Meet STiRZY | Artist & Singer-Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with STiRZY and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi STiRZY, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’d rather die than not express myself. Perhaps that’s a little crass, but if I’m not creating, whether it be writing, recording, or performing on stage, I don’t feel present; I don’t feel alive. I obviously made the conscious choice to pursue a career in music, but at the same time it feels like I didn’t have a choice, I had to do in, had to go after my dreams in order to stay alive.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an artist & singer-songwriter, I think my greatest strength is my ability to perform and connect with an audience. I was trained in theatre my entire life and graduated from acting school a few years ago. People come to my shows and tell my afterwards that they were so caught up in the energy that they forgot about their insecurities, and were able to let go and dance and be in the moment. I’ve heard that my shows are liberating and healing, and I believe it’s because when I’m performing, I hold nothing back, and I’m really proud of the fact that even at an early stage in my career, people are excited about and moved by my art.

And although it’s just the beginning, the road so far has *not* been easy. I’ve had to overcome a lot of mental issues and emotional struggles; I’ve had to learn to stand up and advocate for myself; I’ve had to take risk after risk after risk, even at the points where I felt too burned out or exhausted to continue.

It would be a lie to say that I’m not still struggling or I don’t have days where I doubt if I can make this work, but I just acknowledge the doubt and say “it’s not going to stop me.” I think as an artist the most important thing you can learn is how to be incredibly ruthless in the most loving way possible. Like, you’ve got to do everything you can think of and then more in order to push yourself and grow and get yourself out there, but you can’t do it out of jealousy or from a place of self-criticism. It has to come from a place of such genuine joy and passion for what you’re doing, and a sense of excitement about what *other* people are doing — that’s when magic happens, and suddenly, you find yourself surrounded by like-minded people who become your support system and community, or you solidly your sound, or you write that one song that changes everything (still waiting for that one, though!)

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Venice Beach, so first of all, I would make sure to schedule in at least one beach day. I have two dogs, and I always take them to the beach at sunset, so if someone were visiting me I would one hundred percent drag them with me every night to walk the dogs at sunset, because they’re *stunning.* Every night. Without fail.

I would definitely take them down Abbot Kinney and explore the Canals. Venice has so many cool, quirky places to discover; I’ve been here two years and I still stumble across surprises every day. I’d probably force my friend to go on a walk with me and bring the dogs; Venice is incredibly dog-friendly; at this point all the stores know us and my pups get treats every time we go out (it’s always trick-or-treat for them). I’d either stop to eat at Great White or Cafe Gratitude (I’m vegan; Cafe Gratitude is a staple in my life.)

Besides Venice, West Hollywood is where I spend most of my time, between gigs and rehearsals and stuff like that. I’d take them to the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, and bring them to a show at the Viper Room or The Whisky A Go Go. Those are some of my favorite venues I’ve played at, and they’re filled with so much music history it makes my head spin. While in West Hollywood, I’d take them down Melrose; one of my favorite stores is called “American Rebel,” and I’ve gotten some of the coolest outfits there. A few blocks down from there. there’s a tattoo studio called Ethos Art Haus that has the best atmosphere and some of the most talented artists. I’ve only gotten one tattoo there, but it was such an amazing experience that I cannot wait to go again. It was really cool to be getting the ink and see how supportive all the artists were of each other; they were coming over constantly to check and see how it was coming along. As a vegan, if we were out in West Hollywood, I’d take them to Crossroads Kitchen for dinner (best vegan restaurant in the world, probably). Their vegan bolognese? To die for.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, hands-down. I’m so fortunate to not only have parents that are accepting and supportive of my career path, but are actively engaged and enthusiastic about it. My mom loves coming to my shows and helping me hand-design my merch, and my dad is so sweet, always trying to come up with ideas for shows or ideas for social media, or just how to get my music out there. Having a support system — whether it be family, friends, or some combination thereof — is crucial for anyone, but especially an artist.

Website: https://beacons.ai/stirzy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stirzymusic/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/G-sKRE0LJkw?si=rzgBce9HlfnEQUkZ

Image Credits
Alli Parra Dylan Chant