Felice LaZae

Featured excerpt:

The official afterparty was back on the outdoor patio, where a woman named Felice LaZae stood onstage in a long black dress. On the big screen behind her was the Sam's Town album cover, shot by Corbijn: a bikini model stares into the camera, a Desert Bighorn sheep kneeling beside her.

LaZae was a young production assistant at the recording studio at the Palms when the Killers began recording Sam's Town there. One day she was asked to pose for some pictures and ended up on the cover. She told the story again onstage and then stripped down to a bikini to recreate the moment. She called the experience "life changing," then began a set of biting soul of the Amy Winehouse variety.
She got a Sam's platinum record, which hangs at her house. "I'd never met a big band," she said after her set. "And to me it was the best band to meet at that level because they were so kind and caring. They welcomed all of us as a staff to go out. We saw Depeche Mode with them. We saw Nine Inch Nails with them. It was the coolest experience ever. It was always like, What's it going to be like today? It was wonderful." - Rolling Stone

(This link is the online version of the print article)

How the Sacramento native went from high kicks to high notes

By Taylor Desmangles

This article was published on 08.18.16.

Felice LaZae didn’t always create vision boards depicting a career in music. Before the R&B powerhouse dedicated her life to singing, she dreamt of winning an Olympic medal for taekwondo.

At just 13 years old, the Sacramento native won gold in the U.S. Open taekwondo championships. At that point, martial arts was her life and singing was just something she enjoyed. LaZae didn’t truly fall in love with singing until she spent a week with a cousin who only spoke Spanish—being able to exchange cultural beats and sounds surpassed any language barriers between them. That was when LaZae realized how she’d leave her mark on the world.

“I want people to listen to my music and see my journey and know it is OK to be different,” she says. “These songs are me and are saying things that I believe about the world. … My purpose is to empower people.”

Now, LaZae is fully immersed in the lifestyle of an up-and-coming soul singer and all of what that includes. From multiple city relocations to channeling past bullying experiences as motivation, she has overcome the sort of obstacles that discourage most—particularly those who, like LaZae, entered the industry without any connections. Starting in Sacramento, she found it difficult to see a serious career in music. It wasn’t until high school when her family moved to Long Beach that she was able to see her dream become a real possibility.

“Coming down here to Southern California, everybody wants to be in entertainment,” she says, laughing. “The difference is like, ’Oh, this can actually be a career versus just a pipe dream.’”

Using some of the same skills she learned in taekwondo, LaZae became extremely disciplined with her artistry and tested out of high school to fully focus on music. At 15, she enrolled into the music program at American River College to study audio engineering. From there, she connected with the manager of the prestigious Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas. As a production assistant at the multi-million dollar studio, she worked with artists like Prince, Michael Jackson and other legendary creatives who fueled her determination to build her singing career. Her bluesy, grassroots sound has taken her around the world performing, though she is still striving to reach her standard of success.

“What keeps me motivated is thinking I don’t want to be an old person and wish I would’ve done something,” she says. “I want to live without regrets. I want to live the life of my dreams.”

Prologue, her debut EP dropping in October, involves these same themes of motivation and self-love. The song “Give It Away” is a prime example of what LaZae wants to see in her life and also recommends to others: pushing yourself forward, living your life, not being afraid of new experiences and being open to love. She’ll sing off of Prologue when she performs at the Torch Club on Wednesday, August 24, with the goal of making sure everyone leaves feeling strong, confident and ready to create their best lives.

“I want to leave a legacy that you can do whatever you want to do,” she says, smiling. “I want people to listen to my music and see my journey and know that, no matter what happens, even if you fall, you can be whatever you want to be.” - Sacramento News & Review

Featured excerpt:

As the scorching Nevada daylight turns to dangerous dusk, there's a private party going on at the swimming pool. A meat-headed DJ blasts hard house versions of The Eagles' "Hotel California" spliced with other airhorn migraine music. The crowd are relieved to see their heroes moving towards the stage to perform a two-song acoustic set ("Smile Like You Mean It" and "Change Your Mind" from Hot Fuss). In the crowd is singer-songwriter Felice LaZae, the woman who was photographed as a bikini-clad pageant queen on the cover of Sam's Town. She's here to take the stage later and is feeling sentimental. When The Killers were recording at the Palms she was a newly graduated studio engineer, and wound up spending a lot of time hanging with the band after-hours. "We'd go to shows in Vegas together after sessions: Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. We became friends."

