Sydney Wanguhu

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to value real artistry in a time where everything moves so fast. Between doom scrolling and algorithm-driven feeds, it’s easy to get desensitized to creativity and start valuing what goes viral over what actually takes time, intention, and craft to build. But for someone like Iz LaMarr, that balance feels different.

Iz LaMarr has been steadily carving out his own lane in music, and it’s one worth paying attention to. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the 24-year-old blends West Coast influences with R&B and soul, creating a sound that feels both familiar and experimental. After studying music at NYU and co-founding his event company, The Roaring 20s, he’s expanded into community building, creating spaces where his audience can experience his vision in real time.

 I got to see that firsthand back in March at his first hometown performance with a live band, where he curated an intentional, immersive experience that left a strong impression on the crowd. From that moment, it was clear how dedicated this Angelino is to creating a full experience. 

Over Zoom, we caught up, recapping the night he took the stage, but also unpacking his strategy for navigating the industry as an independent artist.

*This interview has been edited and modified for clarification.

Sydney Wanguhu: Last time I had the chance to speak to you, you were on stage and I was emceeing for the March Zap Sessions line-up hosted by Beach Party Records. I remember a little conversation we had prior, that was one of the first times you were performing back in your city? How was that?

Iz LaMarr: Yeah, In that form. That was the first time, actually, I’d ever performed with the full band in that way in LA. There’s no [backing] track, everything is in the moment right there. It’s electric, you know? We only had two rehearsals, and managed to remember all these little parts. And then also, I’m creating a new sound and having to communicate that was definitely a fun process. I’d done a live full live band show in New York, but my first time with this specific set of musicians. so that was super fun.

Sydney Wanguhu: Your was very unforgettable because you incorporated a skit. I, along with the crowd all thought it was real, I’m not gonna lie! We were like, what is happening, should we call somebody? What made you made you think of adding that into your performance?

Iz LaMarr: It’s something I was thinking about wanting to do for a minute [to] make it really make it a show, you know? How I can turn it up a notch? The specific song I did it for [was]  “Play.” I’ve been doing a certain [style of content] recently that was doing well, so a lot of my community had seen a “little crash out,” and it transitions to the performance. So I was like what if I, like, do that in real life? I connected with my my actress friend, Ari, we actually went to NYU together, and then last minute, I was struggling to get the security guard that night but the dude that locked in was great. I’m not gonna lie, I was like, should I tell anybody? Kristi and maybe the sound [engineer] and the band [only knew]. It was cool to try for the first time, especially in that setting because it was mostly R&B acts [performing], and I was like, let me just fuck that shit up a little bit.

Sydney Wanguhu: How do you typically plan out your content, especially when it comes to deciding which songs to highlight or push on your social media? 

Iz LaMarr: I have a very specific goal when it comes to my music and the rollout. I’m pushing a sound; obviously, the “Iz Lamar brand,” but specifically, the sound of Rage N Blues that I’ve been working on for the last 2 years. This last 6 or 7 months, [I’ve] been locked in mastering [it]. After 5 or so years doing music full-time, I found myself starting to hit the ceiling of that underground scene both LA, New York, all over– I need to break out of that. At this point, everything I make, it’s good quality, but it isn’t consistent. I spent a month straight [making] 50-something songs and beats, learning and unlearning. The process to create feels like your left hand fighting your right hand. Your structure, so can be consistent, but then [there’s] also your freedom and your artistic creativity. The result of that [month making music], I got like,12 to 15, songs that clearly represent the sound and the quality I want, and I’ve been rolling those out since the top of the year to build that world of Rage N Blues. if I get too formalic, and I do that same concept it gets tired. so it’s a weird balance. but for me, I know what I want my art to, have the numbers and success, [but] I can’t compromise the authenticity and realness of it.

Sydney Wanguhu: I completely agree. You brought up that conversation of quality vs. quantity in a TikTok. Why don’t you think people care about quality anymore? 

Iz LaMarr: You have to break through and really get in your marketing side. It’s more saturated, and the barrier of entry is so much lower, anyone can realse music. When I was dropping my first songs in high school, I didn’t even know how to get it on Spotify. I didn’t know what a distributor was and that was like 2017-2019. [Now] there’s tons of new artists literally every day with TikTok. And that’s beautiful, but it’s harmful because, there’s no quality control.

Sydney Wanguhu: There’s not any.

Iz LaMarr:  Exactly. it’s really in the hands of the audience. [Back in the day] and in the music industry [picked] a person to push, which, can totally get political. They were prioritizing quality much more, versus now labels [prioritze] virality. Signing people straight off TikTok followers or TikTok views. Now, they’re shifting twords a fanbase, which is actually a good thing, because it’s like who’s the community? The flip side of that is if you get enough stupid people to all say something that’s “garbage,” is “awesome,” …we tricked everybody. At the end of the day, art is objective, so you kind of have to be at the mercy of the art. Can’t stress too much about it.

Sydney Wanguhu: How are you, as an independent artist, making sure that you’re not getting too comfortable relying on these social media platforms?

Iz LaMarr: The way to control the quality of my own art is constantly be criticizing yourself.

