Formed in 2017 by Andrew Szmauz and Taylor Paradis, and recently joined by Alex Vance (Laquerhead) on bass, LIZZY has evolved from a stripped-down duo into a monolithic trio, melding earth-shaking sludge, stoner-doom grooves and a spiritual sensibility rooted in both ritualistic minimalism and global musical traditions.
Drawing influence from Sleep, OM, High on Fire and Black Sabbath, while channeling baroque, flamenco, North Indian and Middle Eastern textures, LIZZY is anything but conventional. The result is a trance-inducing, low-end-heavy assault where drone meets distortion and spiritual exploration collides with sonic destruction.
The Origin & Identity:
How did you all come together as a band, and when did it feel real?
Andrew Szmauz: Taylor (Drums) and I met at an open jam night hosted by a mutual friend. I had just moved back to New Hampshire from Texas a couple of days prior. I was wearing a Melvins shirt, having just seen them at Trees in Dallas. Taylor was also wearing a Melvins shirt. We formed a band almost the next day. We liked all the same music (except he wasn’t a KISS fan), so we clicked immediately. That was in 2016, and we have been a band ever since. Since 2016, it was just Taylor and me, but in 2019, I met Alex (bass) while I was attending college at Keene State. He was a percussion major, and I was a guitar major in a classical music program. We both met in a music theory class. We hit it off immediately and started jamming at school. I was insanely focused on classical, though, so we never formed a band or anything. It wasn’t until 2025 that Alex joined Lizzy. I play guitar in another dope band called Lacquerhead. Alex plays bass and drums in Lacquerhead, so I asked if he wanted to play bass in Lizzy. He agreed. We all clicked as soon as we played the first notes together. We signed a deal with Argonata Records a few months later. As Ace Freeley says, āThe rest is KIsstory.ā
Where did your band name come from, and why does it feel like you?
Taylor Paradis: It’s a Melvins song… don’t tell anyone.
Did you have a clear vision for your sound from the start, or did it develop naturally?
Taylor: We went through some different sounds early. Very influenced by bands like Sonic Youth and a lot of grunge bands, such as Nirvana and Mudhoney. Eventually it evolved to a heavier sound. Adding Alex as our bass player this year is helping us evolve even more.
Andrew: Yeah, when we formed a band in 2016 we called ourselves SLUDGE and played more sonic Youth and grunge type stuff. A Little Sabbath and Melvins styles Sprinkled in. Taylor and I went to a show, it might have even been the Melvins but I canāt remember, and on the way home we decided to be the loudest and heaviest band people in our area had ever played with. So musch so that the Volume Knob on my Marshall is cranked to 10 and cracked off. Once that decision was made, We changed our name to Lizzy and the vision has been clear cut since. We are always evolving our sound though.
Alex Vance: Itās always been a relatively focused vision, but I think it continues to develop through experimentation and trial and error.
What should listeners know about your newest album?
Taylor: it’s going to have some similar sounds to the first album, yet a little more complex and I think we are just a lot better now too.
Andrew: Absolutely, It will definitely be the LIzzy sound, but we are taking our sound as far as we can push it. Our first album, āDirty War Machine,ā was great, and Iām quite proud of it, but our sound has evolved in a very beautiful way, and the addition of bass guitar really allows us to do more complex classical based things. I am very excited to release it. The artwork for it is also amazing. My wife Gwen does all of the art for us. She is one of the most talented artists I have ever met. I would say it is the culmination of all the years we have spent crafting our sound and style. I even created a guitar technique just for this album.
Alex: It will be as heavy as any black hole found wandering the cosmos
Influences & Creative Process:
Who or what has shaped your sound in ways people might not expect?
Taylor: I personally, as a drummer am very influenced by drummers like Bill Ward and Dale Crover. Also, Syd Barrett, Sonny Boy Williamson II and B horror movies from the 80s.
Alex: Free Jazz albums such as John Coltranes ascension could be an unexpected subtle influence of noise collections that may inspire some of our soundscapes.