When they were readying the record, the band's product manager called Felice and asked her if she'd like to drive out to the desert with Anton Corbijn to be shot for the artwork. "They asked me if I'd be OK being shot in a bikini, and I trusted them. And then they told me it was the cover a month later!" A lot has happened in her 10 years—the experience led her to kickstart her own musical project. Catching up with Brandon here she said he told her it feels like it's been two years since Sam's Town came out. - Noisey/Vice

Featured on the popular "Heidi and Frank Show" on 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles in March 2016. Felice's song "Give It Away" and was voted by the listeners to "Stay" live on air so as a result, her song "I Need To Feel" was also aired on the program. She was also voted to "stay" online at HeidiandFrank.com. - "Heidi and Frank Show" on 95.5 KLOS

Even in this day and age, people dream that show business is propelled solely by a combination of natural-born talent and pure luck. While Felice LaZae has reaped the benefits of both in her lifetime, she holds a deep understanding of the other, more laborious ingredients of success: hard work, perseverance and determination.

Born in L.A. and raised for much of her life in Fair Oaks and Sacramento, LaZae’s early life was marked by artistic precocity in a wide variety of subjects, from writing and acting to Olympic-level martial arts. Eventually, she reigned in her interests to hone in with laser-like focus on music. Inspired by singer-songwriters like Fiona Apple, an early love of musicals and her own family’s diverse musical background from New York Jazz to New Orleans roots music, LaZae has boiled these interests down into an idiosyncratic blend of pop on her EP, Give it Away and her latest single, “I Need to Feel,” most recently featured on a promo for HGTV’s Flip or Flop.

Her preferred style is brassy, theatrical, and evocative of wildly different settings, almost akin to the experience of wandering through the buzzing energy of a film studio. At one moment there’s the ‘60s girl-group groove of “Grave Digger,” then the dirt road-stomping howl of “I Need to Feel,” followed by the suspenseful gunslinger breakdown of “Callin Me,” only to resolve in the swelling chamber strings and soul of sweet numbers like “Flowers.” When explaining her M.O., she’ll say that she thinks of her songs as short, self-contained films; she allows herself to change character in order to weave tall tales with a sort of richness that transcends the two-to-four minute confines of the average pop song. It is this literary/cinematic quality to her most lighthearted material which suggests the depth of her character and intellect. Her YouTube channel is filled with inventive covers and extracurricular one-offs, from riffs on TV themes from Wonder Woman and Adventure Time to a series of songs inspired by various novels. Her ear for style and hooks is also aided by her years as an audio engineering apprentice at Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas, where she befriended The Killers during sessions for the band’s sophomore album Sam’s Town, and ended up being featured as the model on the cover.

In the meantime, the up-and-coming LaZae continues the hard work of promotion and profile maintenance in a city of up-and-comers and big-screen dreamers, all the while keeping her identity intact, her goals in sight and—most importantly—her original love of the arts alive. As 2016 rolls ahead, she is optimistic and prepared as ever, gearing up for her debut album and a re-release of her original EP. Recently, we had to chance to catch up with LaZae herself to get the lowdown on the source of her work ethic and her plans to kick things up a notch in the coming year.

Felice LaZae

What was your musical upbringing like? Did you always aspire to be a singer?
I actually started out as an athlete. During my time in Sacramento while I was young, I was mainly training in Taekwondo, up to a very elite level. But I always loved music. My grandfather played guitar, and he would play around the house, and he used to play with a lot of musicians in New York. From a young age, my mom would sing songs with me. I would say my family is very musical, but they all chose careers in other areas—education, law, things like that. But they’re all very musically inclined. I was brought up in it, I joined choir along with being involved in sports. Eventually I came to a point where I realized, “I can’t do everything.” I needed to make a choice; I wanted to sing and I wanted to be in the Olympics! [laughs] We moved back up to Sacramento; I was still in high school. My parents were very supportive of what I wanted to do, but they wanted me to find a “smart” way to get into music. My mom didn’t want her daughter floundering in the music industry trying to get her foot in the door. I’d been really interested in the technical side as well, so I decided to graduate early and go right into audio engineering at ARC when I was 15. They have a really good commercial music program, a great way to learn my way around and work the studio. I ended up interning at Velvet Tone Studios with Pat Olguin. It was really transformational.

Is there anything from your Taekwondo training that is useful to your music career today?
I attribute a lot of my focus and discipline to Taekwondo, because those are kind of the main dogmas of Taekwondo when you’re training—discipline, perseverance, etc. I applied it when I decided to focus on music 100 percent. My dad was really involved in my Taekwondo training—we both took our black belt class together. So when I decided to focus on music, he told me that being talented is great, but talent will only get you so far—discipline and practice will get you much further. I took it to heart.

