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Eliza Legzdina

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Eliza Legzdina
Legzdina in front of a microphone
Legzdina appearing on a May 2024 episode of The Coco Novak Show
Background information
Born
Ogre, Latvia
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, rapper
InstrumentVocals
Years active2019–present
Labels7wallace

Elīza Legzdiņa (/ɛliːzælɛɡzdɪnjɑː/) is a Latvian-British musician. Born in Ogre, she moved to the UK for her education, and studied at the University of East Anglia. She funded a part-time masters degree at Goldsmiths, University of London by working a series of odd jobs including a spell at Jukedeck. She began releasing her own sex-positive and body-positive tracks in her mid-20s, which have been featured in soundtracks, television programmes, the video game EA Sports FC 24, and an iPad commercial. Her 2020 track "Tom & Jerry" was ranked by DMY as the 23rd best track of that year, and she released the EPs Iron Curtain Golden Pussy and Silver Linings in 2020 and 2022. She is also a member of Loud LDN.

Life and career

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Elīza Legzdiņa (/ɛliːzælɛɡzdɪnjɑː/)[1] was born in Ogre in Latvia,[2] and has two younger brothers.[3] She began performing at the age of three at her local Soviet culture house, to which her grandmother would take her every evening,[2] and would spend her birthdays at the circus.[4] She studied English at the International School of Latvia, before reading classical opera at the University of East Anglia[3] and writing her dissertation on hip-hop.[4] In an interview published in Jauns.lv [lv] in April 2020, Legzdina asserted that she had moved to the UK aged thirteen after begging her parents to let her stay at a boarding school in Ascot, Berkshire.[3] She then studied at Goldsmiths University,[4] where studied a master's degree for six months part time. She juggled this with concurrent jobs at a pub and in telesales as her parents had hit financial difficulties and were no longer able to support her financially. After temporarily dropping out,[5]: 0:48  she interned at Purple Public Relations,[3] and then spent a period at a tech startup who were trying to create paperless tickets for the transport industry.[5]

Legzdina then took a post at Jukedeck, a system that generated its own music,[3] before resuming her studies part time.[5]: 4:55  While working at Jukedeck, she began composing poetry,[3] and began making her own songs after buying a microphone.[5]: 4:55  She cofounded the poetry night Say It Back in January 2019[3] with Affly Johnson.[2] Of an early 2020 workshop, Time Out wrote that Legzdina and Johnson "promise[d] to help you take your ‘2019 Ls’ and ‘spin them into 2020 Ws’".[6] Around this time, she took a post at a music management company.[5]: 13:03  Legzdina began releasing music in May 2019[3] when she was in her mid-20s, having bought gear following a breakup.[7] In an interview with Tirade.world, she stated that she initially resisted making music as she was consumed by the idea that she would not "be making Beyoncé level albums" and that she became more confident as a result of studio time and open mics.[7]

Iron Curtain Golden Pussy and Silver Linings

[edit]

In February 2020, she released "Tom & Jerry", an alt-pop track with hip-hop elements written about casual sex.[8] Later that year, DMY ranked it as the 23rd best track of 2020.[9] She then released the EP Iron Curtain Golden Pussy, which incorporated the name of the political boundary dividing Europe during the Cold War, and likened men's interest in controlling precious metals to their attempts at controlling women. The EP's tracks "Jelly" and "Tic Toc" featured the black artists Bryte and Janelle Wynter; in a September 2020 interview with Schön! Magazine, she stated that she had made a point of showcasing black talent on her works, having observed her black and brown friends suffering from racism while in school.[2] A music video would later be released for "Tic Toc",[10] and the track would later be used in an episode of Michaela Coel's I May Destroy You.[4] Legzdina then released "Curse 4 U", a track about the patriarchy,[11] which was later used in the soundtrack for Need for Speed Unbound.[12]

