This week, WYSO Music Director Juliet Fromholt interviewed Akron singer-songwriter Angie Haze following the March 1st release of her new EP, Smiling. Haze spoke with Juliet about her meticulous songwriting process, and about how music became a “safe space” in her life. “Music became my voice and my survival,” she said. Haze also discussed her March 8th performance at Yellow Cab Tavern.
Angie Haze describes herself as a wellspring of musical ideas. “I don’t typically have writer’s block,” she said. “For me, it’s like breathing.” She began playing piano at age six, and said that music became a source of resilience during a tumultuous childhood.
“I had some abusive stuff in my background that I struggled through as a child, and I created while being abused…For me, every single experience evokes a feeling, and that feeling has a melodic sequence. To go there is not even a thought—it's just completely natural. I still remember compositions from childhood, which is a lot of what I actually end up putting in my work.”
Haze says music still lets her tap into vulnerable parts of herself, something she is now able to share with musicians. Today, she performs alongside bandmates Chris Dudley, Justin Tibbs, André Frazier, Rachel Osherow.
“It's never scary with them. These people are my family 100% and honestly if it were anyone else, I'd be terrified. But these guys, they get it. They understand the importance of the message of the music and the sound of the songs. They are just really tasteful and there are no egos.”
Haze also spoke with Juliet about her March 8 performance as part of Yellow Cab Tavern’s Heartsiq series, a monthly celebration of queer art and community. She said she was looking forward to the concert as an opportunity to perform as her most authentic self. “As a queer artist you're like, ‘okay, where am I? How free can I be?” she said. “This is something that feels very much like I don't have to hold back. I can just literally let it go.”
Angie Haze’s new EP, Smiling, is available on all major streaming platforms. The singer says she has two forthcoming projects in the works, including a piano album. For updates about her live performances and album releases, visit her website or follow on Instagram or Facebook.
Text by Peter Day, adapted from an interview by Juliet Fromholt originally aired on March 7, 2024.