You’ve been making some inroads into the music industry lately, including various awards among L.A. based organizations. How is that going?
Recently I did some work for the Grammy Awards/Ciroc in a promotional performance, and I had some music featured on an HGTV program. As far as making inroads—when you come down to L.A. there’s a lot of people trying to do the same thing, and I think that what will separate you from the crowd—and I’m still working on this, so I’m not quite there yet—is just the perseverance. It’s like we’re going up a mountain, and other people are falling off as we’re climbing this mountain. You just have to keep climbing, keep looking up at the top and not looking down, not getting discouraged by how far you have to go. Just stay focused, because it can be a weaving path that can take some time. And you especially can’t be discouraged by “no.” You’re going to hear a lot of noes before you start hearing “yes.” Lately, I’ve been starting to get a lot more yeses, so I feel pretty good.

What is 2016 set to look like for you?
I think it’ll be pivotal. We’re finishing up the debut album, and we’re remastering the EP and getting it ready for re-release in spring. This last year I’ve been really increasing the amount of shows I’ve been doing and I can only imagine going further in the next year. After the album drops, hopefully that will build up some momentum, and I’ll be busy writing the next wave of material. I’m always thinking about the next thing.

How much does literature and/or film influence your music? Do your songs tend to work around a theme?
There’s definitely a theme behind a lot of my songs. I started out as a storyteller. I’ve been writing stories since I was a little girl. I’ve always been a writer, and I’ve always been singing, but I didn’t put the two together right away. At a very young age I would write poems, stories and I would even attempt to write novels. When I write songs, I think of them as little novels or movies. I’m a big cinephile, and I especially love murder mysteries. I’m a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock and Quentin Tarantino. So I try and make each song a story. I like to think of them as penny dreadfuls. As far a literature goes, I’m a big fan of Paulo Coelho as well, stories that have a lot of mysticism in them, I try to incorporate that into my songs. I like to take stories that may have happened to me and make them into a full-blown tall tale in my music.

Can you tell us about the Book Club Song Series?
I need to start that up again! This was an idea me and one of my best friends Julie Lujano thought would be a great way to combine our love of literature with our love of music. I’ve always known that Julie is a fantastic writer, but we had never sat down and written a song together. You know that feeling you get when you finish a good book and wish you could keep reading it? For me, writing a song about a book I really enjoyed kind of extended the euphoria I felt as I neared the last pages. The book we wrote our first novel-inspired song about is called A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness. We wanted to capture the mysticism and power of the main characters while also capturing their intense love for each other. It was such a completely different way to write a song for me while also being a novel way to examine and explore a book. I really can’t wait to do it again. This past year, the Book Club Song Series has been on hiatus, but we’re going to reboot it very soon.

You’ve been busy getting some of your work licensed for films and TV shows. Do you have control over how they’re used or what media they go into?
Yes and no. I have the control to at least say no. I’m working with a couple different companies right now who are helping with connecting my material to different licensing opportunities. Really, it’s a matter of what they’re looking for, and fortunately, the sound I have kind of lends itself to movies and TV, because that’s what I’m thinking about when I’m writing. It really depends on the person in charge. It’s hard to tell. Last year, with the HGTV commercial, I was really surprised because the song they used had little to do with home and garden—it’s kind of a sexy song! [laughs] But hopefully people will be hearing my songs in movies and on TV a lot more in the next year.

Back in ‘06 you appeared on the cover of The Killers’ Sam’s Town. What’s the story behind that?
So I was working at this recording studio called The Palms as a production assistant. The studio had opened that year, and The Killers were the first band to come in to record. They worked there for about four months, and they’re really just awesome guys. After a while it got to the point where they were like, “Well, we’re done with our session for today, do you guys want to come hang out afterwards?” We went and saw Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails with them. We all became friends, and as they got closer to finishing their album, they had a photo shoot that was planned. The night before the shoot, their product manager gave me a call about possibly being in the album artwork. I wasn’t brought in to be on the cover, I was supposed to be featured somewhere on the sleeve or CD insert. Initially they told me I was just going to be in a white dress, and that was it. But when we got there, the production manager was like, “Would you mind wearing a bikini?” I’d been watching a lot of America’s Next Top Model, and I just told myself, “This is what they expect you to do when you’re a model, it’s OK, you can do this!” Initially, what they wanted me for was to hold up a painting of Brandon Flowers’ grandfather in front of my face, which ended up as the cover for the single “Read My Mind.”

