NYC-born, LA-based EZI may be young (23) but she has been working for over a decade, quietly inching her way towards a career in entertainment by making one D.I.Y. move after another of her own volition. She began recording music when she was 15 and following a chance encounter with Steve Madden at the Soho Steve Madden Store, the songstress signed a deal with his label, 5 Town Records, as its inaugural signee. She went on to compose her AFRAID OF THE DARK EP. Acclaim and support from Refinery29, Earmilk, The Line of Best Fit, and more followed. In August EZI was named the face of Steve Madden’s national Madden Girl campaign, the first
EZI is excited to release her beguiling new single, “Need You Like That” via 5 Town Records. It is the first taste of an upcoming EP, largely inspired by her experience growing up as a young woman in America whose family immigrated from USSR. While writing, EZI was drawn to her father’s story, a classical violinist who arrived in the US in 1981 with just $200 and his violin.
Of the track she notes, “This song is about temptation, but keeping the lyrics ambiguous was very much an intentional choice. I made it on a whim at 1am in a basement room in New York and really stepped away from myself when making it. I eventually asked my dad to come join me in the studio and play violin on the track, which made the whole experience very special.”
EZI may be young (23) but she has been working for over a decade, quietly inching her way towards a career in entertainment by making one D.I.Y. move after another of her own volition. Born Esther Zyskind she changed her name to Zynn as she launched a childhood acting career. Born to immigrants, she came to embrace an outsider perspective and decided to act “in order to escape.” By 16, she had begun writing songs with a producer friend in the city. Amidst chaos at home and difficulty in school due to dyslexia, she admittedly found solace in music. She notes, “For the first time, I basically got rid of any backup plan that I had, went against everything my parents taught me, and walked off a cliff,” she admits. “I felt stuck. However, I needed to do more. So, I cut and dyed my hair and wrote and recorded songs. It was my first opportunity not to conform.” Another name change was in order and Esther became EZI.
Following a chance encounter with Steve Madden at the Soho Steve Madden Store, those songs earned the songstress a deal with 5 Town Records as its inaugural signee and went on to comprise her AFRAID OF THE DARK EP. Acclaim and support from Refinery29, Earmilk, The Line of Best Fit, and more followed. In August EZI was named the face of Steve Madden’s national Madden Girl campaign (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqP1bn8bc2s), the first artist to have this honor.