In June 2021,[13] after being contacted by someone who had spotted her performing at an open mic in Peckham,[5]: 4:55  she contributed to the track "Fudge" by Idris Elba, a track about self-confidence. The track constituted the first of a series of tracks for his label 7Wallace.[13] The following month, she featured on "Rose Tinted", a track by Crate Classics, a duo comprising Aaron Horn and Jamie Rodigan, the son of David Rodigan.[14] In January 2022, she performed at Eurosonic Noorderslag; Ben Jolley of NME wrote that her "sex-positive bangers, performed in an Art Deco warehouse living room, mark[ed] her out as a thrilling name to watch".[15] She then featured on Lau.ra's "Blow"[16] and on "DeepBluSea", a track on Blu Tempo's June 2022 EP Pessimismus.[17]

Moody by Mauriks featuring Eliza Legzdina

Legzdina performed at Latitude Festival in July 2022, and released "Composure", a track about falling in love, the month after.[18] "Composure" featured on her September 2022 EP Silver Linings,[19] as did "Real Girl", for which a video was subsequently released.[20] Later that month, Electronic Arts announced that it would use Legzdina's collaboration with Ruckspin on the soundtrack of their video game FIFA 23;[21] they would later use Legzdina's collaboration with Bianca Oblivion "EZ 4 Me" in their video game EA Sports FC 24.[22] In November 2022, Apple used her subsequent Ruckspin collaboration "Yum!" for their "Brand New Flavor" advertisement for their tenth-generation iPad. Caitlin Stephens of Looper.com opined that the song's lyrics, written about food and namechecking lemon, peach, strawberry, chocolate, cinnamon, and the "pretty paper" they were wrapped in, suited the commercial.[23] "Yum!" also featured in the summer 2023 series of Love Island.[24]

Later releases

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In February 2023, she was a guest artist at the finale of Supernova 2023, the Latvian format of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023,[25] where she performed "Come Roll With Me"[26] with Beanie,[25] a drummer who had performed with the British drum and bass band Rudimental.[27] She supported that band at their August 2023 performance at South Facing Festival in Crystal Palace, London,[28] and asserted in a September 2023 interview with the TV3 show 900 seconds that they had produced an upcoming EP for her.[29] After restarting her artist profile,[30] she released the drum and bass track "Come Roll With Me" as "Legzdina" in July 2024; the track was produced by Slxm Sol and Rudimental's Piers and Kesi.[31]

In April 2023, she contributed a Latvian rap verse to Rolands Če [lv]'s "Bam Bam", which was released alongside a video supported by the Tuborg Brewery and featuring numerous local content creators and celebrities.[32] That August, she and MoreNight featured on the amapiano track "U Be U" by former Roll Deep member Manga Saint Hilaire.[33] In May 2024, she stated that she had set up her own record label, "Mana Naba", and that she had named it after the Latvian for "my bellybutton" in order to celebrate her female lineage and the sacrifices her mother had made for her.[5]: 13:50  As "Legzdina", she featured on Sara Landry's hard techno track "Pressure" in August 2024.[34]

Artistry and personal life

[edit]

Legzdina is queer[8] and has dual citizenship.[4] In an interview with Jauns.lv [lv] published in April 2020, Legzdina wrote that she was inspired as a child by Beyoncé's choreography and self-confidence and that she learned "lyrical perseverance and manners" from Missy Elliott. She also cited inspiration from Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Tori Amos, Rihanna, Migos, Cardi B, Tracy Chapman, Ai Weiwei, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Parris Goebel, Yeha Leung, and Rupi Kaur, described Madonna as her "eternal muse", and praised Marina Abramović for "dar[ing] to perform even when others call[ed] her crazy".[3]

"I’m proud to be sensual – and when you consider the things men sing or rap about! And I’m proud to not be a size zero. Freedom through my body and movement isn’t to impress, it’s to help anyone who has a little something something different than someone else, to feel accepted."

