“Creativity is Indulgence” - An Interview with Giza Was Here
Kenzie Gay - @kenzwrites
“My music right now talks of heartbreak, and I can’t speak for what it can turn into, but I want to give people a sense of home.” Says Giza Was Here, a musician just starting out in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. With a brand new debut EP under the singer/songwriter’s belt, we had the privilege of interviewing Giza Was Here to talk about inspirations, community, and more.
Photos via Shannon Heldt (@everythng.underthesun on Instagram)
Giza first introduced themself, outlining their origins and journey in music thus far: My name is Giza ! Full name is Giza was Here, I’m 24 years old, and I’ve been making music seriously since I was about 19 years old. I’ve had my MPK mini since I was 17, but it was my Ukulele that I wrote the opening hook to a song on my EP when I was 19 years old- I’m pretty sure I still have the voice memo of when I first was workshopping it. I have had a couple songs I’ve made and recorded, but my EP is made up of songs that I wrote over the course of 2022 through 2023. It was about 2024 is when I started really finalizing and getting motion behind me to create a debut EP that I felt reflected my work as a songwriter but also it was a project that I felt had a message, and its own little world within it that I made and it meant something.
We went on with more rapid fire questions, as I wanted our readers (you, hello!) to really get a feel for Giza and their music.
KENZ: Since you are based in Grand Rapids, how much do you think the city has influenced your personal style as a musician? Furthermore, what’s your opinion on the local scene?
GIZA: I was a kid in high school who was DMing instagram accounts for addresses for shows. I remember specifically this one place off College Street where there would be a skate ramp in a room to the side, and when you went to the basement, bands would set up and play. I never knew how that place came to be, somebody just always knew the guy to put a show on. I feel like bass blown out speakers from those nights really made me feel like I needed that sound, but to make it my own. I wouldn’t even say I make punk influenced music but I just love heavy guitars, heavy bass lines.
Something about these tiny midwest punk shows I went to as a teenager showed me the music scene, who plays, I saw how local bands shared instrumentalists…it showed me how close the collective scene is. If you don’t know the name, you definitely know the face. The local scene is filled with talent in all circles, and I just love how collaborative it is. From song collaborations to even seeing how locals put together a show to even the audience member show out, it’s the effort to make a community. And the fact that the same people from then show up today to these shows, and the new faces too. Every midwestern kid deserves to see a house show.
KENZ: Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
GIZA: I’m almost embarrassed to say, but I got really into BTS when I was about 16. They showed the little world of music production, so I honestly have to credit so much of my vocal production ideas to BTS and KPop as a whole. It’s just so much more lush compared to the pop music at the time- it reminded my of old 90s R&B girls like Brandy layering their vocals that way.
I was a kid who was raised off of 70s disco music because my parents are both born in the early 60s. I want to say Earth Wind & Fire are truly one of my biggest influences when it comes to exploring songwriting. I love the idea of having a touch of funk in bass lines and groovy guitars. I feel like I tend to say in the studio all the time, “I want groovy guitars”. There’s something about that sound that never gets old.
But I also feel like Raveena is one of my idols. She has a beautiful intricate sound, that she weaves in her culture in music and visual forms, and it’s a gorgeous display of talent to me. I admire how she builds this world within each song she writes, and I want to say I mimic some of her songwriting styles of narrative stories. She’s one of my all time favorite artists who influences me the most.
KENZ: How would you describe your creative process when writing new material?
GIZA: I write a lot. Like a lot. I remember I forgot to back up 4 months of notes in my phone and I definitely had a breakdown because I knew how much material I wrote. I like to try and maintain this balance of creativity. I feel like the process starts before you decide there’s a project to do. Creativity is indulgence in a sense- I write in journals a lot. I could say almost all my songs are from what I wrote about my emotional state at a certain time. I usually come to a point where I’ve written so much nonsense, or know I just have emotional dump gold in my journal, and through that, I tend to piece together a song from the point of view of structure. Usually I’ll have a song half written or fully written out before I bring music into play. By the time the music comes in, I usually change about 60% of the song. I feel like most of my songs before they touch music have so many extra words and fillers, you bring in instruments and it’s almost like- oh ! let me get right to the point! Or I come up with a better way to redescribe my feelings on the track.
KENZ: Who is your ideal musician to collaborate with?
GIZA: I would, more than anything, LOVE to collaborate with a local artist, and maybe even perform together. I was a fan of The Hacky Turtles when I was 15 and remember going to Rosa Park Circle to see them perform all the time. I managed to have the drummer, Erik Krueger, on one of my songs for the EP (Window Pain). That was an awesome collaboration. But Grand Rapids is just so diverse with genres, and they’re all so bendable ! If I have to say someone in the industry now it would have to be Dreamer Isioma or Ravenna. They’re label artists I hope to rub shoulders with someday in my career, but it's a big goal to get into their circles within the industry. If Ariana Grande ever asked me to sing a tune though… I‘ll die the next day because nothing would be better.
KENZ: You recently performed at the 2024 Grand Rapids Pride Festival (SO bummed that I missed your set!), could you go into detail about that and how much it meant to you?
GIZA: This was application based, and when I got the first email saying they had to extend their choosing time I immediately felt dread thinking there was too many people, that I wasn’t going to get chosen. I’m just a small artist, and I didn’t have any music out at the time- only a 30 second video of me singing turned in- it was nerve wracking !
