OUT TODAY: IZZY HELTAI RELEASES DEBUT LP FATHER

   IZZY HELTAI RELEASES DEBUT LP FATHER

It’s a slow burn, a nuanced build. Yet, the harmonies create a cascading whisper of beauty - American Songwriter   

Through 10 tracks of honest, contemplative perspective and welcoming songwriting, Father elevates Heltai’s voice to a level of maturity that suits the stories he tells, with every detail complemented by the hearty strum of warm Americana. - WBUR   

Izzy Heltai has a talent for demonstrating nostalgia and incentivizing reflection - The Wild Honey Pie 

Heltai's powerful voice, which at times recalls Jeff Buckley, goes a long way in giving his songs the necessary passion to convey their messages to listeners - Bay Area Reporter   

Heltai’s timbre is Villagers meets Neil Young. He knows that a steady percussion and light guitar are enough to placate, and allow the listener to reminisce...There is an irrefutable cleverness and touching way in which he weaves years of relational trauma and pain into only one stanza. - Atwood Magazine   

Izzy Heltai has the contemporary indie folk vibe nailed down perfectly.  With a song that has both widespread appeal on the pop edge and layers of musicality...one not to be missed - Americana Highways   

The track leans towards lighthearted Americana; 'Songbird' trades the dull moments of tour life for an optimistic view of open highways and spirits as high as Heltai’s vocals at the tail end of the chorus. It’s a tried-and-true take about living on the road that’s nearly too rosy to be real. Nearly. - Vanyaland   

A precocious songwriter developing informed, heartfelt Americana - For Folk’s Sake   

Delivering messages of empathy and accountability to the masses — at a time when they are, perhaps, more important than ever - Underground Music Collective 

Izzy Heltai…is fast becoming one of our most played artists. Determined, striking and lyrically intelligent, this is top stuff - The Yorkshire Times   

There’s an undeniable emotional connection between artist and song…Heltai sings with an emotional maturity that we all need and can all learn from. Empathy, absolution, and acceptance are sought and expected in return - Mother Church Pew   

His writing style straddles the line between the pillars of Americana and the underbelly of gothic folk music. He has the emotional brutality of David Bazan or Simon Joyner and lacks none of their lyrical power - Country Queer  

Photo: Joanna Chattman

LISTEN: FATHER   

Today, Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai releases his debut full-length LP Father. “The songs on this album were all written between the ages of 19 and 23, a coming-of-age paralleled in the arcs and narratives encompassed by a lot of the tracks on this record. These songs, simply put, reflect my transition from childhood into adulthood,” Heltai explains of the nine-song effort. “Finding myself as an adult has largely been about how the people who have always been there for me can fit into my life in a new way.”   

With brutal honesty towards himself and forgiveness for those around him, Izzy Heltai’s music walks the elusive line between confessional and relatable. On Father, Heltai dives deep into his fascination with human relationships, and specifically the way that those relationships change and reorganize themselves over time. Throughout the record, Heltai braves the exploration of not only interpersonal and societal relationships but also his own relationship to himself; as a trans person, Heltai offers unique insight into the process of becoming and accepting who you’re meant to be. 

“As a transgender person I have always lived in a world where self-affirmation was necessary for my well being,” Heltai told Atwood Magazine in their premiere of the album’s title track and its accompanying video, which features footage of Heltai as a child, carefree and unencumbered by the hardships of the world.   

WATCH : “FATHER”   

 “As a young trans person, I was forced to know myself more than some people ever will. A world that always told me I shouldn’t and couldn’t exist demanded that I have confidence enough in my own identity that I could go out and prove that I knew exactly who I was. Due to my experiences, I was armed with the tools to radically reflect and affirm my identity from a young age. This instilled in me an obsession with knowing myself to the fullest, in any given moment. I am made up of moments. I live in the constant wake of what was,” he continued. “This song is about the people I see myself in. Seeing the roots of where, and who, I come from. The process of sifting through these home videos was a concrete and visual form of processing the amalgamation of all the moments I am made up of.” 

The production is raw and full, with subtle harmonies and guitar lines weaving their way unexpectedly through the mix almost as if they were grown in the song. There is no sign of musical overthought, allowing Heltai’s emotional vocals to shine organically.    

Whether he’s commenting on betrayal and discovering that things aren’t always as they seem (“The Stranger You’ve Become”), lamenting the effects of anxiety and depression on those you love (“Marching Song”), offering insight on the non-glamorous side of a troubadour’s life (“Songbird”), or realizing the world isn’t black and white, but rather a full spectrum of color (“Father”), Heltai approaches life’s questions with maturity and introspection. With his overwhelming empathy for humanity and willingness to search for personal responsibility, Heltai’s Father will not leave your heart or your ears unchanged. 