Legzdina talking to Haste Magazine[4]

Journalists usually mention that Legzdina's works are sex-positive and body-positive; in a 2022 interview with Haste Magazine, she noted that she was proud that her works were "sensual" on the grounds that it was important to see real bodies like her own represented. She also attributed opinions of her work to the "horrification of the female body", and questioned whether she would be considered "as racy" if she "was a six foot model" or "had smaller breasts".[4] In an interview with Tirade.world, she mentioned that she had suffered from a series of sexual traumas when she was a teenager and that projecting her body in sexual ways helped her to reclaim it.[7] By July 2024, she had joined Loud LDN,[35] a collective of London-based women and genderqueer musicians founded in May 2022.[36]

Discography

[edit]

EPs

[edit]
  • Iron Curtain Golden Pussy (2020)[37]
  • Nocturnes (Eliza Legzdina, Ant Lavelle, Nocturnes, Kieran, HTCHR, 2022)[38]
  • Silver Linings (2022)[37]

Singles

[edit]
  • "Red" (Eliza Legzdina, Hurricane, 2019)[37]
  • "Holsten Chills" (Ant Lavelle, Ghilburt, Eliza Legzdina, 2019)[39]
  • "Tom & Jerry" (2020)[37]
  • "Jelly" (Eliza Legzdina, Bryte, 2020)[37]
  • "Slow" (Tay Jordan, Eliza Legzdina, 2020)[40]
  • "Money" (Halal Dog, Bryte, Eliza Legzdina, 2020)[41]
  • "Curse 4 U" (2020)[37]
  • "Wicked" (Lau.ra, Eliza Legzdina, 2020)[37]
  • "Enjoy the Silence" (Eliza Legzdina, HTCHR, 2021)[37]
  • "Hot Sauce" (2021)[37]
  • "Eat Your Greenz" (2021)[37]
  • "Fudge" (Idris Elba, Eliza Legzdina, 2021)[37]
  • "Rose Tinted" (Crate Classics, Eliza Legzdina, 2021)[37]
  • "Hardcore" (Eliza Legzdina, Slatin, 2021)[37]
  • "Backflip" (2021)[37]
  • "Do Your Thing" (Miqui Brightside, Eliza Legzdina, 2021)[37]
  • "Up" (Yiigga, Lucy Tun, Eliza Legzdina, 2021)[37]
  • "Blow" (Lau.ra, Eliza Legzdina, 2022)[37]
  • "Antidote" (Eliza Legzdina, Ant Lavelle, Nocturnes, Kieran, HTCHR, 2022)[42]
  • "Moody" (Mauriks, Eliza Legzdina, 2022)[37]
  • "Kerching" (Joshwa, Jaded, Eliza Legzdina, 2022)[37]
  • "Leader of the Pack" (Eliza Legzdina, Ruckspin, 2022)[37]
  • "Yum!" (Eliza Legzdina, Ruckspin, 2022)[37]
  • "Bam Bam" (Rolands Če, Eliza Legzdina, 2023)[37]
  • "Sway" (Schlachthofbronx, Eliza Legzdina, 2023)[37]
  • "U Be U" (Manga Saint Hilaire, MoreNight, Eliza Legzdina, 2023)[37]
  • "Let Love Lead the Way" (Mason, Eliza Legzdina, 2023)[37]
  • "The Back" (KingCrowney, Jimpster, Legzdina, 2024)[43]
  • "Come Roll With Me" (2024)[43]
  • "Pressure" (Sara Landry, Legzdina, 2024)[43]

