INTERVIEW WITH IZZY REIGN BY ISABELLA AMBROSIO
Izzy Reign describes her own artistry as “chaotic.”
And it’s true. In its enchanting and mesmerizing nature, solo artist Izzy Reign showcases seamless transitions between unlikely elements that craft a symphony of melodies and harmonies on her debut self-titled record on FiXT. To the brain behind Izzy Reign, Kristin Matzkows, “being proud of being weird” allowed for this dance over the fine line between metalcore’s brutal instrumentals and synthesizers’ explorative potential, and Izzy Reign has both feet planted firmly on either side of an unlikely line between EDM and metal.
Matzkows had pursued other projects within rock before the creation of her newest project, doing “the power vocals and the harsh vocals for a while.” But now, she’s pushing her own boundaries, working with producers Jon Eberhard and Nick Matzkows. Aiming “to incorporate more of what [she] genuinely loves and grew up on,” Reign found an equilibrium between her childhood love of R&B and techno and her roots in rock, “Izzy Reign is a combination of both of those things.”
The debut record bends and weaves through hyperpop, EDM, trance, techno, nu metal, and metalcore. Reminiscent of Bambie Thug, Nova Twins, ALT BLK ERA, PVRIS, it’s everything all at once, meticulously tuned to craft an osmosis of unexpected sound. She didn’t want to put herself “in a box” with Izzy Reign, but, “to be weird, but also cohesive.” Modern music can be methodical, following the same structure, something Izzy Reign grapples with throughout her self-titled record—dangling your expectations in your face, and when least expected, pulling the rug from underneath you.
The soundscapes within the record refuse to serve as a mere background, as she coasts through anecdotes that analyze and reflect on what it means to be human. “Every single song that I wrote was pre-therapy me. So, it’s all about my own inner demons,” Reign acknowledges. However, she also understands how applicable it can be to others, morphing her own personal experience with the idea to “make this story as big as I can so that as many people can relate to it as possible.”
The humanity within the lyricism is reflected in its chaotic sound, reflecting on and cultivating a sonic world beyond just an atypical soundscape that mirrors our reality. And to Reign, that is most vital. To her, a good song is “a song that tells you a story without having to have lyrics in it.”
In tandem with her innate need “to portray different types of scenarios and emotions through the music itself” and her eclectic experience with genres, Izzy Reign showcases her ability to craft a world that knows no bounds. “Whatever fits this emotion that I want to portray, that’s what I’m going to put in this song.”
Even with the introduction of EDM and R&B, her metal roots allowed for an even more emotive material. “Because I came from metal, I wanted to keep that as the core to a lot of my stuff, but I actually wanted it to be more intense.” And, because there were parts in the new project that didn’t have the same amount of signature chuggy bass and intense riffs, Reign wanted it “to be more into the metal [sound] forthe parts that we were going to be using metal [techniques].”
Capturing the heart that makes rock and metal so palpable, Reign constructs a lyrical world in which humanity is united in its brokenness, highlighting all that makes us human. Izzy Reign dives into the influence of society andits pressures, mental illnesses and internal struggles, existential dread, and feeling small. It’s vulnerable to be so open, but it was “with the purpose of wanting other people to relate, or figure out it is normal to feel those things, and you will keep going if you want to. And you should.”
Tracks like “Broken by Design” and “Into Oblivion” tackle the experience of living with mental illnesses such as OCD, whereas “The Sunken Place” explores how manipulation can affect our survival instincts as humans, and “Your Entertainer” looks at the lack of humanity awarded to those in the public eye.
A conceptualized record from writing to production, Reign had a hand in all of it no matter what it took for her to do so. “I’m one of those people who have a bit of a control problem,” she laughs, “So, I always want to make sure I know what I need to do or how to do it, just in case someone else can’t or isn’t quite picking up on what I’m trying to do.” Having been taught the ins and outs of producing and programming throughout the process, Reign’s creative force became unstoppable. “I feel like the creative direction of the album was easier to pursue because I was able to put in what I was thinking or feeling myself instead of doing, ‘do whatever sounds cool.’”
Poignant soundscapes swirl and enchant as synths call like sirens, interrupted and blended with metal riffs, throughout Izzy Reign’s debut record, crafting one of the most head spinning records of 2025 so far. Completely intentional with each transition and infusion of techniques, Izzy Reign is unafraid of boundaries or vulnerability, because in her eyes, “You’re here now. Do it anyway.”
