Alice Gee | 03/10/2025

In a world where vulnerability and reinvention often collide, Izzy Escobar welcomes the shift and inspiration that influences her latest body of work, born from a time of heartbreak that transformed into a journey of radical self-discovery, joy and exploration. It’s a journey that saw Izzy cross an ocean solo into unfamiliar streets, but little did she know that the trip would ultimately see her delve deeper into her craft. The night of her London tour date, we catch up with Izzy backstage to hear the story that shaped her newest and most vulnerable project to date, the empowerment of turning pain into purpose and the influences behind a pivotal moment in her life – from London Jazz clubs to her father's love of music that helped define her sound.

HATC: What were the feelings and experiences that inspired you when writing your most recent work?

Izzy Escobar: I was dating a guy, and we were supposed to come to London together. He broke up with me a week before the trip, and I was so devastated, I was like, What am I going to do? It was the first time in my life where I was like, you know, what, I’m still going to book the flight and go by myself. I went on the trip alone and tried to have a session every single day and write music. The whole team worked so quickly to ensure there was a session every day with a different producer. And so, I spent that time in London, and it was so reflective. I was by myself in my own head, with my own thoughts. I didn't know anyone here, so I was going to sessions, writing some of the best music of my life, healing and working through the breakup as it happened. At the same time, I was also putting myself out there. I was going to Ronnie Scott's and putting myself on stage. I just made the best friends and some of the best musicians in my life. I feel like I rediscovered myself in many ways, and realised I had forgotten this part of me. London was a huge inspiration for this project.

HATC: I imagine it kind of felt like a full-circle moment.

Izzy Escobar: It was the most full-circle moment ever.

HATC: I feel like there is sometimes a beautiful shift in life where, even when moments can be brutal, they help shift your narrative and lead to moments of healing.

Izzy Escobar: I feel like, how else do you live? You can turn a bad situation into something positive or miserable. Either way, you still have to walk in your shoes every day. Somehow, you have to find a voice. I'm all about flipping a situation. Especially in intense situations. It turned out to be a great thing.

HATC: Especially finding part of your identity again, I think when you're attached to someone or something for a while, whatever it might be, it can feel like a lifeline to rediscover the missing parts. It must have felt really uplifting to discover communities who are passionate about things that you love, like Jazz.

Izzy Escobar: The thing I loved about the musicianship that I was witnessing in London was that no one was really staying within a box. Everyone really beats to their own drum, like sonically, and really just follows their authentic self. That's very much aligned with how I've always wanted to be, not only as an artist, but also as a person. I definitely took that with me when I went back to New York, and I thought it was really important to cut this whole record live. So everything you're hearing is live, the piano, drums.

HATC: Did you have any kind of conscious direction in writing, or was it more of a natural evolution?

Izzy Escobar: I would say the one conscious thing I was conscious of was my gut. I asked Danny, my manager, how he knows when he's done writing for the EP, since there's no book on this. It's my first time ever putting together a full project, and I've dreamt of doing it since I was a kid. I feel like these six songs that we chose, gut-wise, felt right. But lyrically, we also pushed so hard for them to feel really truthful, raw, and authentic. So I just followed my gut.

HATC: Sometimes it’s really hard to know when to leave it alone and let it be.

Izzy Escobar: That was a huge part of this project, because, for example, I had written Vendetta over a year ago. I brought it to Greg Weber, who produced much of the record. We were like, "How do we keep this sounding like piano and vocals but expand on it?" I wanted to make sure it sounded like the original track without overdoing it. That was a huge conversation throughout the whole EP. I love strong vocals and a single instrument. They are intimate moments, but at the same time, I always want these tracks to build and grow and have a life with their own, so that was definitely an interesting conversation about this process, thinking, when do we stop? How do we still keep it authentic to its original self?

HATC: Speaking of Vendetta, it has grown and taken on a world of its own. What do you think about the track that that resonated with so many people from so many

Izzy Escobar: I'm actually not totally sure, but if I had to take a guess, at least for me, I would say it leaves me feeling very empowered, rather than sad about the situation, once again, this idea of flipping a narrative. The song is about getting cheated on; we've all been betrayed. And betrayal, to me, has been one of the most difficult emotions to work through throughout my life. I remember seeing a piano, and something clicked, and I thought I'm finally ready to talk about it. This just came out in a stream-of-consciousness. It's a real situation, and any person can relate to feeling betrayed in a relationship. But I think it's important that I take an empowering lens, rather than being so overwhelmed by sadness.

HATC: How have cultural influences from growing up become part of your music and its identity?

Izzy Escobar: I grew up around every genre of music, and I think that inspires me. I grew up playing classical violin, but my dad’s from Havana, Cuba, and he was also a DJ. He would spin everything like 80s, Latin, you name it, we had every genre in the house. I think subconsciously, now when I look back, I’m so glad. You wonder if that would really influence me that much when I was a kid? But it did, I stepped into every genre. So I like to bring that into my music. I am just a lover of all things music.