We had a really amazing photographer, Anton Corbin, a legendary photographer. Not bad for one of my first photo shoots! About a month later, I got a call from their product manager saying there was a 95 percent chance that I was going to be on the cover of the album. Apparently nothing clicked in their selection process until someone laid in The Killers logo between me and that goat. [laughs] It was just a matter of being in the right place and the right time, which happens a lot in show business.

You have two chances to catch Felice LaZae around Sacramento this month: Wednesday Feb. 24, 2016 at the Torch Club (904 15th Street) and Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 at H.ART Lounge in Placerville (304 Main Street). For info on these shows and more, check out Felicelazae.com. - Submerge Magazine (cover story in the print version and online article)

By Raina LeGarreta

"With headstrong vocals reminiscent of a combination of Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse and Billie Holiday, captivating performances and expertise in the technical side of the business, the artist is carving her niche in the music industry. She's having a blast doing it."

"Some of the songs are hard-hitting, funk-rock movers that may whisk you back to those classic favorites by funk singer Betty Davis, while others are slower, haunting grooves that may prompt you to sit in a room with your headphones on and sink into the emotions they evoke." - Elk Grove Citizen (print newspaper)

IN A TOWN FILLED WITH performers and entertainers, Felice LaZae stands apart from the crowd. With a rich, soulful voice and exotic looks, this talented young musician is already making a name for herself in an extremely competitive industry. She was recently featured on the cover of Submerge Magazine, and performed at Art Hearts Official After Party for LA Fashion Week in 2015. Her song “I Need to Feel” was featured on an HGTV commercial to promote the hit show “Flip or Flop,” and she was also featured in the official 2015 GRAMMY’s #StepIntoTheCircle promotional teaser and video sponsored by Ciroc. And that’s just the beginning!

Lady Clever spoke with LaZae about growing up in a multicultural family, what inspires her music, and reaching new heights of success in her career.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a musician.
I used to practice Taekwondo at an elite level and, surprisingly, that helped me realize I wanted to be a singer. I always loved singing growing up. I sang in the choir at school and performed in musicals and plays, but I never thought about being a professional singer until I was 12-years-old and sang at a talent show during a week-long Taekwondo training camp. I sang a Puerto Rican classic called “En Mi Viejo San Juan” and won the show. It was my first time singing in front of a crowd and I loved it; I knew I wanted to do it for the rest of my life. A few years later, I graduated from high school early to focus solely on my music. I enrolled at American River College in Sacramento when I was 15, and with my parents’ encouragement, I started studying audio engineering, music business, and classical/jazz voice. From there I interned at Velvet Tone Studios, one of the best studios in Sacramento and owned by Patrick Olguin (who is actually currently mixing/mastering my album). I went on to work at The Banff Centre in Canada, and then eventually at The Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas. All of these experiences behind-the-scenes on the production side really helped me figure out my sound. At the encouragement of various producers and writers I met while working at Palms, I decided to take the leap and move to LA to completely focus on my own music. And here I am now, getting ready to release my first full-length album!

How did your cultural background influence your life and story as a musician?
I’m half Puerto Rican and half African-American. I was born in LA but raised in Sacramento by my mom, who’s a Nuyorican, and my dad, who was from a small town outside of New Orleans. I mention this because their origins really influenced me growing up. My grandparents on both sides would tell me stories about growing up in Puerto Rico or Louisiana, which captured my imagination and really influenced my love for telling stories. And the music! My grandfather was a musician and would always sing Puerto Rican boleros around the house. He really influenced my love for music by always exposing me to classic musicals like The Sound of Music.

How would you describe your sound? Who are your musical influences?
My sound is a mixture of Amy Winehouse, Led Zeppelin, and Janis Joplin. Singers like Billie Holiday and Bette Davis also influenced my vocal styling. My music is a melange of ’70s rock, soul, blues and my love of storytelling. As a songwriter, I love Lauryn Hill, Fiona Apple, and Bob Dylan, but filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock greatly influenced the way I write as well. I also love to infuse a little bit of the mysticism you find in novels by writers like Paulo Coelho and books like Like Water For Chocolate. I started off writing stories as a kid, which grew into writing songs, so storytelling is a huge part of my songwriting.

What are some challenges you’ve encountered along the way?
I think the biggest challenge is just staying focused and persevering no matter what. You hear “no” a lot before you hear “yes” in this industry, so I had to learn really quickly to stay focused on my goals and accept all of the feedback and critiques without feeling hurt. I learned to take the feedback that came along with every “no” and used it to hone in on my sound, pushing me to be better every day.

