[FEATURE] VIPER PRESENTS: LYZA JANE

Rising London vocalist Lyza Jane follows up her brand-new EP ‘Something In The Rye’ with this VIPER presents interview. Get familiar…

What five words define your sound?

Atmospheric Trip-Pop For Midnight Listeners.

Tell me something unique about your creative process 

Most of the time I like to create the music and write the lyrics simultaneously. I often discard my beat and get someone else to build something fresh around my vocals, but It’s like I need to have started something myself to inspire the melody and lyrics.

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

‘Up Above’

What inspired you to make that song? 

It’s about the distance life creates between friendships and the unfamiliarity that can come from trying to immerse yourself back into something you’ve unintentionally become distanced from. I was living in Somerset at the time and had gotten very comfortable with solitude so I think that’s where my mind was at. But more than anything I was particularly inspired by the music. It was a rare occasion where I didn’t want to touch the beat, what came out fit into all the pockets of the track just as I wanted it to.

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music? 

I’d say my most recent release. The track ‘Everyday’ set the tone for the project and is about losing touch with something you love, that feeling where you’re not sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing; and yet that same thing is the only thing you really enjoy or know how to do. ‘Last One Up’ is a continuation of this. It’s essentially about persistence & the battle between an urge to give up on something but not allowing yourself to let go.

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage? 

The best experience would be Jazz Cafe in 2021. It was the first time I had a crowd sing along with me – an unforgettable feeling. The worst is probably when I developed nodules after many late night shows when I used to sing with The Alabama 3. I had a Saturday slot at Glastonbury one year and had to sing after three late nights, I sang and literally no sound came out.

What is your favourite song to perform? 

Whatever’s newest, it’s exciting to share something that’s fresh. 

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music? 

Tricky, ‘Maxinquaye’. It changed everything for me. It was so different to anything I’d heard before and made me realise you don’t need to follow a structure. Music can be whatever you want it to be. 

What’s the meaning behind your name? 

It’s actually just my name. 

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead? 

Running a recording studio, I still want to do this. 

What’s success to you? 

Enjoying what you do.

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction? 

I don’t remember ever “changing direction,” I think I just took a few pit stops on route.

Where can people keep in touch with you?

IG: @lyza.jane_

TikTok: @lyza.jane_

YouTube: lyza jane