Izo FitzRoy (née Isobel FitzRoy) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician.
Izo FitzRoy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Isobel FitzRoy |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2017–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Soul |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano |
| Labels |
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| Website | izofitzroy.com |
Early life
editIzo FitzRoy grew up in a Catholic family. She began to play piano at the age of seven - her grandfather was a jazz pianist. She was the youngest of five children and listened a lot to Bill Withers, Otis Redding, James Brown and Janis Joplin.[1][2]
At the age of 19, she joined the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir as a singer in London and then founded the Great Sea Gospel Choir. She also sang with other bands like the St Joan of Arc' Gospel Choir. She studied at University of Glasgow and wrote her first songs with comic lyrics and recorded them on a couple of EPs. Then she went to New Orleans for several months and sang with Jon Cleary and his band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen.[3][4] Izo FitzRoy said she was not particularly religious but she liked singing gospel : "gospel is about singing to something bigger than yourself. It takes you out of the humdrum of every day, and makes you hopeful and grateful".[2]
Career
editIn 2017 she released her first album Skyline produced by Dr. Rubberfunk mixing soul, funk, blues and gospel and talked about Hurricane Katrina and xenophobia.[3][5]
In 2020 the second album How The Mighty Fall was edited, recorded at Paris, London and Sheffield with different producers : Dimitri from Paris, Shawn Lee, Colin Elliott and different bands : Haggis Horns and Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir.[6] Her voice was compared to Janis Joplin and had more flexibility in her range after a surgery.[1] Written after a break-up, this album was more personal and autobiographical.[7][2] How The Mighty Fall was more versatile than the first album always rooted in soul and gospel but also with disco.[8] The singer had earned her airplay on renowned stations like BBC, NPR, FIP and Jazz Radio. These stations declared that she was being one of the top soul music and dance music singers to come on the scene in years[9][10][11][12] The album was nominated for Prix Soul of the Académie du Jazz.[13]
In 2023, Izo FitzRoy released her third album A Good Woman produced by Oscar De Jong (Kraak & Smaak). The main subject was about being a woman in a male-dominated society. She also worked with her band and the choir and again opened her music to rock, pop and bossa nova. The title God Gets A Little Busy Sometimes was inspired by the Murder of Sarah Everard by a policeman in London and the singer wanted to talk about feeling unsafe as a woman.[14][15][16]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Skyline (2017)
- How The Mighty Fall (2020)
- A Good Woman (2023)
Collaborations
edit- Hope You Can Wait with Crazy P (2017)
- You're Gone with Smoove & Turrell (2018)
- Sweet Time with Kraak & Smaak (2019)
Awards
edit- Académie du Jazz 2020 : Nomination for Prix Soul for How The Mighty Fall
References
edit- ^ a b Izo FitzRoy. Nine songs, thelineofbestfit.com, September 29, 2023
- ^ a b c Izo FitzRoy – How The Mighty Fall, westcoastsoul.de, March 14, 2023
- ^ a b Skylin Par Izo FitzRoy, Radio France, April 1, 2017
- ^ IZO FITZROY: A PERFECT FITZ, Blues & Soul, November 8, 2019
- ^ IZO FITZROY: 229 CLUB, LONDON 15/02/2017, Blues & Soul, February 15, 2017
- ^ Izo FitzRoy, How The Mighty Fall, soulbag.fr, May 4, 2020
- ^ "Red Line", le groove irrésistible d'Izo FitzRoy, Radio France, February 28, 2020
- ^ Sélection albums : Les Métaboles, Izo Fitzroy, Sophie Alour, Pearl Jam et Melingo, Le Monde, March 27, 2020
- ^ Izo FitzRoy - Keep Your Light On Me (Later with Jools Holland), BBC, November 4, 2020
- ^ Paul Tickell and Izo Fitzroy, BBC, July 22, 2016
- ^ Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing, NPR, September 24, 2016
- ^ Izo FitzRoy présente son voyage spirituel, Jazz Radio, May 8, 2023
- ^ Jazz Culture : Académie du Jazz 2020, Radio France, December 3, 2021
- ^ Izo FitzRoy’s ‘Give Me the High’ Is A Soulful Ode To New Love, Clash, February 28, 2023
- ^ A Good Woman – Interview with Izo FitzRoy, westcoastsoul.de, May 4, 2023
- ^ "A Good Woman" : retour aux origines soul d’Izo FitzRoy, Radio Nova, May 4, 2023