Father is available for purchase at iTunes, Bandcamp, and Google Play. Be sure to watch Izzy Heltai’s full-band performance on Bandsintown’s The Outskirts series on October 26th at 4pm ET. 

FATHER TRACK LIST:   

TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF 

THE STRANGER YOU’VE BECOME 

MARCHING SONG 

HUMAN 

SONGBIRD 

WHAT YOUR APPETITE 

ANYONE TO ANYBODY 

CATACOMB 

FATHER 

CONNECT WITH IZZY HELTAI: 

Website || Facebook || Instagram ||  Spotify || YouTube 

IZZY HELTAI RELEASES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “FATHER” VIA ATWOOD MAGAZINE

IZZY HELTAI RELEASES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO 

“FATHER” VIA ATWOOD MAGAZINE 

 DEBUT LP FATHER 

SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 9TH 

Through 10 tracks of honest, contemplative perspective and welcoming songwriting, Father elevates Heltai’s voice to a level of maturity that suits the stories he tells, with every detail complemented by the hearty strum of warm Americana. - WBUR 

Izzy Heltai has a talent for demonstrating nostalgia and incentivizing reflection - The Wild Honey Pie 

Izzy Heltai has the contemporary indie folk vibe nailed down perfectly.  With a song that has both widespread appeal on the pop edge and layers of musicality...one not to be missed - Americana Highways  

The track leans towards lighthearted Americana; 'Songbird' trades the dull moments of tour life for an optimistic view of open highways and spirits as high as Heltai’s vocals at the tail end of the chorus. It’s a tried-and-true take about living on the road that’s nearly too rosy to be real. Nearly. - Vanyaland 

A precocious songwriter developing informed, heartfelt Americana - For Folk’s Sake 

Delivering messages of empathy and accountability to the masses — at a time when they are, perhaps, more important than ever - Underground Music Collective 

Izzy Heltai…is fast becoming one of our most played artists. Determined, striking and lyrically intelligent, this is top stuff - The Yorkshire Times 

There’s an undeniable emotional connection between artist and song…Heltai sings with an emotional maturity that we all need and can all learn from. Empathy, absolution, and acceptance are sought and expected in return - Mother Church Pew 

His writing style straddles the line between the pillars of Americana and the underbelly of gothic folk music. He has the emotional brutality of David Bazan or Simon Joyner and lacks none of their lyrical power - Country Queer 

Photo: Joanna Chattman

WATCH  // LISTEN: “FATHER” 

Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai has unveiled “Father,” the title track and its accompanying video from his forthcoming debut full-length album, due out October 9th. The video features footage of Heltai as a child - innocent, carefree, and unburdened by the hardships of the world. "Coming of age, as it stands, is one of the most sought after and widely discussed phenomena of life,” said Atwood Magazine in their premiere. “As we get older…we all become subject to the notion that we must humanize our parents. Our parents are the people that have not only given us life, but also nurtured it – and it’s hard, objectively, not to revere that. From day one we look up to our parents and all they have taught us. However, a shifting tide presents itself in the form of singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai’s newest single, ‘Father’…Heltai ushers in the idea that at the end of the day, our parents are people – important people – but people who are nonetheless far from perfect.”  

“As a transgender person I have always lived in a world where self-affirmation was necessary for my well being,” Heltai explains. “As a young trans person, I was forced to know myself more than some people ever will. A world that always told me I shouldn’t and couldn’t exist demanded that I have confidence enough in my own identity that I could go out and prove that I knew exactly who I was. Due to my experiences, I was armed with the tools to radically reflect and affirm my identity from a young age. This instilled in me an obsession with knowing myself to the fullest, in any given moment. I am made up of moments. I live in the constant wake of what was,” he continues. “This song is about the people I see myself in. Seeing the roots of where, and who, I come from. The process of sifting through these home videos was a concrete and visual form of processing the amalgamation of all the moments I am made up of." 

“Father” follows the release of album track “Songbird,” inspired by life as a troubadour and car-sleeping in Walmart parking lots, and lead single “The Stranger You’ve Become,” a compelling track about betrayal.  

LISTEN: “SONGBIRD” 

LISTEN: “THE STRANGER YOU’VE BECOME” 

With brutal honesty towards himself and forgiveness for those around him, Izzy Heltai’s music walks the elusive line between confessional and relatable. On his debut album Father, Heltai dives deep into his fascination with human relationships, and specifically the way that those relationships change and reorganize themselves over time.    

