What are your names?
Fiona Sweeney and Isabelle Miller
What is the band’s name?
FIIZ
How did you come up with the band’s name?
It’s a play on both of our nicknames- FI and IZ, just smashed together. We liked how it pops like bubbles, prosecco, and fun.
What is your genre of music?
Electro-Pop/Dance
Give us a little bio about you.
Hailing from the diverse and kinetic music scene of Brooklyn, New York, FIIZ is an electropop duo transforming the contemporary pop landscape with its genre-defying sound and empowering storytelling. Composed of two best friends, Fiona and Isabelle, FIIZ emanates an enchanting energy that results in mesmerizing and immersive sonic adventures. FIIZ was born out of the bond between Fiona and Isabelle and their shared experiences during quarantine. The duo’s music delves into their dual perspectives, resulting in rich, authentic narratives that resonate with many. Their captivating blend of pulsating beats, ethereal synths, and immersive vocals offer a unique take on electropop that stands as a testament to their shared creativity and fearlessness. Their recent musical explorations have seen a shift towards a more concentrated electronic-pop sound. By incorporating elements of hyperpop and EDM, FIIZ takes listeners on a journey through uncharted sonic territories, challenging norms, and pushing boundaries. Their work is produced by Sietse Fase, a producer from the Netherlands was trained under the same tutelage as Martin Garrix. Driven by its authenticity and unique vision, FIIZ serves as a vessel for raw, unfiltered emotions. Their music isn’t merely a listening experience; it’s an immersive exploration of emotion and identity that leaves listeners spellbound and eager for more.
What made you go into music?
Music has definitely always been a thread of our lives. We started making music as a way of processing all of the life things we were going through in 2020. We graduated with a musical theatre degree in the dead of COVID and like many, we no longer had structure and stability. Family dynamics were shifting in a really ugly way, a lot of self-discovery was happening so we wrote as a way to heal and escape. We never stopped because it just made so much sense to us.
Who are your influences?
We have such a wide scope of people who have influenced our sound because we listen to pretty much everything, from One Direction, Edith Piaf to GRiZ, B-52’s, to Labrinth. We both grew up listening to everything from 70’s folk, disco, 80s rock and musicals. For this EP we pulled a lot of inspiration from Tove Lo ‘Dirt Femme’, ‘WET TENNIS’, Sofi Tukker, ‘ENDORPHINS’, Evan Giia, ‘IN A DREAM’, Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, MEMBA, Flume, and honestly a lot of movie soundtracks (anything Hans Zimmer, Joel J. Richard, Howard Shore).
Are you signed?
Not yet!
You released your new single ‘Lungs’, tell us more about the single and the meaning behind the song.
To put it plainly, I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic. I was writing a song to ask a girl to be my girlfriend after our third date. Lungs is actually a condensed version of like 3 long pages of diary entries and poetry. However, she broke things off soon after and I decided to finish the song for catharsis. I was devastated, but sent it to Iz for feedback and she was like, “what if….we rewrite it for FIIZ. Let’s get this girl’s name out of the song and make it ours”. -Fiona
Describe the track in two words.
OVERWHELMING INFATUATION
What was the writing and recording process like?
Fiona first sent me a demo when it was written as a gift for a girl she was dating. The song is almost unrecognizable now. Originally it was an R&B love song produced by Fi’s brother Noah. At that point, I was inspired to write a new chorus so we discussed the potential of making two songs, one as the gift and another as a FIIZ song to release. However, when things didn’t work out in that relationship we went in and gutted the whole thing with our producer months later. We sent him the rewritten demo and started having virtual sessions- we’re in a long-distance producer/artist relationship now. Once we had the new track with a different angle and sound we wrote even more. -Isabelle
Who did you work with on the single?
The first draft we did with my brother, Noah. We then spent some time producing it on our own before we sent the demo to our producer Sietse Fase. He reworked the whole track while we finished writing.
Will we see a music video for ‘Lungs’, and if so, what can we expect from the creative process?
Probably not, we’re planning a music video for another track from our EP. Who knows though, we’ve always got some sort of multimedia idea up our sleeve and if the song really resonates with an audience we’re always looking to advance the world of our music.
Will we see an EP or Album and if so, what can we expect from the creative process?
Yes, “Lungs” is from our debut EP, Nightcap. You can expect something…otherworldly.
Describe each song in two words.
Pregame- PARTY BOUNCEAlien Chant- SHROOM TRIP
All My Worlds- SUMMONING ENLIGHTENMENT
Lungs- OVERWHELMING INFATUATION
Hyperventilate- WHIMSICAL DANCE
Phantom Limb- HAUNTING LOSS
Nightcap- A RECKONING
Do you have any live shows coming up?
Not yet, we’re hoping to start performing our EP closer to the release of the whole piece. Our main goal with this EP is that it would allow us to tell a full story in 20 minutes. However, we do Dj every other Thursday at Tipsy Dogs Bar in Bushwick. Stop in for a dance, drink or even just to say hi!
What else can we expect in late 2023?
More singles off the EP, the full EP, and a sick live performance for its release! We’ve got some collaborations cooking and a music video as well.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
We’ll finally have kicked the restaurant work and be doing the rounds of live shows and festivals. Our dream is to be based in London, and continue to work in the European music scene while touring and traveling. We have some wicked albums planned out for the future, and a lot of dream collaborations. We also really want to bring our acting back into the fold and do a mini-series or a horror movie that we can write music for and act in.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
When we were quarantining together, we would spend so much time outside watching Fiona’s dad (Brian) and Noah playing basketball. We’d pretend we were at a huge tournament, wear Noah’s old high school jerseys, blast music, make posters, etc. We came across an old t-shirt that said, “Nobody believed in us except for us”. At first, we found it ridiculous and hilarious. We would say it to each other ironically and sarcastically but over the past three years, it really stuck. There is something to be said for unabashed resilience and confidence.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Coconut water, Noah (he’s our sound and hype man), lip gloss, our equipment, and a beer and a shot combo.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
On instagram
On Tik Tok
