Los Angeles-based dance-pop artist WizG, aka Josh Wizan, dropped his brand-new single, “Don’t Wanna Need You Now,” a few days ago.
Talking about “Don’t Wanna Need You Now,” WizG shares, “I couldn’t be more excited for this release of music. It represents the next chapter in my growth as an artist — a complete refresh of the artist I was, a revamp of the music producer I am, and a revival of the DJ I know I’m going to be one day.”
Surging with soaring vocals and pulsating kick drums, “Don’t Wanna Need You Now” juxtaposes its upbeat rhythm with lyrics that tell an all-too-relatable tale of staggering heartbreak.
Formerly a duo, WizG’s contagious sound blends elements of progressive house, electro-pop, and future bass into alluring, galvanizing sonic potions. With celebrated releases like “What About Us,” “Back to You,” “Do or Die,” and his breakout remix of Wrabel and Kesha’s anthemic hit “since i was young,” WizG has earned millions of listens across major streaming platforms.
With features in EDM.com, Wave Music, and YourEDM, WizG has shared the stage with Matoma, Lost Kings, and Dada Life.
CelebMix spoke with WizG to find out more about the person behind the music, the inspiration for “Don’t Wanna Need You Now,” and how his infectious sound evolved.
What three things can’t you live without?
First and foremost, I cannot live without my Epi-Pen. I was born allergic to all nuts, sesame, and shellfish. Gotta love it.
The second would have to be headphones. I can’t go anywhere without some headphones. I am constantly listening to music, trying to find inspiration.
The third would be Italian food. I could eat Italian food seven days a week, three times a day if I had to.
What’s the story behind the name WizG?
When I first created WizG my senior year of college, I thought it would be fun to pursue it with my best friend. WizG was formed by combining both our last names. My last name is Wizan, and his last name is Garcia. Hence – WizG.
While it was comfortable having my best friend there to bounce ideas off of, join me during sessions, and listen to endless amounts of drum samples, I didn’t need him. I was the creative brain and motor of the project from the beginning.
I have kept the name ever since.
What inspired your new single, “Don’t Wanna Need You Now?”
For ‘DWNYN’ I wanted to do something I had never done before. My previous tracks have always revolved around pop-driven vocals but always had a slow ballad feel. I felt like I could never really play them during a set. My previous discography is very setting-oriented. You need to feel and be in the right place at the right time to listen.
For ‘DWNYN’ I wanted to create a song that had a house tempo but kept the catchy sing-along lyrics. Something you can play in the car driving to work, play during a pregame with friends, and would go over well on the dance floor.
Walk us through your mindset as you approached recording the song.
For me writing a song always starts differently. There’s not a formula that I follow. No set Ableton template, no set tempo, no set scale. When I write music, I like to dive into the emotion and message I am trying to depict. What do I want the listener to feel when listening?
Some songs start with the chords, others with the drums, and others with just the vocal. For ‘DWNYN’ the first melody I created was the drop horns, and I built the track around them.
‘Don’t Wanna Need You Now’ is a reminder that you can always find that instinctual moment that leads you to move on to bigger and better things if you search hard enough.
How did you first get into music?
Similar to many, I first got into dance music when I experienced my first-ever electronic music festival. I instantly fell in love. I was in awe of everything. The flashing lights, the vast production, the big stages, and the people. After attending, I did what all inspiring producers do, download Ableton.
I had no prior knowledge of music theory and no clue how to play an instrument. However, I had a burning fire to one day perform on big stages and create memorable songs like those acts I saw that weekend. So, I started teaching myself.
Which artists/musicians had the most impact on your sound?
There are so many artists/musicians that I look up to. The ones that have had the most impact on my sound would have to be The Chainsmokers, Loud Luxury, Gryffin, Lost Kings, and Illenium.
My mission as an artist is to have my music connect and resonate with people. I would say all four of those artists have timeless pop-driven EDM records.
Did your sound evolve naturally, or did you push it deliberately in a certain direction?
I first fell in love with dance music during the progressive house era. So initially, I started producing at a tempo of 128bpm. After learning how to produce progressive house, it felt very formulaic, so I gradually started to learn how to produce future bass in the 140bpm range and other genres.
Fast forward to today I believe my love for pop music and love songs has guided me to my present-day sound. I love incorporating different pianos, guitars, and drums in each of my records and I am a sucker for emotional lyrics.
Which artists in your opinion are killing it right now?
Obviously, the return of Swedish House Mafia is thrilling and unique, however, right now I’m super impressed with John Summit, Morten, and Joel Corry.
I’m super impressed with how John Summit has skyrocketed onto the scene with his steady releases and hilarious branding. Every release gets bigger and bigger and streams like crazy on every platform. Morten’s future rave sound is so unique that I know eventually it will be played on every stage. Regarding Joel Corry, the man can’t miss.
If you couldn’t be a music artist, what would you be doing?
If I weren’t a music artist, I would probably be doing something in sales or marketing. That’s what I received my degree in at college.
Who or what inspires you?
The most significant driving factor that leads me to create my music is the human connection. I am fascinated that we as humans can laugh, cry, and smile over similar things. It enlightens me that we humans can relate all while being so different.
The pop-driven dance music I create always revolves around the themes of love and heartbreak. I have found myself at my highest and lowest points of life when I have felt those themes. I have used lyrics revolving around previous relationships, melodies revolving around euphoric feelings of love, and more. Most people know what it feels like to love someone or something so much as I know that agonizing painful feeling of hurt. That is why I believe when you listen to my music, it is very relatable. Genre friendly or not.
What can your fans expect over the next six months? New material? Live gigs?
It has been about roughly six months since I have released music. I have not only evolved as an artist but so much as a person. This new release is the start of a brand unique sound for WizG. No more mid-tempo, slow ballads. With each release moving forward, fans will hear something they have not heard from me.
I’m excited for listeners to now hear the new direction I want the project to go in. Songs that are still centered around the experiences of love and heartbreak but are more dance-oriented. Faster tempos, different instruments, and new melodies.
This summer, I have a few shows lined up. The first one is LA’s Loving Life festival in July. Buckle up, because these next six months are going to be filled with WizG.
Follow WizG Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify
ncG1vNJzZmiblaGyo7nIsWWcp51ktq%2FAxKutop2nYsSqxsZmpqmdnqh6tryMmpmoraRitaq%2FjJ6tqKSmnruoedKorKecXZa7pXnDqKWtZaeWu6%2BtjKecnpxdrry2ec2ormg%3D