Lo Artiz Is Here To Remind R&B Lovers – You Aren’t Alone

Photography by Taylor Shae

Within the bubbling music scene of Los Angeles, one gem to keep an eye on is Lo Artiz. Raised in Miami and educated at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Artiz is a producer, songwriter, and mesmerizing vocalist bringing fresh energy to the R&B scene. Etherial confidence, bouncy and gentle rhythms will quickly bring to mind artists such as Greentea Peng and Kali Uchis, while Artiz simultaneously sets herself apart with her distinctly modern energy.

Born Lourdes Artiz, Lo acquired her nickname in high school and is now a decade into using the fitting title as her artist pseudonym. Across many years of development Artiz hones her craft into deeply emotional and expertly produced tracks that will stick around in your head days after listening.

“Without music, life is unmanageable,” said Artiz. “It’s all I’ve ever known when it comes to navigating life and coping with my feelings and emotions since I was a kid. Without music I sink into despair.”

Artiz’s vocals dip low and move slow as honey with sultry honesty, often duetting a funky bass line or filling out an airy instrumental. With a life of music behind her, Artiz is intimately familiar with many legendary vocalists. One particularly special to Artiz’s journey is Aretha Franklin. Artiz performed “Respect” by Franklin in a talent show at the age of ten, the earlist performance she can remember in her life, and she won first place.

“That [performance] was the moment I knew this was all I ever wanted to do in life. I started recording myself and uploading covers to Youtube too in the mid 2000s as soon as I figured out how. Aretha Franklin is the reason I began to sing. Hearing her wail from my first CD I ever bought, I thought ‘how can I make those sounds too?’ It later turned into Amy Winehouse, and then it turned into Nai Palm and Erykah Badu for a time,” recalled Artiz.

These influences ring through each bold vocal line Artiz belts or whispers, and the intense lyrical concepts she walks the listener through. Another important influence in her musical life is Kid Cudi, who stands apart from many because of his in depth discussions around mental health through his music.

“If you think and feel differently than others, you’re not alone,” emphasized Artiz. “I struggle a lot with my mental health and have always felt out of step from the crowd. I spent my life thinking I was this alien not meant to be on this planet, like living was something I wasn’t built to survive. So I want to speak for those that feel the same way. I struggle with bipolar disorder, an eating disorder, anxiety, and addiction, and I don’t shy away from those subjects in my writing.”

Through music, Artiz continues to find her people and connect with many fans who understand her mental health struggles.

“Performing is precious to me. To connect to a room full of souls is the only high I ever want to chase,” said Artiz.

Raised on lots of music from her guitarist father, Artiz’s immersion into the art of sound is truly life-long.

“I was writing songs as early as seven years old. I’ve always had big feelings and I needed to put them somewhere,” explained Artiz. “For some reason, music became the place where I put it naturally. My ears were buzzin’ from music since my earliest memory. It never left me. Music was and is the only constant in my life.”

Now out of school and settled on the West Coast, Artiz’s discography is lengthy and always growing. Her creative energy is authentic and untamed, dripping with emotion and showcasing the depth of Artiz herself.

“I tap into whatever state I’m in and let that dictate the sound of what I’m creating,” said Artiz. “Once I find chords I like that fit where I’m at, the lyrics come. I let the chords repeat for as long as I need while the words come to me.”

The connection between any artist and their creative drive is extremely important. In this age of burn out and creative exhaustion under political turmoil and media overconsumption, it can be difficult to find the energy and drive to make your creative projects a reality.

“Write and write and write and be okay with the days you don’t feel inspired,” insisted Artiz. “Be okay with it even if you don’t like what you wrote. You can always revisit or rewrite, but the important part is that you showed up.”

With this in mind, Artiz is a driven creative force and is consistently bearing it all with her work. Alongside her very obvious talent and knowledge of music, one remarkable part of Artiz’s art is the direct connection to her identity. While many artists distance themselves from their music and/or portray exaggerations of pieces of themselves, Artiz performs with her real name and the results is art that brings her closer to herself.

“I feel the most authentic when I’m writing or performing,” said Artiz. “I’m most myself when I’m creating or on a stage.”

Explore Artiz’s discography to learn more about Artiz herself and likely find intimate common ground. As the year trickles by fans can look forward to Artiz’s upcoming release, Playing Human, a two part EP that according to Artiz “is all about navigating life, mental health and addiction. “