Tell us more about your involvement in the musical process.
I’m always involved in every aspect of the musical process. I write and co-write all of my music. Because of my background in audio engineering, I’m involved the recording, mixing and mastering process. I have a lot of input regarding the technical process because it’s important to me that the sound is right as an engineer. I love a big, low-end and organic, analog sound.

Which of your songs is your favorite?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite because all of my songs are my little babies. But one of my favorite songwriting stories is about my song “Give It Away.” I wrote it with Tony Ghantous and Jeff Solomon. We started writing it at a beach in Malibu where we came up with the melody and chord progression. We literally started writing it right before we were about to leave the beach so we spent about 10 minutes on it there. Then we went over to Jeff’s house to finish it and the lyrics just poured out. I remember saying: “Guys, let’s not over think this. Let’s just make it fun.” And we wrote the rest of it in 20 minutes. It was one of the fastest songs I’ve ever co-written. And that’s what’s fun about songwriting — every song is a different experience.

What can we expect from you in 2016?
I’m most excited about releasing my full-length album! You can expect to hear a lot more of my music. My team is sending it out for film and TV, and I’m going to be performing more than ever. And once the album is out, I’ll be working on the next one. I’m always writing, so I’m always thinking about the next project. This year my goals are to get my music placed more on TV, commercial and movies, perform at more festivals, and I definitely want to tour across the USA — eventually touring around Europe and the world! - LadyClever.com

"I’ve been seeing Felice LaZae around for the past year online, but when she submitted to have her music reviewed I felt compelled to check out her new EP – Give It Away. Let me tell you…Felice LaZae is incredible! I love her attitude, style, and sound; Felice reminds me of an artist I once worked with years ago named, Pink. The powerful and sassy rock-soul vocals mesh very well with the gritty pop-rock music to make one helluva sound that only the best of the best female artists could pull off.

Both songs Felice submitted, Give It Away and I Need To Feel, sent me on a high that I haven’t felt when listening to female artists in awhile. Both songs are equally abrasive, but individually motivated, so you’re not hearing the same song over and over again, but you’re also getting that consistent sound that you love. Her producer(s) have done a great job of crafting music that is clearly helping Felice tap into the power she has as a vocalist. The combination of grunge guitars and vocal effects, catchy melodies, and well written songs that capture the emotional state that LaZae was in when scribbling out her words is what makes her my top pick for female artist of the summer thus far.

If you’re a fan of great artists like Pink, you’re going to love Felice LaZae. You’ll be hard pressed to find an unsigned female artist who delivers records the way this young lady does. She’s not trying to fit in with the musical cliche’s of the day, but rather Felice is doing her own thing and that’s what makes her special. Take a listen to her music (below) and I dare you to honestly say she’s not good. If you disagree with me, then you’re deaf!" - IAM Entertainment

Joining the ranks of powerhouse music industry women – the kind who know exactly what weapons they wield in the form of vocal might, presence, and prowess – comes Felice LaZae, a blaze of a thing; confident, sharp as nails, and already racing her way to the top. Which is right where she belongs. - youbloom by Shannon Duvall

"The song ['I Need To Feel'] is currently being featured on the commercial for the HGTV show, Flip or Flop. This edgy rock infused song combines her smokey vocal tone with a sound that’s sexy, raw and fun!" - Alima Sanni

Artist Name: Felice LaZae

Genre: Alternative/Rock

Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Website: http://felicelazae.com/home

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/felicelazae

Tour: http://felicelazae.com/shows


I would like to introduce the beautiful Felice LaZae. Felice afforded us the opportunity to interview her and it was great! We’ve went as far as to give her the nickname “Fiery” Felice, because she is reminiscent of that fierce, passionate love that is a more addiction than choice. You hear the fire in her voice, the determination, the pure conviction she wields. Her music seems like it would be the perfect soundtrack to anything you want to do, that you love doing. Whatever you have tasked in front of you will get demolished if you turn on a Felice LaZae. From working out to cleaning your home, if you are listening to “I Need to Feel” you will being doing that activity with an extra pep in your step because of the passion she brings to her craft. It is contagious, and admirable. The production behind her music is fun and brings an energy similar to hers. Since I could not post every one of her songs I had to choose “I Need To Feel,” which is featured on HGTV for the show “Flip or Flop.” I posted the 30 second teaser so you can see how perfectly it blends. If I had to choose a favorite song it is “Flowers” from her Give It Away EP (Which is free to download on her SoundCloud so click here). For someone who brings so much to recording when no one actually sees it, just imagine how awesome her concerts must be… Wait lets not imagine, how about catching a free show for Hunnypot Radio. Yes I said F-R-E-E, free! The show will be this Monday, June 1st at The Mint (6010 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035) Felice will be on at 11:15pm, but show up when the doors open at 7 to catch the other acts.