Andrew: Obviously we love bands like Sleep and Om, that definitely has a huge impact on our sound. As Alex said, Free Jazz and sacred Minimilism are two of my biggest influences compositionally and musically. Coltrane, Colman, and Cecil Taylor are amazing, but also the modal stuff Miles did. When I first heard the Estonian classical composer, Arvo PƤrt, my life changed. Another massive influence on our music is my own past. I am currently 11 years sober, but for almost a decade I was a homeless heroin and meth addict that hitchhiked and train hopped around the country and Mexico. Those experiences are in almost everything I write.
When creating a song, do you follow a routine or mix it up each time?
Taylor: I wouldn’t say we completely mix it up every time. I would like to think we have a couple tricks up our sleeve. I don’t like to be nailed down to just one genre. Although, I very much enjoy punk, doom and sludge. Maybe we’ll break out some funky stuff too, who knows.
Alex: In my experience we will at least routinely lay out the riffs but with one of our new songs (Temple of the Sun) for instance, the middle jam section is almost always different each time.
Andrew: I treat music as a meditation, not all meditations are the same. We definitely mix it up, but when we reach a certain state of being in our music during a jam, theres only one place to go, and thats inside ourselves. Our personalities are in our music, so it is hard to change who you are. No matter what we play, it is still us at the core.
Are there moods, riffs, or ideas you find yourself returning to?
Taylor: Love the heavy stuff. Heavy music just makes everything feel good. It’s freeing in a way. Not straying away from other types of music. We always come back to the heavy stuff though.
Alex: I always find myself returning to the octave or tonic drone, and finding ways to add rhythm to that.
Andrew: Whether it is modal stuff, noise stuff, or Iommi style pentatonic licks I learned when I was 13, I have a toolbox I always seem to return to. I studied Flamenco for years with some pretty prominent players in the scene, so certain themes or tonalities that are commonly found in that genre and culture are ones I return to regularly. I do like to constantly push myself to new things, though. My guitar teacher, Jeff Matz (High on Fire) has really helped me push my own barriers; I started studying with him earlier this past year.
How do you make writing decisions ā together or does someone usually lead?
Alex: Typically maestro Szmauz writes most of the material and will lead the expedition through the riff lands, but we each have our own input about phrasing, melodies, and the heaviest drum thud patterns that come out in the end product
Taylor: Yeah, Andrew will come up with a riff and Alex and I will add to it. We will just keep adding to that until the song is complete. Sometimes Alex will start with something or I will lay down a beat first. It’s usually Andrew that starts the process I would say. He’s a riff making machine.
Musical Technique / Composition:
When layering sounds, do you focus more on tone or on mood?
Alex: Tone can often help set the mood. For our pieces that are more of a sort of meditation, a bit of reverb and bass harmonics help create an atmosphere in the room.
Taylor: I would say a little bit of both.
Andrew: I would also say a bit of both, Mood sets the tone but tone sets the mood haha.
Do you use alternate tunings, odd meters, or unusual chords to shape your sound?
Taylor: Yes, tuning down adds to the feel.
Alex: I would say we utilize all of the above. Weāre usually playing in C standard drop A#
Andrew: Our first album was entirely in C. D standard tuning with drop C, we used a low C drone throughout the whole album. This album is much more varied, but as Alex said, We tune to C standard and C standard drop A# primarily. We delve into some metric modulations and polyrhythmic stuff as well. We definitely use tried and true chords, but we also integrate classical, Flamenco, and Jazz voicings into our music as well.
How much of your arrangements come from improvisation versus planning?
Alex: Maybe 80/20 ish? Most songs are planned out but not set in stone, and we do occasionally have a jam thatās ready to be a new a song
Taylor: I would say we jam on something for a while until something comes of it. It’s good to be able to improvise.
Andrew: We absolutely Jam. When I bring a new idea or riff to the band we always jam it out to see where it goes. Some of songs are set up like a jazz standard with a head, a body and a jam that returns to the head or main thematic material. Other songs are just a theme and variations that we develop through improvisation. We do have a few songs that were written traditionally and never change.
Stories & Experiences:
Whatās one moment that truly captures what this band is about?
Alex: Probably when Andrew jumped into the drumset.
