We spoke to soulful singer Jazzu, who unveiled her new single ‘Razor Blade’ on 18 October 2024, via the Creative Industries imprint. Over her two-decade career, Jazzu has garnered over 50 million streams, won an MTV Award, and triumphed at the 2019 M.A.M.A Music Awards for Best Album, Best Music Video, and Best Pop Artist. She has shared the stage with Grammy-winning band Koop and opened for Rita Ora in Lithuania. Featured in major Lithuanian outlets like 15min and Delfi, Jazzu is regarded as a timeless icon at home. Since 2019, she has toured her Welcome concert annually and served as a judge on Lithuanian X-Factor. For her single ‘Razor Blade’ she collaborated with renowned London producer Anthony Marshall, promising more new music soon. Influenced by Moloko, Amy Winehouse, and Whitney Houston, her distinct Pop and R&B sound appeals to fans of soulful icons like Adele and Tyla.
Stream ‘Razor Blade’ while you read our interview with Jazzu below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
The realization came very early that music is my path, it was simply a gift, brought from a past life, it is my mission, my nature. My rest in peace grandmother has been teaching me music since birth, and I am extremely grateful to her for her support and guidance. I understand the world through the language of feelings. And music is the language of emotions and the greatest freedom of the soul.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
Everything is creation, it’s just always happening. In any case, the idea is born when you hear a sound, when you play a chord, and it’s the other way around – you already have an idea and you can’t wait to put it into a song. My songs are found in chaos but born in silence. Only when I get drunk on the colors of life, I close myself in silence and put that chaotic life into songs.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
In the past I worked with many different producers, but the biggest encouragement to continue singing was when I got an offer to sing with my favorite band at the time, it’s called Koop. Now I write songs with a person with whom we have an unreal flow and friendship – Anthony Marshall. And I am completely open to the world and new collaborations. It is just important that a person resonates.
What’s on your current playlist?
Since I live a very intense time in music, there is usually silence at home. In the evenings, I quietly play jazz classics. I like to clear my mind with Mozart, Chopin… I start my days with medicine music from shaman ceremonies.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
It took me years to accept love. I used to think that I was born to give and I didn’t fully understand what it means to take. My fans taught me self-love, kept this understanding in me – that I am worthy of love. Every time that wave of energy happens between me and my listeners, a miracle happens and I truly believe that the world becomes a more beautiful place to live precisely because of this connection.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
I come from classical music – I played piano for years. Then I started singing and graduated from a university jazz performance course in London. I started creating electronic music, I learned from a jazz masters… I listened to a lot of electro, soul, and gospel. Very eclectic! I just allowed myself to experience and experiment. And that formed my unique sound.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Well, in the past we used to take good whiskey or red wine, I would sit and record for days and nights, I would not sleep because of the intensity of the creative flow. Now that I have a child and my bohemian youth has turned into motherhood, I am extremely focused in the studio because I have to divide my time wisely. I much prefer concerts to studio time though. I equated studio time to meditation, giving birth. Therefore being on stage – for enlightenment and growth.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
Such moments happen every time I stand on stage. I feel shivers and realize that I am on my way. I felt it strongly for the first time when I won my first jazz competition – then it seemed to me that such evaluations are extremely important for my career. Now I just live every day being grateful for music and the desire to sing and create that music.
Any emerging artists on your radar?
I’m in love with Joji 🙂
What gets your creative juices flowing?
People and relationships with them. They are like codes I’m decoding while writing songs. Nature – because it’s so powerful and beautiful, reminding me that we are transformative beings, we can change and choose every moment again and again. Dreams – I have really intense astral traveling, so I’m getting reminded a lot of the beauty of being a multidimensional being.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
My first international releases + videos, and official launch party in Mandrake Hotel, London, much more active social media presence and preparing for my acoustic tour.
Famous last words?
Follow your heart!I know it sounds cliche, but the more I live, the more monkey minds are quiet and the heart takes over 🙂 So it keeps coming to my heart everytime, again and again.
Follow Jazzu:
Instagram – Facebook – Soundcloud – TikTok – Youtube – Spotify
