has really helped me to define the artist and person I want to be. I know what energy I want to give to the world, but in order to understand that shit you got to see the world for what it is first.
I liked your new single “Chico” a lot. Where do you get your style from?
Thanks, I appreciate that! Honestly I like pulling inspiration from every artform. I tend to watch films and draw a lot of influence from specific personas and characters. Chico is actually evoking the same persona and energy as Chico in Scarface. This is what it would sound like if Chico were to fall in love with some Griselda Blanco type girl.
I’m interested in how your story and your family have influenced your musical style?
I grew up dancing, acting and my family has always surrounded me with crazy music. My mom put me on 90s R&B and my dad was playing a lot of hip hop. I grew up listening to Lauryn Hill, SWV, Boyz 2 Men, a lot of New Edition. My mom was a salsa dancer too so I’ve always loved latinx music. Put on some Aventura and I’ll hit the smoothest Bachata you'll ever see. I swear. My dad was playing Pac, B.I.G., Jeezy, Gotti. My favorite song when I was three years old was ‘Poppin’ My Collar’ by Three 6 Mafia. My family gave me all the blueprints and helped me find my appreciation for not just the music, but art in all aspects.
Who are your biggest influences?
M.J., both Jackson and Jordan, James Brown, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Lee, Frank Ocean, Travis!
If you could work with anyone on a new single who would it be?
I’ve been fucking with The KID Laroi heavy, his melodies go insane. Maybe Bruno Mars. It would be crazy to do a song with a Toronto icon like Drake or the Weeknd. Regardless of who it is I’mma keep cooking up so that’s all that really matters to me.
It looks like you’ve been tapping into the TikTok market with your single 'She Like It' making it into a trend. What has that experience been like? Have you liked how people have been using the song?
It’s been fun! Especially since I can do my own dance and make TikToks now. My siblings are on it so I like to keep it fun on there. I love seeing all of the videos made to my track, it’s still crazy to me! It makes my heart so full.
Where are you going next? What kind of vibe can we expect from your next project?
I just want to keep creating the world of Nilo Blues with my next project. You can expect a lot of different energies. I’m a Filipino-Viet-Chinese Canadian with a Cuban step-dad, and have been surrounded by all types of lifestyles, personas, energy, whether that be positive or negative, and a whole lotta stories to tell. I don’t exactly know what to name that vibe yet because there’s so much to share with the world but we’re working on it.
The video was directed by Mortis Studio, the creatives behind music videos from Tame Impala, Earl Sweatshirt, and Siifu. Mortis Studio had this to say on WaveIQ and the making of “Chapel”:
“We had so much fun basically sitting in an empty studio with Wave and letting his energy do all the work. Dude was an unmatched pro and we probably could have walked away after the first run, but we sat around and played with ideas together and were able to catch some incredible moments. In post, we got to experiment with GAN computer learning for a few shots as well as play with some of our favorite FX. The song is fast and catchy so in the edit we tried to match the energy.”
The song erupted from an all-night session at legendary producer Rick Ruben’s “Shangri-La” studio in Malibu, the birthplace of many musical triumphs. The monstrous bass was provided by Passion Pit’s Nate Donmoyer and commanded in production perfection by Tim Anderson. The song, the video, and the vision, truly, is nothing short of a fixed moment in music history.
office sat down with Willaris. K and WaveIQ to speak on the experience and give us insight into what it was like to be a part of such a momentous occasion.
Left — Courtesy of WaveIQ
Right — Photo by Joshua Camp
I wanted to get right into it, what was the process behind devising this video?
Willaris. K—Well the song itself is different from anything I’d released before so I just wanted to do something completely different visually from what I'd done with past videos. All of the visuals for my LUSTRE EP were black and white and digital so I wanted this to juxtapose that and capture the rawness of ‘Chapel.’
WaveIQ—Mainly, I just wanted to make the visual a full energy blast as far as my performance. Going all in and being as energetic as the song itself.
What inspirations did you want to draw from?
Willaris. K—I used to watch Rage here in Australia every Saturday morning and loved the videos of the late 90s, early 2000s. But the main inspiration for me was wanting to incorporate color into the video to match the energy of the track.
WaveIQ—I really wanted to captivate those super energetic underground New York rap videos of the 90s, and really position my energy into it as if everything we were doing was as gritty and raw as that era.
What were the visual and written messages in the video getting at?
Willaris. K—The lyrics.
WaveIQ—Definitely the lyrics.
I also wanted to say congrats to Wave on the new album, I’ve been listening to it pretty nonstop. How has the reception been? I’m from the DMV myself so it’s nice to see one of our own popping off.
WaveIQ—I appreciate that man! It’s been insane. I literally just decided to release the album independently to showcase some of this music I had been harvesting for about four or five years, and the reactions from people have honestly blown me away. I never thought so many people would connect to what I create at this level.
You helped produce SYRE by Jaden, what was it like on an album that has been mythicized by Gen Zs?
WaveIQ—Jaden was honestly one of the first artists to ever reach out to me to work on stuff and I definitely appreciate all of the knowledge and things he taught me about being a part of the industry. It’s crazy because it seems so long ago but I look back on it and it’s also like every year since I had produced ‘Fallen’ for him and worked on that album, something major has happened in my career that constantly accelerates and adds to my story. It’s amazing.
What it was like to produce the track at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La?
It was amazing! Shangri-La is an incredible studio to work out of and it really helped build the energy of the song.
I also wanted to know a little about your process Willaris, how do you go about connecting the audio to the visual in your representations?
Willaris. K—The only idea I had coming into "Chapel" is that I wanted it to be colorful, twisted, aggressive, etc. to match the songs. I wanted it to represent the creative process behind the music which was basically a rave itself.
Now I wanted to ask you both about working with Mortis. A lot of greats have gone through that agency, what was the creative process like?
Willaris. K—Fast and efficient. They captured what "Chapel" is perfectly. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet them as I’m locked down in Melbourne but they nailed it!
WaveIQ—Working with them was sick, we were able to really create and work together to master what I believed Willaris really wanted as far as the video goes. Since he was in Australia and we shot it here in California, I really wanted to make sure everything was lined up to the point that when Willaris saw the video he saw the song come to life in the best way possible. I think Mortis did an incredible job with everything and it was a joy shooting with them.
How does it feel to be recognized by a studio that is so passionate about their projects?
Willaris. K—It’s amazing. I was a fan of their work before without realizing because I’d seen a video they’d done for Earl. When they came through with the treatment I was so psyched. Couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
WaveIQ—They are definitely super hands-on and creativity friendly. We played around with hundreds of ideas and ways of doing different shots, all for it to come out incredible!
Anything else y’all wanted to say?
Willaris. K—Thank you, stay safe, love.
WaveIQ—Let Go. Beat Hit The Tempo.
