Meet Liz Fohl

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Fohl.

Liz, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born and raised in Indiana, I honed my skills at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I released my first EP at age 13 and have done many records/releases since then. I moved out to Los Angeles in 2010 for a studio internship. During that time, I worked as Tinkerbell and Cinderella for children’s parties, as well as spent my evenings two stories underneath the sound booth running the cameras at The Greek Theater. Currently (when life is operating normally) I travel to different cities every weekend performing at dueling piano bars. During the week, I write music for tv shows (I just completed a season for a Comedy Central show, it was a blast!).

I’m very excited about this new original project; I’ve got new batch of songs I’m really excited about. I wrote/finished writing most of them totally isolated during a grant residency program in the dead of winter on Martha’s Vineyard. It’s also the first time I am self-producing my own work; it’s been a very exploratory process and I’m inspired by the textures I’ve created to complement the writing. The first single is called Loose Ends and comes out in June, with the rest to follow soon after!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My career has bounced around a little bit, and I know some people’s paths, especially more traditional jobs, can be like ladders or semi-straight lines. But I like to think mine it as a bowl of spaghetti. One thing I’ve always felt very sure about is that it’s always been music. Being a woman in a predominantly male industry inadvertently comes with its challenges, but the overwhelming majority of my experiences have been positive and ones of growth. Also, just moving here and being super broke for years; it forces you to get creative and learn to be as self-sufficient as possible.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
My specialty is creating the right music for the moment. When I’m on stage for a dueling pianos show, I’m playing whatever the audience requests (and I mean WHATEVER. They can get crazy! You expect Billy Joel and Elton… but you’ll also get Metallica, Gaga, The Pokemon Theme Song, etc.); I’m bringing people on stage to roast/celebrate them for their birthday… it’s a fantastic feeling to do a good job in that circumstance and know you’re creating the environment in which everyone is having a great time.

In contrast, when I’m home during the week, I’m in my little studio working on all kinds of things. Custom podcast music, music for commercials, tv placements, music for meditation courses, other artists’ work, and my own project. I think that’s what I’m most proud of – being a self-employed musician. Balancing live performance and composing work; they’re like cross training for each other. There were several years when I only played live, I wasn’t happy. Then there were a handful where I only focused on writing and I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t until I found the right balance that things started to feel sustainable/good from a mental health standpoint, and that’s when my productivity excelled.

I think what sets me apart is my ability to create textures. I love toying with live instruments, with programmed sounds, but also with my voice to create new vibes. Maybe I have a specific sound in my head, and sometimes there’s a clear line to that sound, but I also like to explore the long path to that sound. Sing the string part, run it through two or three patterned delays, a guitar amp, crunch it. Maybe you go back to the original strings, maybe it’s perfect. Maybe it leads you down a new line. My favorite part of writing and producing is that exploration phase!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I have an unbelievable net of fantastic humans who are supportive and always willing to give me the “snap out of it, just do it, it’s worth it” message I need. And my family, both natural and chosen. And not to be cheesy, but the broader network of the internet. Being able to see, listen, study, and absorb what my peers, my “Goals People” are doing is invaluable and inspiring. And sometimes it feels overwhelming and scary, but then I see some clip of an artist I’ve never heard of perfectly merging funky and make-me-cry-beauty and I feel really sparked again!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lizfohl.com
• Instagram: @lizfohl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizfohlmusic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lizfohl?lang=en

Image Credit:
All photos by Liz Fohl except the “head on guitar shot, white room, black outfit, widows + box” photo – the fantastic Chris Ruggiero! A great friend!

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.