Not from a negative feeling way, but you can’t be [too] comfortable– especially at the early point [of a career]. The point I’m at– I have a baseline fanbase, yet, I have to be very conscious and intentional of what [my] initial touchpoint is, you know? If it’s just these “crash-out videos,” okay, cool, [but] now it’s the “crash-out” video guy. How do I keep them engaged? How do I pivot? Do I lose the audience that I just built up? It needs to be general enough where you can alternate enough [elements] each time so new in some way.

Sydney Wanguhu: Yeah, keep them on their toes. With this lane that you’re pioneering for yourself, Rage N Blues, in an article in Voyage LA, you described it as a mix of high-energy live instrumentals, which, after seeing your set, definitely describes you. Do you feel like there’s anyone else you could put into that category, or are you solely standing alone?

Iz LaMarr: Is someone doing exactly this? No. But there’s a lot of people that are doing directly adjacent things. Gabriel Jacoby [whoes] sound is literal blues with soul. Definitely aligned, but there’s no distortion or 808s. There’s artists in the hip-hop underground scene, like Slayer [who’s] musical in his beats [and] I’m pretty sure he produces them. Similar, but there’s not one trope of Rage N Blues. This is a very, signature thing, treating the guitar specifically like a vocal, and the vocal like a guitar. I don’t know if you noticed, during the [ Zap Sessions] show, pretty much every song, usually in the hook, I’m having the guitarist play the exact same notes that I’m singing in the chorus together, so it creates this dual effect. The combination of that specific [motif] with the instrumentation of that blues soulful feel, and the 808 distortion side. It’s still a growing thing I’m starting to experiment with. [For example] my most recent show, the live instruments were played by me just soloing on the guitar, a blues song on a piano, then the beat would come in. I haven’t seen that done [and] I want to start incorporating that even at club shows… It’s a living, breathing, growing thing.

Sydney Wanguhu: And that was hosted by the Roaring 20’s, your event company you co-founded with your close friend, Kenny Dreams. Yes, yes, yes! How did that go? I hella wanted to come, but I couldn’t make it.

Iz LaMarr: Yeah it was super fun, but also kind of new. We’ve done a lot of shows in LA, but the biggest difference between this most recent [show] and the past, we were throwing parties and trying to sneak the music in. Which was good to build a brand name and have packed-out shows, you know, like, anywhere from 400 to 700 to 1,000. But, after doing that 50 times, I’m [only] performing 1-2 songs, not in my full entirety. So for my recent project, FEEL, In the summer, I had a release party in New York that was perfect embodiment of how I wanted to [throw parties.] It was the first time with the guitar, just soloing the shit, and then playing the beat, and then, like, literally making the tracks come to life. We were doing Party after party after party after party. Anywhere from, you know, 300 to a couple thousand [people came], with, big artists like Cash Cobain, 50 Cent,[etc]. I want to be performing this way forever– or for this new next stage of my career. We were specific on, how we’re promoting the event. I gotta give a big thanks to, like, my close brothers, YVS Village, And shout out Ciska, she was also performing and involved in the content, too, and my videographer, RJ, for, like, being able to, again, create a world just around one event very grateful that we were able to make that possible and set the first precedent of that in LA.

Sydney Wanguhu: How important is community to you as a multifaceted independent artist like yourself?

Iz LaMarr: The most important. Before the Roaring Twenties, the first step I took was during COVID. I had this desire to perform, but there were no shows. I brought [a] speaker and microphone out to Washington Square [New York],  and like 20 close friends. There’s like 100-some people in the park, literallyp building community around the music, around the art. Seeing how that worked and being able to take the similar concept to LA, that summer in 2021, when everything started. I can create community around my art anywhere– I have no… no limit in this way. it’s just something that I’ve held onto, and a lens that I look through for everything that I do, from marketing, marketing music content. It’s really just a study of humanity, and appreciation of humanity, because so many people…are desensitized more than ever. I’ll see a crazy headline about whatever the fuck,  and just keep scrolling, like, damn, I’m like, I’m not gonna lie, bro, I’m checked the fuck out. 

Sydney Wanguhu: It’s really getting to that point, I’m about to go into overdrive.

Iz LaMarr: Yeah, that’s where the whole concept of [the song] feel, fuck everything, enjoy life, came from (“FEEL.”) I love, and art, and expanding it into an actual, message because without community, nothing matters.

Sydney Wanguhu: What’s next for the Roaring 20’s and you as an artist?

Iz LaMarr: A lot of consistent singles, and more shows. [We’ve] quietly been [in a] development period compared to events every weekend in multiple states and countries. Now we’re getting ready to turn up that knob again, both in New York, LA, and beyond– shit, London, hopefully soon. I’m very excited for that, because it just re-engages the community of people who appreciate what we do. But also people that make it possible, like my best friend, co-founder Kenny, John Elite, Ville, Q, the list goes on. I’m excited to just bring everybody up in the process because I don’t like doing that shit alone, you know?

Sydney Wanguhu: How would you? It’s a lot! [Doing] that with your people…it’s more rewarding.

For more updates on Iz Lamar and his music, follow him @Izlamarr on Instagram.

I hope you enjoyed the read! For more content, follow me on Instagram and Spotify:@sydneyy._