I’ve been out as a queer person since I was about 12 but definitely always knew I felt different from most people around me. I went to my first pride when I was 16 and I remember going at 12pm as soon as they opened the door and just loved watching the queens perform all day. It was a dream to be on that stage that I had full circled at one point to show love to queer performers.
I was sweating bullets before the performance, just pacing and singing my songs in the hallway of the dressing room. I’m such a nervous wreck right before I go on stage anywhere, but I felt like as soon as I was about to ascend the stairs to the stage, I felt myself click into place. It’s a big feeling I think many artists feel, the nerves are always there but as soon as you step on stage, it’s like it all melted away. I got to see a lot of my friends and family there for support, but it was bigger to me that there were so many members of the community just there waiting at the stage !
It’s also nerve wracking when you start singing and people start moving towards the stage. It just felt huge because I’m a small artist who is just now starting, and to see people enjoy themselves at Pride and vibe to my music. It just felt so safe and loving. Very huge full circle moment for a queer artist like me.
KENZ: In recent music news, pop has been booming with artists like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Gracie Abrams. What do you hope to do to the pop scene over the duration of your career?
GIZA: There’s many things that have been done I think about a lot. My identity is really important to me, as a queer artist, as a Mexican American, as a person in America at the present times we are in. Obviously, I always want that to be a forefront to what I bring to the table, ie the non pronoun usage of my music so it can really speak to Everyone Everywhere about Anybody. Queer representation is always going to be a forefront in my career. I hope to also be some representation for my Hispanic community- I would love to be another person who blends their language with English.
I’m honestly just a baby when it comes to these ideas. My personal goal for this pop scene is to just explore my city with my music, and outstretch myself to more midwestern talent. I would love to stretch out into more theatrical things with videos and performances.
KENZ: If there is one, what is the goal of your music? In other words, what do you hope it does for others? (ex: inspires, invokes a certain emotion, etc.)
GIZA: My music right now talks of heartbreak, and I can’t speak for what it can turn into, but I want to give people a sense of home.
The reason I wrote this EP is because I was truly at my loneliest and I felt the only way to understand what was happening in that moment was to put it into a tangible(ish) thing. I want to curate this idea of art as a way to face the things we’ve been afraid of. I always was a person comforted by the music of somebody who I felt like plucked the thoughts out of my own head and wrote the song for me. I wish to give this feeling to many people and find community within that.
KENZ: Considering you are a small artist, what is your dream venue to perform at and why?
GIZA: Saint Andrew’s Hall. It’s the perfect mix of a large, intimate setting. I feel like spaces like this is where my music belongs. Intimate shows that make you want to dance around and scream the lyrics.
KENZ: What do you do outside of music? Do you think it influences your work at all?
GIZA: I’m a local actor, so I’ve done Rocky Horror Picture Show and Carrie the Musical at Pyramid Scheme, and those are intense shows in different ways. It definitely helps me with honing in on a performing personality that is much different from my real one. I also feel like it helps me to read these plays that are about real life things. There was a recent play I was in that my character was quite literally named Betty 3- it was a take on how 5 different women from different backgrounds can come together and find one thing in common. I feel like the ability to read and analyze these types of writings helped me with my own writing skills. The ability to learn how to beat around the bush in a way that the audience knows exactly what you mean.
I also just love videos. I grew up with millennial sisters who watched MTV music video channels on our cable TV. I loved watching movies with my mom every night because she has this big gallon of VHS’ she bought for my brothers in the 90s. I want to meet more people with creative visions and create art like this. It would be so cool to see what I could do with that.
KENZ: What is the best piece of advice you can think of in regard to music or the humanities as a whole?
GIZA: I taught myself a lot by writing down what I feel. There is so much nonsense in the world and personal lives that on an individual level, it can weigh down. These feelings can be processed and are able to be held in a space that can be just for you and wherever you write. For musicians, that’s useful for a bank of emotional content- but for humanities as a whole, it gives you validity. How can you go out in the world and hold compassion and empathy in your heart, when you can’t show it to yourself ? You find community in this- reach within yourself so you. an be able to reach out to others. It’s almost simultaneous the opportunities that flow when you find community. That has been a mix of the best advice I’ve ever received, and honestly, the reason why I say the creative process starts well before you even think there’s a project happening. Inspire yourself, and look for people that inspire you to make art, to be the best person you can be.
KENZ: You performed at Michigan’s Woodstock Festival in October of 2023, can you speak more on this festival and its impact?
GIZA: I have always been an advocate for community aid. I truly believe community is the one way we can change the world on a holistic, individual level. The fact that Grand Rapids has its own Transgender Benefit Festival is amazing. The board chooses a Grand Rapids Trans person that needs mutual aid and they choose artists as well as musicians to boost the level of people who come through. They have auctions for art, and 100% of the profit goes to the community members. It’s a beautiful thing to see so many people come together in art and music and share an opportunity of community access.
Not only do you feel amazing for helping, you get to just be in an intimate setting with the most talented people. All genres, no judgment. I have seen people get a place to live, facial feminization surgery and more. It’s a beautiful thing when the community just wants the best for their members. I hope to play a couple times at this Festival because it truly means so much to me and what I consider true community.