Taylor: Fog Gate 2018
Andrew: I definitely agree with Alex and Taylor, but in 2018 Taylor and I booked a gig in Portland Maine. It was at the bar next door to where Sleep played the previous night. We were super jazzed up after seeing Sleep on 4/20 but only like 12 people came out to see us. We didnāt realize it was Easter.
Does playing live bring out a different side of your music?
Andrew: It absolutely does. There are things we only play live. I think that a live show should be an experience, not just another band playing at a bar or a club. It should be thematic and visceral. Playing music is a conversation, and in a live setting that conversation isnāt going to be like anything else. The band is feeding off of the audience and the audience is feeding off of the band. That dynamic creates something so beautiful that it can never truly be captured on tape. The same can be said about recording, itās an experience.
Taylor: Yes, absolutely. Playing live and recording can be very different. Although we have done live recording too. I think we tend to like the old school feel of it.
Alex: The energy is relatively the same for me. Every performance is different so playing live always shows a unique aspect of the music
Whatās the quirkiest experiment youāve done in the studio?
Andrew: To get a thudding drone, We downtuned my guitar as low as I could get it. We ran that through a big muff and threw 9 volt batteries at it from across the room.
Taylor: thatās when we recorded a 13 minute experimental song. I played guitar and synth on it. Andrew played various instruments, including horns, guitar and cello.
Has a fan ever done or said something that made you see your music differently?
Alex: I play drums as well as bass and one time I got told I should just stick to bass.
Taylor: No, I donāt think so
Andrew: People have told me that I have inspired them to start a band. I have never thought of myself in that kind of light, but I thought that was very sweet.
Current Inspirations & Recommendations:
Any up-and-coming musicians you think deserve more attention?
Taylor: Glitter Tooth, Swipe Left
Alex: Acid Mammoth is a band from Athens, Greece that I find inspiring and I think deserves more attention.
Andrew: Not to plug my own projects, but Lacquerhead is a dope band. I just play guitar in it. The primary song writer and singer, Drew Sumner, is a massively talented musician. Another MUST check out band is Coma Hole. Theyāre from Rhode Island and they absolutely rippp.
Vision & Reflection:
Where do you see your sound heading next? Any experiments youāre itching to try?
Alex: I am itching to implement more tribal and primal drums and drumming to our soundscape, as well as primordial string melodies
Andrew: Iām just along for the ride. I like the current trajectory that our music is on and I like the culture weāre building along side it.
Taylor: Iām very excited about where we are headed wih our new songs. Always looking forward to experimenting with different sounds. Doom, Sludge Punk, Synth Pop. Look out!
Which track do you feel captures your band best, and whatās the story behind it?
Taylor: We have a couple that we are going to record for the new album that I am very excited about. I think maybe Guncle Gary from our first album is one I think of. It blends a little bit of punk and sludge. Andrew has the story for that one. I think people really like it too.
Andrew: Definitely! That song was about a guy I went to rehab with. He unfortunately passed away due to his drinking. He was older and the life of the party. He told us all all to call him Gunkle Gary because he was like our cool gay uncle. I still consider him one of my best friends. We went through so much together. Itās a great song though. I donāt know if I could say just one song captures everything weāre trying to say.
What do you hope people feel when they sink into your music?
Andrew: the peak of a trip
Alex: Weightlessness
Taylor: I hope it brings them to outer space without moving an inch.
Turbo Regime:
Fuzz or distortion?
Taylor: Both
Andrew and Alex: Fuzz
Analog or digital effects?
Taylor: Both?
Andrew and Alex: Analog
Sabbath or Zeppelin?
Andrew, Taylor, Alex (at once): Sabbath
Heavy riff or mind-bending solo?
Taylor: Heavy riff
Alex: Mind bending solo
Andrew: you canāt have one without the other
Vintage gear or modern kit?
Taylor: I currently have a mix of both. More modern kit, a lot of vintage cymbals though.
Andrew: Vintage
Alex: Vintage
https://lizzylizzy.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lizzytheband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OagOOWN2dpcIth0oW7UaO
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