Full interview below:
Please Don’t Let Felice LaZae Be Misunderstood.
May 29, 2015
TDN: WHAT'S THE MEANING OF LIFE?
Felice: To be happy, to love and to create.
TDN: WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE HAPPY NOW?
Felice: Absolutely. I’m creating the life I want to live. It doesn’t get better than that.
TDN: WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
Felice: I like to unwind with a nice glass of wine or whiskey while watching a great movie,
reading a book or getting sucked into binge watching a really good show.
TDN: WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Felice: It’s really hard for me to be idle so I have lots of hobbies. If I’m not writing a song or
making music, I constantly like to be doing something else. I love doing crafty stuff like
crocheting, cross-stitching and drawing. I love reading (I’m a borderline book hoarder). I
also like to just get lost in playing video games (right now I’m in the middle of finishing
Tomb Raider). And I’m an athlete so I love to do physical stuff like hiking or running.
That really helps clear my mind and keep me focused.
TDN: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PIG-OUT FOOD?
Felice: That’s really hard to say because I LOVE all kinds of food, but if I had to choose one
type, I would say Puerto Rican food, specifically arroz con gandules, pollo fricase, pasteles
and tostones. Being half Puerto Rican, my mom would make the best Puerto Rican food
growing up so it’s a comfort food for me.
TDN: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TOLD A LIE?
Felice: I needed to get my parking validated so I went into one of the stores next to the parking
lot and said I had bought something earlier that day. It was a little white lie. I don’t think
anyone got hurt, right?
TDN: IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL...WHAT ANIMAL WOULD YOU BE?
Felice: A dolphin. I love the vastness of the ocean and I think it would be so liberating to swim
through it freely exploring its mysteries and beauty.
TDN: DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS INTELLIGENT LIFE OUTSIDE OF EARTH?
Felice: Absolutely, the universe is too big for us to be alone. I love watching “Ancient Aliens” so
don’t even get me started on this topic. I could go on theorizing for days.
TDN: DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH?
Felice: I hope so! I’d like to think I’m part of that group of intelligent life!
TDN: WHAT'S THE FIRST SONG YOU EVER REMEMBER HEARING?
Felice: “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound Of Music. I distinctly remember my mom singing
that with me when I was a baby and I would sing the “cuckoo” part on my own.
TDN: WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO LATELY?
Felice: A lot of Alt-J! Their music is mesmerizing and so innovative. It just inspires me to want
to create and push my own musical boundaries.
TDN: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ALL-TIME ALBUM BY ANOTHER ARTIST?
Felice: That’s really hard to choose because I’ve been influenced by so many different albums
and artists. Instead of choosing an all-time favorite, how about the first album that I was
obsessed with? The first time I was really obsessed and analyzed an album from top to
bottom was “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. I think that album really started my
fascination with crafting songs lyrically and melodically. Her words were so poetic and
thoughtful on that album. It really inspired me to start writing my own lyrics and creating
my own songs.
TDN: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION? WHAT DO YOU LIKE
LEAST?
Felice: I love getting to express myself. I’m an artist. I’ve always been an artist. I love creating.
I’ve been creating stories, art and music since I was a very young kid so I can’t imagine
doing anything else with my life. I guess what I like least are the politics in the music
industry, but I guess that really comes with any industry ultimately. I just stay focused on
my craft and creating the best music I can make.
TDN: WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE YOUR PROFESSION?
Felice: I remember the exact moment. I was a kid, sitting, listening to Shakira in my living room
(pre-English cross-over Shakira, when she was a Spanish rock ‘n roller) and I was just so
inspired that she started at such a young age and she wrote all of her own music. At the
time, I was a black belt in Taekwondo and was competing on an international level. I had
just won the gold medal in the US Open and bronze at the Junior Olympics and I was trying
to decide if I should dedicate my training to being in the Olympics one day or if I wanted to
stop and focus on being a singer and musician. That moment listening to Shakira helped
me make my decision. That’s when I decided to focus on my music and pursue it as a
career.
TDN: WHEN ARE YOU COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH YOUR WORK?
Felice: When it’s done. When we’ve mixed and mastered it and I don’t have to tell people that
we need to fix something in the mix because we’ve already fixed it! My background is
audio engineering so I’m a big perfectionist when it comes to the molding the aural tapestry
of a song.
TDN: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING?
Felice: I started writing in elementary school. My earliest memory was writing in my diary when
I was in 2nd grade. And then I graduated to writing poetry and mystery novels. I loved
mystery stories. I still do! In 4th grade I declared that I would be the youngest published
novelist ever. It didn’t happen, but I wrote a lot of mystery stories in the process. I started
writing actual songs as a teenager. It brought together my love of writing and singing and
challenged me to condense a story into 3 minutes. I instantly fell in love with the process.
TDN: HOW DO YOU OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK?
Felice: Taking a break is ok. I think it’s good to go out for walk or play some video games or
watch a movie and leave writing completely. Doing other stuff and living creates
inspiration. But I stay mindful of how long I give myself a break so as not to start avoiding
my work completely. Eventually I just have to come back, sit myself down and attack the
page. I tell myself it’s ok if it sucks. I constantly have to tell myself that because I’m a
perfectionist. I write because it fulfills me and makes me feel good. It doesn’t mean every
song is a winner, but that’s ok. It’s a process.
TDN: HOW MUCH DO YOU DRAW ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU WRITE?
Felice: I draw on my own experience a lot when writing, but I also love telling stories. I’m a
huge cinephile as well as a big reader so both really inspire my writing. I like to create
little movies with my songs.
TDN: WHAT WORK ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Felice: The latest song I’ve written. Really. I get so excited and proud of the new things I write.
It’s a rush seeing new ideas blossom into a full-blown song. Even if it’s not the best song
I’ve ever written, I get excited about the prospect of what it can become and it makes me
really proud and excited to be a creator.
TDN: OTHER THAN THE PEOPLE YOU'RE WITH NOW, IF YOU COULD GET ANY
MUSICIAN, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD BE IN YOUR "DREAM BAND?"
Felice:
● Jack White on guitar, piano and whatever the fuck he wants because he’s an alien from
outer space.
● Bradley Nowell on guitar and vocals because he had so much soul.
● Abraham Laboriel Jr. because he’s played drums for some of my favorite artists of all time
like Fiona Apple and Paul McCartney, need I say more?
● And speaking of Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney on bass would be the dopest thing ever.
● Tom Morello - his guitar solos are so sick. Nuff said.
TDN: WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
Felice: A full-length album, music videos, touring and not unlike Pinky and the Brain, trying to
take over the world! - The Duly Noted

