Getting to Know Izzy Imamura

Izzy Imamura is a rising star in New York City’s indie pop scene, known for her soulful songwriting and compelling presence on stage and screen. Her acclaimed EP, “On the Playground” (May 2024), showcases Izzy’s signature sound rooted in her early passion for musical theatre and honed at NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts (BFA, Drama). Izzy’s infectious singles, including “Anything at All,” “If I Loved You,” and her forthcoming track “Shade of Green” (out August 15th with an official music video), have cemented her as one to watch. 

As an actress, Izzy starred in the feature film “Strangers to Strangers” and delivered a standout performance as Ilse in “Spring Awakening” at Tisch New Theater. Off-stage, she’s a dedicated community advocate, volunteering with New York’s Bowery Mission Center and co-producing the benefit concert “Songs That Saved My Life” at 54 Below in support of mental health initiatives via Aevidum. Creative beyond music and acting, Izzy enjoys painting, baking, and playing ice hockey. With her compelling artistry and commitment to making a difference, Izzy Imamura is poised for a major impact in the worlds of music, film, and beyond. 

WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER, IZZY IMAMURA! FOR THOSE MEETING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST AND PERFORMER?
Hi! Thanks so much for having me! I’m definitely a singer-songwriter first. Writing and creating has always been such an incredible outlet for me, as well as singing. I’ve been singing for as long as I could talk, and I couldn’t imagine life without it. I love getting up on a stage and sharing my own creations with people, and seeing who connects with that! I also have a love for acting, especially comedy. Doing comedy was never something I thought of doing seriously when I was in school, however, I absolutely love it now! I’m even writing a comedic web-series with two of my friends that I’m really excited about!

YOUR EP “ON THE PLAYGROUND” RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK. WHAT INSPIRED THE STORIES AND EMOTIONS BEHIND THAT PROJECT?
I would say all of those songs are special in their own way, but they all go back to childhood and growing up. Whether it’s missing your childhood home, or falling in love with someone for the first time, having your heartbroken for the first time, or feeling grateful for your childhood best friend, they all encapsulate that feeling of nostalgia. I think it’s why people connect to it so much, because, especially post-Covid, I think we were all in a period of feeling nostalgic for the things we used to have. I mean, I definitely learned to never take anything for granted.

YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN MUSICAL THEATRE AND TRAINED AT NYU TISCH. HOW HAS YOUR THEATRE EXPERIENCE SHAPED YOUR SONGWRITING AND STAGE PRESENCE?
It definitely made me more confident to get on a stage, however, I couldn’t have accounted for how nerve-racking it is to share your own work. It’s a whole other ball game, really. There’s something about sharing and expressing your own true feelings that can be really scary, but I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at calming the nerves and knowing that it’s really not for me when I get on stage, but for the people listening. And that really helps me, when I know that something I sing or a specific lyric might affect somebody, I remember why I’m doing it in the first place.

YOUR SINGLE “SHADE OF GREEN” IS SET TO RELEASE SOON. WHAT CAN LISTENERS EXPECT FROM THIS NEW TRACK AND ITS MUSIC VIDEO?
“Shade of Green” is actually already out, as well as the music video! You should be able to stream it anywhere, but if you follow me on Instagram @izzyimamura, that’s where I have the majority of my updates for my music! I’m currently recording my next album, so stay tuned!

YOU RECENTLY PERFORMED AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE, AND HOW DID IT DIFFER FROM YOUR USUAL PERFORMANCES?
It was really fun! I’ve never really been involved in anything fashion related, so it was really cool to see some of the shows as a perk of performing. I ended up performing with my boyfriend, Max Bartos, unexpectedly, due to not having a mic stand for my guitar and vocals. So I held the mic while he played the guitar, and it actually worked out pretty well! I always love playing with him so it was a nice treat, despite being unplanned.

YOU’RE ALSO AN ACTRESS, WITH ROLES IN “STRANGERS TO STRANGERS” AND “SPRING AWAKENING”. HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR MUSIC CAREER WITH ACTING?
Well, I actually think those two projects were able to coincide with my music, so it worked out quite well! With the movie, they ended up asking me to write a song for the last scene and be a part of the music creation for the entire movie, which was something I had no experience in at the time. I really enjoyed scoring! And for “Spring Awakening”, I got to sing and perform a dream role of mine, which inevitably inspired me in my own music creation! 

YOUR COMMUNITY WORK, ESPECIALLY WITH BOWERY MISSION AND THE 54 BELOW BENEFIT CONCERT, STANDS OUT. WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY?
I think it’s always good to give back to your community. If you have the time, then why not? I’m passionate about mental health advocacy, as well as social advocacy, so it just feels good to help people who need it most.

AS SOMEONE EMERGING IN NYC’S INDIE POP SCENE, WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR?
I think just keeping in mind that everything takes time. It’s easy to think that you’re not getting anywhere in this career, but it really just takes time, motivation and hard work to get to where you want to be. I believe that as long as I keep a positive mindset and continue to believe in myself, then other people will too. I’m happy with where I am now, so I can only go up from here. It’s all a mindset!

YOUR MUSIC HAS A VERY EMOTIONAL AND SOULFUL QUALITY. WHAT INFLUENCES, MUSICAL OR PERSONAL, SHAPE YOUR SOUND THE MOST?
Thank you! I am a huge Joni Mitchell fan. Her songwriting inspires me every day. I also love Lizzy McAlpine, Maggie Rogers, Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, there are so many artists that inspire me. I think every artist is a creation of all the artists they admire that came before them. So in my own creation of music, I think about what I love about my idols, and create my own unique sound from that.

OUTSIDE OF PERFORMING, YOU PAINT, BAKE, AND EVEN PLAY ICE HOCKEY. HOW DO THESE CREATIVE OUTLETS AND HOBBIES INFLUENCE YOUR ARTISTIC LIFE?
I think it’s important to have many hobbies. I hate feeling stuck or in a rut. I grew up playing ice hockey, so it’s one of those things that I can do that I don’t have to think about. It’s a really nice physical outlet to have to get into my body. And obviously I love creating so painting and baking can be really fun in that way that’s outside of music. It’s important for my mental health to have these other outlets!