Heltai sees his own coming of age reflected in the album, which includes songs written over the past four years. “Finding myself as an adult has largely been about how the people who have always been there for me can fit into my life in a new way,” he explains. 

Throughout the record, Heltai braves the exploration of not only interpersonal and societal relationships but also his own relationship to himself, and reckons with the ways that periods of depression have caused him to abandon those he loves.  The production is raw and full, with subtle harmonies and guitar lines weaving their way unexpectedly through the mix almost as if they were grown in the song. There is no sign of musical overthought, allowing Heltai’s emotional vocals to shine organically.    

At a time when any conversation with a stranger can quickly become a sociopolitical battle, Heltai’s introspective and thought out songs are a breath of fresh air. With an overwhelming empathy for humanity, and willingness to search for personal responsibility, Heltai’s Father will not leave your heart or your ears unchanged.  

CONNECT WITH IZZY HELTAI: 

Website || Facebook || Instagram ||  Spotify || YouTube 

IZZY HELTAI SHARES NEW SINGLE “SONGBIRD” VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS

IZZY HELTAI SHARES NEW SINGLE  

“SONGBIRD” VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS  

 DEBUT LP FATHER 

SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 9TH 

Photo: Joanna Chattman

LISTEN: “SONGBIRD” 

Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai has shared “Songbird,” the second single from his forthcoming debut full-length album Father, due out October 9th. "I spend a lot of my time on the road, playing wherever anyone might listen to me. Whether or not this is the most strategic move for my career is yet to be determined, but I can say I have a lot of fun,” Heltai explains of the song’s inspiration. “I end up sleeping in my car a decent amount and am no stranger to the luxuries a Walmart parking lot can offer when on the road. I was in Pittsburgh one night in early June. At this point, I’d been touring for about a month and a half and was pretty drained. As a rule of thumb, many of us road trippers, car campers, or just plain ole’ masochists know that it’s Walmart’s common practice to allow overnight parking for the purposes of a good night's rest. This was the night I learned it’s apparently not a nationwide policy. Thankfully, the security guard who found me, cozied up in my sleeping bag, half-awake and reading a book by flashlight, took pity on me and gently encouraged me, while profusely apologizing, to try the abandoned parking lot adjacent to the one I was currently in. I thanked her and went on my way,” he recalls. I woke up the next morning with this melody in my head. The lyrics came pretty quickly, and after about an hour this song came into existence." 

“Izzy Heltai has the contemporary indie folk vibe nailed down perfectly,” Americana Highways said in the premiere. “With a song that has both widespread appeal on the pop edge and layers of musicality, ‘Songbird’ is one not to be missed. Here’s to sleeping in our cars.” “Songbird” follows the release of lead single “The Stranger You’ve Become,” a compelling track about betrayal.  

LISTEN: “THE STRANGER YOU’VE BECOME”  

With brutal honesty towards himself and forgiveness for those around him, Izzy Heltai’s music walks the elusive line between confessional and relatable. On his debut album Father, Heltai dives deep into his fascination with human relationships, and specifically the way that those relationships change and reorganize themselves over time.    

Heltai sees his own coming of age reflected in the album, which includes songs written over the past four years. “Finding myself as an adult has largely been about how the people who have always been there for me can fit into my life in a new way,” he explains. 

On the album’s opening track “To Talk About Yourself,” Heltai, who is trans, looks back at the way society fixates on his identity as the only story that he has to tell. “Being trans is a part of me that is worth talking about” he says. “It’s a really cool thing that happened in my life, and informed a lot of how I see the world and how I know myself, and how I reflect on things… but as a marginalized individual, there comes a point where you feel commodified and exploited for your identity, and I’ve always had a fear, as an artist with many stories to tell, that my being trans is the only aspect of my work that people would take interest in.”  

Throughout the record, Heltai braves the exploration of not only interpersonal and societal relationships but also his own relationship to himself, and reckons with the ways that periods of depression have caused him to abandon those he loves.  The production is raw and full, with subtle harmonies and guitar lines weaving their way unexpectedly through the mix almost as if they were grown in the song. There is no sign of musical overthought, allowing Heltai’s emotional vocals to shine organically.     

At a time when any conversation with a stranger can quickly become a sociopolitical battle, Heltai’s introspective and thought out songs are a breath of fresh air. With an overwhelming empathy for humanity, and willingness to search for personal responsibility, Heltai’s Father will not leave your heart or your ears unchanged.  