"Who is Felice LaZae?
I’m an all-around artist. I love singing and writing music, but I also love writing stories, drawing, crocheting and making things with my hands in general. I’m passionate about the environment and healthy living, but don’t get me wrong, I’m a total foodie! I think life is all about balance and I try to find balance in everything I do." - Symphonic Distribution Blog

"Her rich and smokey vocals can be heard on her new EP 'Give it Away'–a bluesy rock infused song that takes the listener through the transformative experience of a character as she goes through the highs and lows of a relationship." - Alima Sanni

In-studio interview and performance at Pasadena City College's Lancer Radio Network on May 6, 2016. - Lancer Radio Network

Q: How would you describe your
music and where do you draw
your inspiration?
A: My music is about empowerment.
It's about being badass
and owning it. Growing up I
was always drawn to strong
female singer/songwriters like
Alanis Morrisette, Fiona Apple
and Lauryn Hill because they
comforted me through my
struggles with being bullied
and being an outsider at school.

Q: Your new EP, Prologue just
came out. Congratulations, you
must be so excited! Where can we
hear it and what can you tell us
about it?
A: So excited! It's been a labor
of love and I just can't wait to
share it. It came out on Friday
10/14 and is available on iTunes. I'm a storyteller
at heart so it's called Prologue because like a prologue
in a book, it's an introduction to a larger
story of songs. I like to exaggerate reality by telling
tall tales through song. So you won't get just
a straightforward breakup story from me. I like
it to feel like you're watching a movie when you
close your eyes and listen to my songs.

Q: Do you have a favorite song on the EP?
A: Th at's like asking a mother to ask who her favorite
child is! So this album has 5 songs (plus an
acoustic version of one of the songs) so it's like I
have 5 kids. They're all different with unique personalities
that I love in different ways. I just can't pick. I'm so proud
of all of them.

Q: Your own EP isn’t the first CD cover featuring your image.
We understand that you were on the Killer’s 2006 Sam’s Town
CD album artwork. How did that come about?
A: Yes! Let me tell you, I look at the multi-platinum plaque for that album everyday as inspiration. It was such a surreal
experience when it happened. I was working as a production assistant at Th e Studio at Palms in Las Vegas and they
were recording Sam's Town. Th e whole staff , including I, became friends with the band. And towards the end of their
time there fi nishing up the album, they just asked me if I wanted to model in the shoot for their album artwork. Th e
intention was never to put me on the cover, but when the photographer showed them the mockup with me on it with
their logo, they told me they knew that was the cover.

