Check Out Zivi Records’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zivi Records.

Hi Zivi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m Zivi, an artist and producer in the music and media space, living between LA, CA and Santa Fe, NM. I was born at home on a sunny day after a snow storm. My mom played music so there was always a piano at home and I’d often spend hours trying out melodies or chords even before I knew what a triad was. My family sang together often as well which I think helped me find my voice at a young age. By the time I was 11 or 12 I started recording my myself and my friends and distinctly remember thinking “that’s what I wanted to do when I grow up” – make records. Flash forward 10 years and I’d been playing bass, drums and some guitar in various bands from ska-punk to post-rock to baroque pop as well as writing simple tunes of my own. I’d just finished a degree in music business with a focus on production, moved to Chicago and produced my first record for a band called The Photographers. After a year in the cold, LA was calling and I moved there with my partner, Kelsey, to pursue a career in visual art via our collaborative agency, Describe The Fauna. I kept music largely to myself, hosting DJ nights, jamming with friends at my practice space called No Pressure, and infrequently performing originals at various open mics (and remote campsites). In 2018 I gathered my favorite original tunes I’d amassed and started recording them at various LA studios with a host of incredible collaborators. Everything, though intentional, followed a serendipitous path, opening up and making sense as it took form. A few years (and a pandemic) later I’d finished pressing my debut solo album to vinyl, opened a recording studio/retreat in Santa Fe, NM at a house my grandparents built, and was heading out on tour with an incredible group of musicians backing me up to open for bands like Geese, Phantom Planet, Mikaela Davis and many more. Now I’m working on a follow up album & producing records for friends and new collaborators alike. I love being in the studio and making decisions from a place of ‘I’ve been there’, mixed in with years of listening, feeling, and caring deeply about music.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road here has been long and at times confusing but it’s taught me patience most of all. I’m so lucky to have a creative and supportive partner who is also practical and reasonable. It’s hard to imagine getting through all this without her. I really believe that if you live your life with openness, gratitude and a clear focus, the universe will provide what you need and you will be happy. The harder you pry, the more resistance you’re often faced with. Flow, stay true.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been saying recently that I want to help artists get their recorded music to a place where they’re excited to share it with the world. I think that’s really the job of the producer. It’s certainly a title that gets thrown around a lot and can mean many things, but that’s the definition that fits best in my practice. So whether it’s helping to strengthen a song from a melodic/harmonic/lyrical perspective, or deciding on instrumentation/tone/arrangement, it’s all up for discussion and the goal is reflective of whatever the artist’s intentions are. The idea is to challenge everyone to discuss all the pieces along the way, from the song ideation to sending the finished song and artwork off to a distributor. I don’t want to be too heavy handed because I want to preserve as much of the artist as possible, but I do think that all the music I work on has a bit of my ‘sound’ in it. It’ll be cool to see how that resonates when I have hundreds of cuts to my name.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Since releasing my indie-alt debut record in late 2023, I’ve been producing more music, exploring a live improvisational/ambient practice alongside visual art shows, and DJing vintage world, jazz, and experimental vinyl records out at hifi bars, while also touring my original music with a varying 3-8 piece band & working on a follow up record of my own. Lots going on and so gratifying to be involved in so many aspects of music creation and appreciation. Also while continuing to contribute to a visual art practice (s/o Describe The Fauna!) with my partner. Art is life!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zivi.rocks
• Instagram: @zivirecords
• Facebook: @zivirecords
• Twitter: @zivirecords
• Youtube: @zivirecords

Image Credits
Photos by Describe The Fauna