CONNECT WITH IZZY HELTAI: 

Website || Facebook || Instagram ||  Spotify || YouTube 

IZZY HELTAI ANNOUNCES DEBUT LP - FATHER - SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 9TH

IZZY HELTAI ANNOUNCES DEBUT LP FATHER SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 9TH  

NEW SINGLE “THE STRANGER YOU’VE BECOME” PREMIERES VIA FOR FOLK’S SAKE  

Photo: Joanna Chattman

Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Izzy Heltai has announced his forthcoming debut full-length album Father, due out October 9th, with the release of single "The Stranger You’ve Become." "Through his debut album, Father, Izzy Heltai observes human relationships from dawn to dusk," says For Folk's Sake in their premiere. "There’s a special focus on what’s in-between the beginning and end, where the sinew of these complex bonds are woven. It’s a lot to take in for the 23-year-old artist, but his intimate interest in the topic at-hand makes for a precocious songwriter developing informed, heartfelt Americana...'The Stranger You’ve Become' is a perfect encapsulation of the heartfelt essence that makes Heltai’s work so compelling." "An honest, kind, genuine person generally believes their interpretation of a world at face value," Heltai explains. "The majority of us choose to engage in the realities of other people with the best of intentions, not wanting to deceive. We aren’t faced day to day with the reality of how malleable our words and truths can actually be. Our realities are just collectively agreed-upon terms, rules, and conditions. The fact that I can look at a rubber duck, point to it, and claim that it is a rubber duck is only possible because we have all agreed that that is in fact what the physical object is. But what happens if someone comes along, points at that same object and tells you with absolute certainty that you’re wrong, and that object is indeed a hat? If no one else is there to tell you otherwise, who are you to believe that your interpretation of this object is based in more truth than theirs?" he continues. "When you’re intimately involved with someone, it is often difficult or nearly impossible to identify when this is happening. When you finally get out, it can be earth-shattering. The idea that you’ve been with a stranger, that you’ve been tricked. It’s a type of trust that can be extremely difficult to recultivate."   

LISTEN: “THE STRANGER YOU’VE BECOME”  

With brutal honesty towards himself and forgiveness for those around him, Izzy Heltai’s music walks the elusive line between confessional and relatable. On his debut album Father, Heltai dives deep into his fascination with human relationships, and specifically the way that those relationships change and reorganize themselves over time.    

Heltai sees his own coming of age reflected in the album, which includes songs written over the past four years. “A lot of this record is about seeing memories and situations turn to grey, where black and white previously existed,” says Heltai. “Finding myself as an adult has largely been about how the people who have always been there for me can fit into my life in a new way.” 

On the album’s opening track “To Talk About Yourself,” Heltai, who is trans, looks back at the way society fixates on his identity as the only story that he has to tell. “Being trans is a part of me that is worth talking about” he says. “It’s a really cool thing that happened in my life, and informed a lot of how I see the world and how I know myself, and how I reflect on things… but as a marginalized individual, there comes a point where you feel commodified and exploited for your identity, and I’ve always had a fear, as an artist with many stories to tell, that my being trans is the only aspect of my work that people would take interest in.”  

Throughout the record, Heltai braves the exploration of not only interpersonal and societal relationships but also his own relationship to himself, and reckons with the ways that periods of depression have caused him to abandon those he loves. “I think as I’ve grown up I’ve been able to realize that sometimes when your self-worth is so low, you don’t think you can be worth anything to someone else, but that can actually cause you to hurt people that need you,” Heltai explains.   

Father was recorded by Heltai’s longtime friend Andy Cass and produced by Sophie Buskin. The production is raw and full, with subtle harmonies and guitar lines weaving their way unexpectedly through the mix almost as if they were grown in the song. There is no sign of musical overthought, allowing Heltai’s emotional vocals to shine organically.    

At a time when any conversation with a stranger can quickly become a sociopolitical battle, Heltai’s introspective and thought out songs are a breath of fresh air. With an overwhelming empathy for humanity, and willingness to search for personal responsibility, Heltai’s Father will not leave your heart or your ears unchanged.  

FATHER TRACK LIST  

TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF 

THE STRANGER YOU'VE BECOME 

MARCHING SONG 

HUMAN 

SONGBIRD 

WHET YOUR APPETITE 

ANYONE TO ANYBODY 

CATACOMB 

FATHER 

CONNECT WITH IZZY HELTAI: 

Website || Facebook || Instagram ||  Spotify || YouTube