Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Izzy Imamura. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Izzy, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

Anyone who knows me knows that my hero is my mama. My parents split when I was little, leaving my mom to raise me and my two older sisters almost completely on her own (while also working a full time job to pay the bills). She has sacrificed so much for me and my sisters to make sure we grew up to be good people. I don’t really think I understood how hard it was for her until this last year, when I started nannying for three little girls here in New York as my day job. The funny thing is that they are all the same ages that my sisters and I were when my dad left, which is super mind-boggling. I am only getting a glimpse of what my mom had to deal with, but I appreciate her so much more for it. Child-care is not an easy job, being a mom is not an easy job. My mom has always supported me in my music and acting career (I think she’s legitimately my number 1 fan). She taught me to be resilient, no matter how hard life gets. She taught me to live my life with kindness and grace for others. And she taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind to, as long as my intentions are from the heart.

Izzy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born in Toyko, Japan but grew up in Dillon, Colorado. I’ve always loved to sing ever since I was a little girl, specifically with my older sister, Sophie, who would force me to sing harmonies for her photo booth videos on our family computer (just normal older sister things). I loved singing with her growing up, and she is actually in Nashville now, pursuing her dream as a pop-country singer!
I started in musical theater when I was in seventh grade and absolutely fell in love with the stage. I applied for (too many) drama programs and ended up getting into the New Studio on Broadway at NYU Tisch! Moving to New York was not what I expected at first. Especially because it was during the COVID years, meaning everything was shut down and I was taking ballet and vocal performance classes in my tiny dorm room, due to the social distancing restrictions. Writing became an outlet for me during this time. I eventually bought my first guitar my Sophmore year, which opened up a whole new world for me. I had always played piano, but writing songs with my guitar seemed to come more naturally. I fell in love with song-writing. I fell in love with creatives such as Joni Mitchell, Lizzy McAlpine, Phoebe Bridgers, Maggie Rogers, so many amazing female song-writers to learn from.
In my Senior year, I finally decided to release my first song “Anything At All”, which was all about the first time I returned to my hometown after being away and realizing how much I have changed and grown since living in Colorado. Apparently this song touched a lot of people’s hearts in a way where they were able to relate to this feeling. Since then, I released my first EP, “On The Playground” and have continued to write and perform with my band “First Name Basis” all around the city. I discovered a new kind of love for performing on a stage again. I truly believe that song-writing has changed my life, and I feel so grateful to have something I feel so passionate about. My hope is to continue to touch people with my lyrics through shared experiences!
Other than songwriting, I am also still very passionate about theater and film! My first lead in a feature film, “Strangers To Strangers” just premiered back in April, and I hope to continue my acting career as well as my singing career. I’m performing all around the city and am working on my next few singles right now! We actually just shot a music video for my next single “Shade Of Green” which will be released in August! This was an exciting project for me because I was able to put my two loves, film and music, in to one. I’m so excited to share it! My next live show will be at Berlin Underground on July 20th, and I’ll be playing with my band!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I am an independent artist, meaning I am not currently signed to a record company to fund my creative endevours. This also means that I have a million jobs just to stay afloat. I am truly living the struggling artist in New York lifestyle! Which is really hard at times, but also really fun and exciting (at least that’s what I tell myself haha). I’ve only been out of school for a year now, so I am still very much figuring out the system. I have been able to make enough money at my day jobs to fund my music career on my own for the time being. Though, playing gigs frequently and starting a gofundme has also helped me a little more! I feel really lucky to have people in my life that want to support me with some of my projects. I think things started to change for me when I started to think of myself as a business, investing in myself with anything I can and not giving up.
It’s really hard to make money as a musician nowadays. There is very little income that comes with streaming, even for the big time artists. Most of the money that artists make are from merch sales and playing live shows. I guess all I can do right now is find the people who believe in my music and want to support me by coming to my shows. And eventually, maybe I can quit my day jobs and do music full time! Either way, as long as I am able to write music and have good people around me, I’ll be happy.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are sooo many books I could recommend for any musician who wants to be financially successful, but the best one I have to say would be “All You Need To Know About The Music Business” by Donald S. Passman. It’s in the name, but it is basically a dummies guide to the music industry. The author is so brilliant at writing in a way that is entertaining and very understandable to anyone who is just starting out or has been in the business for a while. It taught me to treat myself as a business and everything that comes with that, and explains the beast that is the music industry, breaking down all of its parts / all of the people involved in building a successful artist. It truly made me into the business woman I am today and I actually just started re-reading it. Highly recommend!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://izzyimamura.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izzyimamura/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCufFKVdXucQuZ_bObJQ80fA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2AnoOmX2ovdq7tFY0wGWYK?si=ni2tXAlSSmimBtU3XO2SfA