We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ize Ryan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ize, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My love for music stems from the music my father would introduce me to. As a kid I would watch the KISS Alive DVDs, listen to Ozzy Osbourne’s LIVE & LOUD; a lot of Queen, live Dave Matthews would blast through the house. Slipknot’s 9.0 Live was one of my favorite live albums as a child, too. From Iron Maiden to Mötley Crüe & Alice In Chains, a lot of my passion and inspiration is accredited to him; and I believe it shows in our music, especially with what the other 4 guys in the band bring to the table.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I joined my first band as a bassist when I was 16. Just your average high school garage rock band. Since then I’d moved on to play bass for a couple more projects; about 3 or 4 of them until Not My Vice formed in 2018 with guitarists Alec Smallwood and Josh Fraley. We had a vocalist and a drummer, and at first, I would be our bassist. After losing our singer, it was decided we’d move on with myself on vocals and we’d find someone to play bass. By 2022, after a few lineup changes, we’d found the right guys to play bass and drums: Jose Fuentes and Jeff Smith.
We are a Hard Rock & Roll band with breakneck, high-energy live performances. Our new single “You Didn’t Have To Say It” drops June 23rd, 2023 on all platforms. We believe the organic shift from our first album to this next single will show each of us in our rawest, most visceral form.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Our goal is to show people a level of intensity in Rock and Roll that hasn’t been seen by the new generation. We want to unite our local scene and show the world how many quality bands and musicians come from the DMV.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Waking up every day with something new to work on is the most rewarding aspect of being in Not My Vice. From writing and performing to meeting and connecting with new people, this band is my life and I love the brothers I have alongside me.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/notmyvice
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/notmyvice
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/notmyvice
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/notmyvice
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@notmyvice9489
Image Credits
Jordan Dunnuck Ize Ryan