Frizzell D’souza’s shenanigans with music came from a mix of being in a convent school and her dad’s love for collecting music. Having been in the navy, he traveled often and collected CDs and cassettes of international artists from countries the ship would dock at and bring them home. Music seeped into Frizzell’s daily life very organically before she realized her dependency on it.
Frizzell studied architecture in college, where music stayed a hobby. She used to post videos online sporadically. During the pandemic, she started writing her own music until one day it was too big to be just a hobby. Her first EP, The Hills Know of You, talked about diverse perspectives of love and heartbreak. Inspired by real-life encounters of her friends, it sheds light on the distinct ways we each interpret and navigate the complexities of love. Sonically, it largely remains acoustic. ‘My first EP established a sound for myself that I felt was very authentic. Playing the songs live also felt natural to me,’ says Frizzell.
Her new sound is packed in another extended playlist called In My Asymmetry. As the title suggests, it talks about that space between the black and white, the greys. It is about being asymmetric much like Frizzell who departed from design only to find herself in music. She touches upon the subject gently in the beginning tracks, then shows her versatility in the song Symmetries, giving an interlude to set the tone for the completion. The last track talks about the circle of life; ‘We all enter and leave this realm the same way, but what happens in between is our unique story to tell,’ closes Frizzell. She dives deeper into her music below.
IN MY ASYMMETRY
In its essence, this EP is the 24-year-old’s exploration of the nuances of existence, celebrating the beauty found in the spaces between the extremes. Paintbrushes, a song on self-reassurance, opens the EP, blending classical guitars with synths, piano, and playful percussion with harmonies. Long To Be explores the complexities of friendship, drawing influence from John Mayer and Dodie with melancholic rhythms. Symmetries, a metaphor for idealism, depicts the rollercoaster journey of forging an unconventional path in life. The acoustic pop track features a recurring guitar riff and groovy production. Finally, Keep Me In Meadows concludes the EP, an ambient song that reflects on love in the essence of life beyond.
THE SENSIBILITY
I’d describe my music sensibility as soft-spoken and the kind that lets the lyrics shine through. It’s delicate and there’s always a story that’s being narrated. I’ve attempted exploring a new direction with my sonic space on this EP while still retaining the essence of my sound. I’ve embraced soft electronica on the new record. It’s very intuitive for me to write somber melodies on my guitar, my primary instrument, and my producer Aadarsh did a beautiful job at subtly building around it and not over it with the production.
CREATIVE PROCESS
I’m still not sure if I have a rigid process with songwriting. Lyrics do present themselves before a melody more often, but while writing a song I’m mindful of weaving a melody with the words to make it a cohesive piece of work. Although, I write primarily on the guitar, I’m still a rookie and it excites me that there is an enormous amount of knowledge for me to learn and experiment with on the guitar. I enjoy a good bass line or a plucking pattern or chord progression that tickles my brain. It’s always a thrill to transcribe another artist’s music that piques my interest to figure out why a certain harmony makes me feel the way it does. The process is constantly adapting and exploring!
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 04.09.2024