'I'm a very emotional person': Liza on writing stirring love songs

The Block27:40Liza Interview

Love is often at the core of Toronto R&B singer Liza's music, and her latest EP, The Alternate Ending, is filled with soulful slow jams about falling in love and out of it.

"I love romance," she tells The Block's host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe.

Liza recently performed at TD Music Hall, serenading the crowd with heartfelt songs from the project. Ahead of her concert, she joined Tetteh-Wayoe in studio for an interview about the show and her new music.

You can hear the full interview above and read an excerpt below.

That is "Back for More" featuring Tobi, from my guest in studio, Liza. So I heard that the song was created in [a] ... very organic [way], and Tobi's featured on it. So how did you two end up doing this song together?

Firstly, love Tobi.

Yes.

He's probably one of my closest artist friends, [and] friends just in general. [He's] such an amazing person, [and an] amazing creative. And literally, [it] was just a day [when he] goes, "Wanna go to the studio?" and I'm like, "Sure, why not?"

How did you two meet?

Oh, I think one of my first shows. We [were] on the same bill. That was years ago. I had one song out and I was like, "Hi, I'm Liza," and he's like, "Hey." He's super cool and I was this awkward, shy girl. And then, I don't know, [we were in the] music scene, doing shows together, sessions [in] the Toronto area and then being in L.A. together, we just hang out as friends outside of music and we go to the gym together. We just do a lot together.

Homies. 

Yeah. For real. 

I love it. And you mentioned while the song was playing, that this [song] style was out of character for you.

I think it was maybe not out of character, but it allowed me to explore a new character.

You said it was fast.

Yeah. 

That's what you said, but you don't make fast music. You're not trying to pack the dance floor.

In time. You know what it is? I think I'm a very emotional person. I love writing really deep emotional things. And I naturally listen to very slow songs, even on my happiest days. I don't know why I do that, but I enjoy slow songs, and I think maybe it's because I listened to a lot of Ethiopian jazz growing up [and] a lot of R&B.

But I think with this song, I remember we [were] in the studio. It was just so easy and it was so quick. It came really, really easy to us. And I was like, "Oh, this is kind of lit." When we heard the beat [I thought] "oh, this kind of fire." We worked with an amazing producer, WaveIQ, in L.A. and and then we never thought about it past that day. And then I was like, "Wait a second." And it was actually a friend of mine who heard it and was like, "You should put this out, you think?" And then that's how that kind of happened.

And now it's out and we love it.

Thank you.

We've been spinning it like crazy. And of course it's found on your new EP, The Alternate Ending. And apparently — this is not surprising to me — you love rom-coms. So, [let's] talk to you about the title.

So I love movies. I love romance. I love love. I love meet cutes. I love dropping [a] $5 bill and [hoping] someone picks it up at the same time at the coffee shop. [It] hasn't happened to me yet, but...

Manifest.

Exactly.

Everything is meant to help you grow and evolve into the person you're meant to become.- Liza

But, you know, it's funny because when I think of [an] alternate ending, I always think about when people actually went out and bought the DVD of the movie. And then you can choose an alternate ending. 

That's kind of what it was inspired by. So, I actually have a list of all the movies I've watched in my lifetime in alphabetical order, because I love movies.

Girl.

No, I'm serious, I love it. I love movies so much. And I think sometimes I will watch a movie and be like, "No, the ending should have ended like this, or he should have moved away or she should have ended up with that person." And I create my own ending in my head. And then I feel sometimes, I apply that to life, where ... I put myself in a loop or do the same thing over because I saw the ending that I wanted, and I keep doing it until I get the right ending.

And it's something that I'm working on and something that I've had to learn. Because at the end of the day, your ending is how it's supposed to be. And I think that was kind of the learning process I had throughout this project of [thinking], "Okay, so maybe there is an alternate ending [and] the way that things happen, the way that things unfold, is how [it's] meant to be." Everything is meant to help you grow and evolve into the person you're meant to become. And I think, yeah, that's kind of why I wanted to name it that.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. To hear the full interview, listen to The Block on CBC Music.