Izzy Mahoubi on Her Latest Single “Hang Around”
Where indie pop conspires with folk tones, “Hang Around” is found. 17 year old Izzy Mahoubi is a rising artist dedicated to her craft. Based in Arizona, she has jumped fully into the role of pursuing music full time since graduating highschool. She anticipates to release an EP in the beginning of 2023, prefaced by two more singles by the end of this year. Her latest single, “Hang Around,” which was released on October 21st, comprises an air of hope that is narrated by her soft, melodic vocals and lighthearted instrumentals. Unpublished got to talk with Mahoubi about the new single, along with discussing her future aspirations.
[UNPUBLISHED]: For those who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your sound?
[IZZY]: I would say it's kind of like feel good indie pop. I trace a lot of influences from different genres like jazz and blues and alt and things like that. But it's just at the end of the day, just some good old honest music.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Can you give us some background on the start of your career?
[IZZY]: So I started writing songs when I was 11 and taking guitar lessons. I took a trip to Nashville, just to visit some friends. I didn't even know Nashville was like a place where people went to play music. So then I fell in love with that and I started writing my own songs and performing a lot and basically just gigged anywhere I could for like six years. When COVID happened, I started playing with a band and we have just been gigging around Arizona. And yeah, that's kind of where I'm at now. I'm about to put out music that I've been working on for a very long time.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You mentioned touring with some bands, do you have a favorite place that you have performed at?
[IZZY]: We played this one gig at the Marquee a couple weeks ago. It was my favorite just because so many of my friends and family were there and it was just so sweet.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Any memorable moments that night?
[IZZY]: It was so good. It was kind of a blur, the band I opened for was incredible. Just like being in the greenroom and looking around at my band I was like, "This is crazy. Like, this is the most fun thing ever." So it was just a very, like, "remember this moment" sort of moment. So that was really cool.
[UNPUBLISHED]: As an artist, what does your creative process look like when approaching music?
[IZZY]: I like to be consistently writing. If it's not lyrics, just poetry or try to free verse. Like saying gibberish and stuff just because I found I'm the most creative when there's no sort of boundaries or no sort of like, "oh, I want to write a love song today." Just when anything can come out or after I watch a really inspiring movie or read a book that's really good I'm at my creative peak. I listened to Taylor Swift's album and I was like "okay, let's write." I find other people's art super inspiring to create.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You just released your single “Hang Around.” Congrats! How does it feel to have it out?
[IZZY]: It feels kind of crazy. I wrote that song so long ago during quarantine and now that it's out, it just feels good. It feels like the start of a new era for my music. Especially as an artist, I feel like I'm starting. So that's really exciting.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What was your inspiration for the song?
[IZZY]: Like I said, I wrote it in quarantine. My friend group was kinda like, we couldn't see each other. We were sad. So I kind of wanted to write a story like it was towards the end of high school. I wanted to write about manifesting some different life that wasn't my own. Which, you know, everybody loves to do from time to time. So I just say I wanted to not be in quarantine. I wanted to just be enjoying life.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Do you have a favorite lyric from the song?
[IZZY]: I love in the second verse I say "you've been sneaking out to California towns and you know I'm right there with you, let's take a long vacation" because there's a little dramatic hit with a little bass moment. And I just love that little bass moment with the lyrics. I think It's super fun.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The last single you released was "Easy Come Don't Go." It was released nearly a year ago. What have you learned or experienced in the past year?
[IZZY]: So much. I'd say I've written so many songs from that point. It was kind of at the end of my senior year where I was like, "Okay, I want to pursue music full time and I want this to be my career." So just being able to find my voice as a songwriter and as an artist and a musician has been my main goal since then. And for this year to build a catalog of music I'm super proud of and is super indicative of where I'm at now. You know, because I wrote and released songs of when I was coming out of middle school into my early years of high school. You don't really know much then so I feel like now, finally, kind of experiencing the fullness of being a full time musician.
[UNPUBLISHED]: When you were in high school, was it difficult to balance music with school?
[IZZY]: That was definitely the hardest thing ever. I'm not in college right now, so this is like a full time everyday thing. I couldn't imagine doing both for the time being. But when I was in high school, it was nearly impossible. You know, you have to dedicate some time to school sadly.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Who are some artists that inspire you, and what have you been listening to lately?
[IZZY]: I love Maggie Rogers, obviously Taylor Swift and Lorde and The Beatles and Amy Winehouse. I just really like strong storytellers. There's so many women I feel like that are really inspiring to look up to as a young female artist that just had no boundaries when it came to making music. But lately I've been listening to a lot of Taylor Swift, and a lot of The Lumineers. I really like Daniel Nunnelee, found him on Tik Tok. Great. Honestly, a lot of folk music lately.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Do you have any goals for the upcoming year?
[IZZY]: I kind of look at things in school years, I don't look at them as starting in January because I've always found that so confusing. I'm like, "Why doesn't it all work at the same time?" But, my main goal was just to write as many songs as I can. I had a minimum of like 100 songs and releasing a catalog and kind of developing as an artist. That's like my main goal.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Outside of music, what have you been up to in day to day life?
[IZZY]: A lot of social media. I've never used to put in a lot of time or effort into Tik Tok or Instagram and now I'm like, "this is a full time thing in itself." So, a lot of that. But that's very not fulfilling in a day to day musician. So, I try to center it around, creating and then the business side.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are your next steps? Can we expect an EP or possible album in the future? What does the future look like for Izzy?
[IZZY]: So much new music, I am releasing two more singles before the year is over and then an EP in the beginning, early of 2023. So, that's exciting. I've never released a full body of work before. So, that feels super cathartic to take your work that you've just been working on, that's kind of encapsulated the past three years of your life and put it into something as a body of work. I've always been like, "singles only." So now that's really exciting.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What can people expect from the EP?
[IZZY]: There was one song I wrote a couple months ago and I wrote it after watching Bonnie and Clyde. I felt super dramatic and inspired and I was just thinking about how throughout life, people always tell you what your capabilities are and what you can achieve, no matter where you are, who you are, whatever. And I think once you stop literally listening to that or giving that any attention, you can literally do whatever you want, which is very cheesy. But that's my main thing, especially for this EP, is just learning that you really are as powerful as you let yourself be.