Other appearances

[edit]
  • "Runnin" (Eliza Legzdina, Slxm, from the Run to the Source soundtrack, 2022)[44]
  • "DeepBluSea" (Bel Tempo, Eliza Legzdina, from Pessimismus, 2022)[45]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dod pieci! (2022-12-20). Elīza Legzdiņa | #DodPieci 2022. Retrieved 2024-08-15 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c d "interview | eliza legzdina". Schön! Magazine.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Jaunie un karstie. Londonā dzīvojošā Elīza Legzdiņa: "Uzdrīkstos teikt to, ko citi nevar vai negrib"". Jauns.lv (in Latvian). 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Molly Gorman. "Real girls with Eliza Legzdina". hastemagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g The Coco Novak show (2024-05-13). E13 Eliza Legzdina Singer and songwriter - on how she is making it in the music industry. Retrieved 2024-08-15 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "No money? No problem. Learn a new skill for free at these courses and classes". Time Out. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "INTRODUCING: ELIZA LEGZDINA". TIRADE WORLD. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  8. ^ a b Murray, Robin (2020-02-12). "Track Of The Day 12/2 - Eliza Legzdina". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  9. ^ "The 50 Best Tracks of 2020". dmy.co. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  10. ^ "Premiere: Eliza Legzdina's 'Tic Toc' is an ode to sex-positivity and girl gang power". dmy.co. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  11. ^ "Eliza Legzdina". Equate Magazine. November 2, 2020.
  12. ^ Arts, Electronic (2022-11-14). "Need for Speed™ Unbound – Official Soundtrack". Electronic Arts Inc. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  13. ^ a b Christian Eede (21 June 2021). "Idris Elba has released a new house track, 'Fudge': Listen". djmag.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Crate Classics". DMC World Magazine. 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  15. ^ Jolley, Ben (2022-01-24). "ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) 2022 review: rising stars shine at virtual new music showcase". NME. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  16. ^ "The Guest List: lau.ra turbo-charges Spring with dance music from powerhouse women producers". Mixmag Asia. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  17. ^ "RECENZIJA: Bel Tempo "Pessimismus"". nra.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  18. ^ "Eliza Legzdina - Composure (Single)". WORDPLAY. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  19. ^ "Eliza Legzdina - Silver Linings (EP)". WORDPLAY. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  20. ^ Staff, Wonderland (September 14, 2022). "Eliza Legzdina Drops The Music Video For "Real Girl"". Wonderland.
  21. ^ Arts, Electronic (2022-09-22). "FIFA 23 Soundtrack - Electronic Arts Official". Electronic Arts Inc. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  22. ^ Brown, Andy (2023-09-22). "'EA Sports FC 24' soundtrack: here's a list of every song in the game". NME. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  23. ^ Stephens, Caitlin (2022-11-21). "What Is The Song In Apple's Brand-New Flavor iPad Commercial?". Looper. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  24. ^ "Love Island Summer 2023 soundtrack: What songs were on Love Island tonight?". Capital. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  25. ^ a b Franciska van Waarden (11 February 2023). "Latvia: Sudden Lights to Eurovision 2023". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  26. ^ Elīza Legzdiņa "Come Roll With Me" | Supernova2023 viesmākslinieks - REplay.lv (in Russian). 2023-02-11. Retrieved 2024-08-06 – via replay.lsm.lv.
  27. ^ West, David (2014-08-21). "Rudimental's drummer on the challenge of electronics". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  28. ^ "This is everything you need to know for Rudimental at South Facing Festival". Your Local Guardian. 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  29. ^ "Dziedātāja Elīza Legzdiņa pošas izdot minialbumu". tv3.lv (in Latvian). 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  30. ^ "Eliza Legzdina - It's been a week since I released my latest..." www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  31. ^ "LEGZDINA releases new single 'Come Roll With Me'". Mixmag. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  32. ^ "FOTO: "Skapī" gurnus iekustinājis rolanda če un Elīzas Legzdiņas kopdarbs "BAM BAM"". www.1188.lv (in Latvian). 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  33. ^ "Manga Saint Hilare ft: Eliza Legzdina - U Be U (Official Video)". WORDPLAY. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  34. ^ "Sara Landry releases new single, 'Pressure', with LEGZDINA: Listen". DJ Mag. 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  35. ^ "LOUD LDN on Instagram: "Our latest brand new bangers playlist update!!! Link in bio to listen to the best new songs from LOUD LDN members ❤️"". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  36. ^ ""We're taking over the scene": meet Loud LDN, dance music's most vibrant new collective". NME. 19 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Eliza Legzdina - Discography". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  38. ^ "Nocturnes", Spotify, 2022-04-22, retrieved 2024-08-14
  39. ^ "Holsten Chills", Spotify, 2019-07-02, retrieved 2024-08-14
  40. ^ "Slow", Spotify, 2020-04-02, retrieved 2024-08-14
  41. ^ "Money", Spotify, 2020-06-26, retrieved 2024-08-14
  42. ^ "Antidote", Spotify, 2022-04-08, retrieved 2024-08-14
  43. ^ a b c "Legzdina - Discography". Spotify. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  44. ^ "Run to The Source (Soundtrack)", Spotify, 2022-03-02, retrieved 2024-08-14
  45. ^ "Pessimismus", Spotify, 2022-06-10, retrieved 2024-08-14
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