According to the artist, “God gets a little bit busy sometimes” tells of the insecurities of a woman in her thirties and how she tries to get outside help. The reference to God relates to her Catholic upbringing. The song is a self-determination and assurance to look to her own strength. It is the first fruit of a musical partnership with Oscar De Jong of Dutch electronic act Kraak & Smaak.
The single is the first foretaste of the album “‘A Good Woman”, which will be released in April 2023 and on which the artist deals with themes such as self-empowerment, depression and re-strengthening one’s own personality.
Izo FitzRoy has been a staple on the British soul and gospel scene for many years. After years of directing gospel choirs her recording career took off in earnest after writing and recording the bulk of her debut album – “Skyline” while she was living in New Orleans producing a record that channelled her gutsy gospel style and colourful bluesy keys through vintage funk grooves.
After the success of her debut Izo was in demand and toured across Europe tirelessly, all the while writing her next record and lending her talents to others, including features on tracks by label mates Kraak & Smaak, Smoove & Turrell, Flevans, and Dr Rubberfunk (who produced Skyline) until the end of 2018 when a devastating blow struck and nodules on her vocal chords made Izo unable to sing. The only option to save her career was surgery on her which ruled her out of using her voice for 3 months followed by a long period of vocal rehabilitation.
However by summer 2019 Izo was back with an even greater range and a fistful of new songs written almost silently while recovering from her op. Her song – “I Want Magic” ( a collaboration with Dimitri from Paris) made her as big in the clubs as she was on the airwaves – dancefloor bible Mixmag making it their Tune of the Month.
2020 saw the release of her second album “How The Mighty Fall“. Despite the pandemic shackling any hopes of a tour to support the album, the eleven-track album won over fans new and old. BBC Radio 2 & 6 Music, KCRW, FIP, CLASH, UNCUT, Blues & Soul and Indie Shuffle all weighed in with their love for the record in a period that saw Izo move up a gear from new voice on the scene to cover star.
Later in 2020, instead of the planned tour to support “How The Mighty Fall”, a burgeoning online musical friendship began between Izo and renowned L.A. producer Erik Janson, who both shared a deep love of mid 60s and early 70s soul and rock records. They began to write a series of songs to describe their experiences from the year, but with a sound harkening back to records like Dusty Springfield’s “Dusty In Memphis” and Bill Withers “Just As I Am”. The result was a trio of songs that were release as standalone singles in the second half of 2021, leading to her online support surging dramatically.
2022 has seen Izo writing and recording again, this time working and co writing with producer Oscar De Jong.
