Vian Izak, is a South African American alternative folk singer-songwriter, record producer, and audio engineer. He created an animated alias to maintain his anonymity online.[1] Izak's artist project is part of the virtual band movement popularized by acts such as the Gorillaz and The Archies where the members of the group are portrayed as animations.[2] Although he later dropped the animated persona in favor of personally connecting with his audience, this early focus on multimedia releases, including visual art, comics, and storytelling, has continued.
Vian is married to Sarah Jane Wood (stage name Juniper Vale).[12] The pair have also released many songs together, and Vian has produced all of Juniper Vale's solo work to date.
Many of Vian's songs, including popular tracks "The London Air Raids" and "Revolver", were written by his brother Hein Zaayman.[13]
Career
2015–2019: Early career and music
Vian is a South African immigrant who moved to the United States in 2000. His love of songwriting started out of a need to communicate as English was not his native language.[14] He cites U2, Coldplay, and Death Cab for Cutie as early influences.[15] As a young man he moved to Nashville and opened a recording studio on the historic Music Row.[15] Izak brought an international sound to the Nashville music scene which made him stand out.[15][14] This is exemplified in his collaborations with Grammy winning South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo on "Brink of Love" and with Grammy winning Italian composer Davide Rossi on "Sangre de Cristo".[14][16]
He often combines his music with the illustrations of his brother, Hein Zaayman, to create multimedia comic stories. His first multimedia release, Northern Anthems (2018), was nominated for numerous awards including two Independent Music Awards.[17][18] Music streaming platform Spotify also highlighted the release as a unique project from Nashville.[19][20]
Starting in February 2019, Vian ran a 13-episode podcast series called "Sounds About Music" where he interviewed other creatives and discussed the process of creating his second album, The Navigator (2019). Guests included artists from his Vohnic Music label, illustrator Hein Zaayman, and more.[21]
2020: Music and COVID aid
In March 2020 Vian worked with U.S. Bancorp to release a COVID-19 television advertisement using his song "Things Will Get Better" encouraging people to stay hopeful in hard times.[22] The advertisement was played nationally in the United States. Additionally, Izak released a music video for his song "The Navigator" thanking healthcare workers for their bravery during the pandemic which received over fifty thousand views on Facebook and YouTube.[23][24]
2020-2021: Third studio album, Flight of the Aeronaut
In 2020, Vian followed the release of his 2019 album The Navigator with a deluxe edition featuring additional songs, as well as a short webcomic following the concept of the album, which can still be viewed on his website. Unlike the Vian Izak's Adventures comic, a print version was never released. Vian also released an animated YouTube lyric video for the song The Navigator, as well as a behind the scenes look with the director, Michael Saby.[25]
Later in 2020, he began releasing one song each month leading up to the July 2021 release of his third album, Flight of The Aeronaut. The album and accompanying singles featured artwork by his brother Hein Zaayman.[12] The album was also released on Vinyl, his only LP to date to have done so.[12]
On March 24, 2021, Vian performed a live acoustic concert in Nashville, playing songs from Flight of The Aeronaut. He performed alongside Sarah Jane from Juniper Vale and string instrumentalist RǾRE. Recordings from this concert were later released on YouTube, as well as on streaming services as the EP Vian Izak Live 2021.[26]
Vian also released Vian Izak: After Hours EP in October 2021, a collaboration with UK composer Ben Laver. It features instrumental arrangements of six of Vian's songs in a jazzy, lo-fi style.
2022-2023: Fourth studio album, All the Worlds We Built
Vian continued this same method of continuous releases for his fourth album All the Worlds We Built, releasing one song each month from May 2022 until the album's release in February 2023. Each release was accompanied by an exclusive poster, with artwork done by Andreas Rocha. The concept of the album is loosely based on the Berlin Wall, as well as a Sci-Fi story that Vian developed while traveling through Europe.[27][28] The album includes features from German band Who's Amy, UK electronic project ah BLOOM, saxophone player Max Abrams, and more, all contributing to the international nature of the project.[28]
Vian released a short comic book alongside the album, his third time to do so. Incorporating illustrations by Andreas Rocha and AI art, the comic warns about the dangers of machines taking the place of human expression.[29][28] The comic was one of the first that incorporated AI art and human art equally.[28] A limited number of print versions of the comic were available for purchase online.