Q: You recently shot a music video for your new song “I Need To Feel”. What can we expect to see there?
A: It's going to be sexy and about owning your inner queen. Very expressive about breaking the binds and letting out
your inner sexy beast. It's about being a badass bitch and oozing that bad assery.

Q: The same song “I Need To Feel” was featured on HGTV to
promote their show, “Flip or Flop”. What was it like hearing
your music on such a popular show and how did that come
about?
A: Th at felt so good! Especially since they gave me credit on
the commercial so my friends and family kept texting and
sending messages that they saw it. Funny thing is, I submitted
for the opportunity, but they didn't want super sexy
songs, but they did want a funky love song so I thought, well
why not. "I Need To Feel" is pretty sexy, but they chose it
anyway! Th at was a big surprise and I'm so thankful.

Q: Not only are you yourself very fashion forward, but you
were even selected to perform at LA Fashion Week's “Art Hearts
Fashion” Official After Party. Tell us about that experience.
A: Th at was really fun! I had never been to any fashion week
events before so getting to go for the whole experience was
so amazing. Fashion is just another form of artistic expression
and I think music and fashion inspire each other. Th e
best part of performing at the after party was the energy
from the crowd. That and the fact that the venue at The
Study in Hollywood is filled with books on the walls from
floor to ceiling. Th at's like my dream room. I'm a major book
addict. I love reading and own way too many books.

Q: How do you select what you wear for your performances and
how do your fashion choices add to the quality of your shows?
A: I love being able to express myself through fashion but
also be functional when I'm stage. I'm really a tomboy so
you'll see me wearing lots of boots and leather, but I also love
rocking skirts and dresses. And one of my favorite staples
are hats. I'm so lucky to work with some amazing stylists
like Chantal Dube who styled the shoot for this article and
Amber Ross who styled the music video for “I Need To Feel”.

Q: You are constantly performing all over the west coast. When
can we expect a statewide Felice LaZae tour?
A: Soon! We're actually planning dates now. I'm going to be
performing in SoCal up to NorCal from October-November.
Dates will be up at FeliceLaZae.com/shows soon.

Q: Of all the venues you’ve performed, which performances and
locations stick out the most to you?
A: I just performed at a really cool bar called the Iron
Door Saloon and it was so unique because it's in the middle
of nowhere in a tiny town called Groveland so I was
performing for locals, but also tourists from all over the
world visiting Yosemite nearby. And that town can rock! I
wanted to jump off stage and start dancing with the crowd.
They were on their feet the whole show! I'll be back there
on November 11th as well as the ITSA Film Festival in the
same area that weekend and I just can't wait. That kind of
energy gives me life.

Q: Tell us about your band members. How did you all come together?
A: Because I'm a solo artist, I have a constantly rotating
band depending on where I'm playing and what type of
show it is. I'm so lucky to work with some amazing musicians.
Most of them are my friends that I've met through
working in music and some of them even co-wrote or
played on songs on my EP.

Q: When and how did you decide to pursue a career in the arts?
A: I was an athlete growing up. I sparred competitively
in Taekwondo and even went to the junior Olympics 3
times and won the US open in my division when I was
13. Th e first time I performed in front of a crowd was at
a Taekwondo training camp in Colorado Springs. They
had a talent show at the end of the camp and I sang in
front of a crowd of about 100. I was hooked aft er that.
A couple years later, I decided that I needed to make a
choice - train to be in the Olympics or focus on music. I
chose music.

Q: Any advice for up and coming wannabe performers?
A: Stick to it. You're climbing a mountain and as you
climb you'll see people around you falling off but you
can't get discouraged. You hit bumps and fall down the
mountain a little but you just find your footing and keep
going. You have to have perseverance. Stay focused on
the goal, find mentors, ask questions, don't be afraid to
evaluate your music and figure out how to make it better.
And believe in your dreams. I know that sounds corny,
but no one will believe in you until you do.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: Making more music, touring, releasing a full LP, conquering
the world like Pinky and Th e Brain.

Q: Where can fans go to learn more about you and stay up
to date on your events?
A: My website at FeliceLaZae.com or follow me on my socials.
I'm @FeliceLaZae everywhere - Instagram, Twitter,
Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube. - Flip Magazine