Dec 12, 2023

Interview: Lizzy Donzis Gives Us Intimate View Into New Single, “Why Do I Ask For Flowers?”

Thank you for sharing yourself with us through "Why Do I Ask For Flowers?" This song is such a poignant expression that reaches your listener's soul. Can you please share the song's inspiration?

When I write, it's usually a means to express or unleash an emotion that I'm working through. I can be a selfish writer in that I use it as a tool to unpack my innermost frustrations. With this song, it poured out quite organically and quicker than most. I was working through a lot in my personal life and remember coming home from a long day of class, sitting on the ground with my keyboard, and pouring everything into the keys.

The hook of "Why do I ask for flowers" came from a conversation I had the week before. This song was healing in ways I didn't even realize at the time and worked for me to express my frustration in that particular situation. It's funny how sometimes it takes writing a song to understand how you feel about something. It wasn't until I allowed myself to express these thoughts musically that I understood what I wanted and needed.

In "Why Do I Ask For Flowers?" you delve into wanting more for yourself and the complexities of relying on others for appreciation. Can you elaborate on the personal experiences or reflections that inspired the lyrics, and how do you navigate the vulnerability of addressing these themes in your music?

Often, I've found myself giving a lot more than I receive. I've always felt the need to please people; I give every relationship 150%. However, writing this song made me realize how detrimental and unacceptable it is to put yourself last. Putting your self-worth miles below where it deserves to be is also too easy. College is filled with many ups and downs; the biggest roller coaster was dealing with my self-worth and confidence.

This song felt like an amalgamation of experiences I had been through, but I could concisely wrap it into a specific circumstance. We've all been in relationships or had dynamics with others where we give so much more than we receive. Finding a balance, knowing when it can be fixed, and when it's time to walk away is an essential skill that I've had to cultivate over the years. This song is an expression of those complicated emotions and personal growth.

How do these diverse genres contribute to your musical identity, and how do you navigate the creative process to ensure a cohesive and authentic sonic experience?

This song differed from the others because I wanted it to be stripped down sonically. The subject matter was so vulnerable that it didn't feel right to have it with anything other than keys and light string built with layered harmonies for the bridge.

I wanted the listener to focus on the story and lyrics rather than be distracted by a sonic wonderland. I also felt strongly about playing it myself. Getting to record the keys and vocals together made it feel a lot more genuine and allowed me to connect deeper to the song compared to just singing over a track.

As you continue to grow and evolve as an artist, how do you envision your musical journey unfolding, and are there specific themes or messages you hope to explore in your future work?

I'm so grateful and excited that music today can be anything you want it to be. I love genre-bending and am so inspired when artists can step out of their comfort zone to explore new styles and sounds. I explore a lot of different genres when it comes to writing.

Whatever I'm listening to and digesting musically will organically trickle into my writing. Songwriting is a gift; I want to continue making songs that inspire and bring people together somehow. I see a lot of different eras for myself, both stylistically and aesthetically. I go with my feelings now, so it's hard to say what music I'll make in two years.

What message do you hope your audience takes away from this song? What do you hope listeners take away from this particular track in your broader discography?

This song will inspire my listeners to know their worth and not be afraid to step away from something that isn't giving them what they need and deserve. We all need the strength and courage to accept nothing less than that.

As a woman, I feel like we are often taught to bend to the needs of others, and that isn't always fair to ourselves. I hope people come away from this song with the comfort that no matter how isolating a feeling may seem, you are not alone in that experience.