Exploring Michael Coins's wares
Squeamish Bikini has our fingers on the laptop, our eyes on the prize and our ears finely tuned to Radio 4. Well, not all the time. Sometimes we venture out of the house to listen to some music sung by talented singers and played by a tight band just like Izo FitzRoy & The Royal Bastards.
Izo is a woman with a mission to bring you soulful and energetic piano grooves unlike any of the sorts you have heard before. Her self penned lyrics house nothing but the most fanciful of lies and for that reason are a real treat! From lepers in leotards to drug addled Jewish boyfriends, you’ll hear tales of many people you may never wish to meet, apart from Jon Snow of course.
Izo is a woman with a mission to bring you soulful and energetic piano grooves unlike any of the sorts you have heard before. Her self penned lyrics house nothing but the most fanciful of lies and for that reason are a real treat! From lepers in leotards to drug addled Jewish boyfriends, you’ll hear tales of many people you may never wish to meet, apart from Jon Snow of course.
| Squeamish Bikini's gone all audio with our first podcast. You can listen to Squeamish Nicola's interview with Izo FitzRoy Here! |
These bizarre tales ride over jazzy musical mayhem which is led by the smooth and deep vocals of our imaginative songstress. Inspired by the very antithesis of herself, black male American singers this white English Lady channels these voices into her own unique sound.
She has come a long way from making up songs in her student bedroom in dreich Glasgow. Seven years on Izo and her Royal Bastards, drummer Ollie and bassist Matthew, are ready let you see as well as hear the oddities she writes about. Their first video, released this week, tells the tale of another of Izo’s peculiar characters. The song Michael Coins is based on a real man (yes that is his actual name) with a real coin shop. The music and lyrics of the song take you through a love affair of monetary proportions. This man loves his coins the way Bernard Black loves wine and, on occasion, his books. In this romance there are soft moments, beating drums and an epic finish. All Izo & The Royal Bastards songs take you on a mystery tour and you never quite know where you’ll be next.
Izo, however, knows exactly where she wants to be. A move back to London 3 years ago was filled with purpose. She has played a multitude of gigs and festivals over that time, entered T4’s Battle of the Bands and honed her songs to perfection. Throw in a Frank Zappa cover like none you have ever heard before and there is nothing stopping this determined voice as she takes on her passion as a full time job. Unlike singer songwriters such as Adele and well, anyone else you care to mention, Izo has taken the eccentric route and revelled in the energetic excitement her furious keys and vocals can bring. This, as fun as it is, is hard to keep up and the momentum of her songs seem to be slowing down in order to make way for a more gospel inspired sound.
She has come a long way from making up songs in her student bedroom in dreich Glasgow. Seven years on Izo and her Royal Bastards, drummer Ollie and bassist Matthew, are ready let you see as well as hear the oddities she writes about. Their first video, released this week, tells the tale of another of Izo’s peculiar characters. The song Michael Coins is based on a real man (yes that is his actual name) with a real coin shop. The music and lyrics of the song take you through a love affair of monetary proportions. This man loves his coins the way Bernard Black loves wine and, on occasion, his books. In this romance there are soft moments, beating drums and an epic finish. All Izo & The Royal Bastards songs take you on a mystery tour and you never quite know where you’ll be next.
Izo, however, knows exactly where she wants to be. A move back to London 3 years ago was filled with purpose. She has played a multitude of gigs and festivals over that time, entered T4’s Battle of the Bands and honed her songs to perfection. Throw in a Frank Zappa cover like none you have ever heard before and there is nothing stopping this determined voice as she takes on her passion as a full time job. Unlike singer songwriters such as Adele and well, anyone else you care to mention, Izo has taken the eccentric route and revelled in the energetic excitement her furious keys and vocals can bring. This, as fun as it is, is hard to keep up and the momentum of her songs seem to be slowing down in order to make way for a more gospel inspired sound.
The band's gig at the Troubadour in West Brompton had a big, bright soulful ending that left everyone beaming. While Michael Coins may be the first encounter you have with Izo Fitzroy & The Royal Bastards, it hopefully won’t be your last. Listen to Izo’s back catalogue as you have seven glorious years to catch up on and the new more serious and soulful singer about to emerge will have you lost in her music before you can say “Collector of mystery – Whoa it’s Michael Coins!”
Squeamish Nicola
Squeamish Nicola
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