“Rollerskating, it’s only going ’round in circles”

We’ve all had that feeling before – stuck in a rut, not knowing how to take the rollerskates off. Indie pop’s favorite bad girl Sizzy Rocket comes to terms with that on her new single “Rollerskating”. It’s a refreshing change of pace for the singer-songwriter, a mellower side she hasn’t shown much of since she emerged in the mid-2010s. It’s certainly a feeler, but also a windows-down kind of tune. So give it a spin, maybe take a moment to reflect, but remember the rink door is always right around the corner.

Words by Andy Gorel
Photos by Dalton

It’s been a while since we last caught up for C-Heads. You released an album last year, GRRRL. How has that album changed things for you?

Making GRRRL was such a process of self-discovery. That whole era, from writing the record to booking the tour to putting the show together to learning how to sell and package merch, it all really taught me about my own resilience. I pride myself on it now. I felt confident and re-energized after creating that record, so much so that we flew to NYC for the punk sessions, wrote and recorded the new record, and booked a second tour all within 3 months immediately after the release. I felt my own power for the first time.

You’re currently in the midst of releasing new music, the first two singles this year, “THAT BITCH” and “Smells Like Sex,” were a bit heavier than “Rollerskating.” Have you been sitting on these singles for a while?

I wrote the new album last fall over the course of eight days, in two separate chunks — I did a four day stint in Downtown LA and then another four days in Laurel Canyon. I didn’t expect to sit on these songs for, like, all of 2020, as that’s not really my style… but you have to go with the flow of life, I guess.

What sets the new music apart from GRRRL?

GRRRL was a feather, lightly tickling your nose and the new record is a bitch slap.

Your new single, “Rollerskating,” is pretty emotional. Where’d the inspiration for it come from?

I swear that song was written in about 15 minutes. Here’s the thing — I had one true love in my early 20s when I lived in New York and my writing partner, Eric Leva, knows that story pretty well. I believe that your first true love sets the tone for every other kind of love you’ll ever have. It’s deep. I assume we were talking about it that day when Eric and I were writing in the loft, but it’s hard to explain because it feels like we blinked and the whole thing was recorded already! I guess that’s how the best songs happen. You can feel them deeply with no explanation needed.

“I believe that your first true love sets the tone for every other kind of love you’ll ever have.”

You’ve been able to continue having a high output while being an independent artist over the past few years. How do you do it?

How do I do it? I just do it. The DOING is key. I don’t know, maybe it comes from no one ever being motivated enough to do anything for me early in my career so I had to learn to do it on my own. And I LOVE this shit. Like, I love calculating merch prices, keeping the books, and studying analytics. Why can’t I do it all?

But here’s my process: If I need something done, I break it down into a series of questions and then write down the answers. It’s pretty simple. For example, WHAT do I want? I want to make vinyl. HOW do I make vinyl? By pressing my album on vinyl. WHAT do I need to do that? Someone who knows how to press vinyl. Start slowly. The internet is also a very powerful tool. You can learn to do anything on your own and it’s kind of fun!

You also have become a champion for zine culture among your fans. What’s it been like being able to connect with people on a level beyond music and keep a community together in that way?

I’m so grateful that my zines are connecting with other grrrls. It’s so validating. That kind of confidence is so important when you’re young and just discovering your creativity. I first discovered riot grrrl and zine culture when I was seventeen and it really helped me to develop my style and voice, so being able to see that come full circle is beyond fulfilling. I actually have a collaborative zine coming out with a fan’s zine! It’s going to be so sentimental and badass!

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