12. How to Build an Artist Brand Without Losing Yourself, with Kirsten Izer

Kirsten Izer isn’t trying to find her sound; she’s already living in it. Her debut EP The Perfect Hire is a genre-blurring, emotionally precise collection that pulls just as much from ambient indie pop as it does from confessional folk and sludgy alt-rock. In this conversation, we unpack how Kirsten built this body of work from the ground up: writing, co-producing, self-directing her visuals, and filtering every choice through her exacting taste. She opens up about moving through heartbreak, making space for imperfection, and the long game of building a real career while holding a full-time job. Through it all, Kirsten shows us what it means to take your time and still show up with something undeniable.We Chat About:The emotional and sonic process behind The Perfect HireLetting go of old versions of songs (and self) to stay true to the visionLearning to shut out noise and trust your gut as a young artistHow heartbreak and mental health show up in her lyricsBuilding a cohesive visual aesthetic without losing authenticityThe balance between promoting and preserving your mental healthWhy she’s staying active post-release instead of disappearingTouring dreams, pop girlies, and what she listens to on repeatAbout Kirsten Izer:Kirsten Izer has been writing songs since she was 11-years-old. Born in New Jersey to visual artist parents, Izer has always felt a deep need to tell stories. Her father taught her the chords to Pink Floyd’s “Vera”, the same chords she used to teach herself a Taylor Swift song. Since then, her inspiration has expanded to the likes of Kate Bush, St. Vincent, Caroline Polachek and more; it is still that same juxtaposition that shows up in her work today—an equal amount of affection for an instrumental break, but also a well-told story. After a five year stint in New York as a music publicist and journalist, Izer decided it was time to tell her own story as an artist and packed her bags for Los Angeles. She’s released various singles and self-directed music videos to much acclaim, and is gearing up to release her debut EP, The Perfect Hire, on June 5, 2025.Connect with Kirsten Izer:Instagram: @thekirstenizerYouTube: Kirsten IzerTikTok: @thekirstenizerSpotify: Kirsten IzerConnect with Julian:Check out the “loves music” podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julian.jones.9484Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417Buy my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6QYX6RLMusic Mentioned in this Episode:Songs:“The Perfect Hire” – Kirsten Izer“The Messenger” – Kirsten Izer“Electric Blue” – Kirsten Izer“You” – Kirsten Izer“Vera” – Pink Floyd“Sweater Weather” – The Neighbourhood“Pink Pony Club” – Chappell Roan“RIP KP” – King PrincessArtists & Bands:Caroline PolachekLady GagaAddison RaeSt. VincentKate BushTaylor SwiftMy Chemical RomanceBig ThiefAvril LavigneHilary DuffHannah MontanaAlex GThe DareRachel ChinouririThe Neighbourhood50 CentCreedNickelbackThe 1975WarpaintWolf Alice