Lizzy Plapinger – fearless feminist activist, former MS MR lead singer, and co-founder of Neon Gold Records (the home of Charlie XCX, Marina and the Diamonds, Tove Lo, and more) – is cutting through the male-dominated music industry both as a businesswoman and an artist. Three years into her new solo-project under the moniker LPX, the New York-based artist taps into powerful female influences and her experience performing alongside figures such as Haim, Glass Animals, X Ambassadors, and many more to create her energetic and colossal atmosphere. 

LPX’s two EPs, Bolt in the Blue and Junk of the Heart, defined her style as genre-bending, bringing elements of experimental electro-pop and alt-rock to life through applied artistic freedom. Emphasizing her powerful voice once again, her latest releases, “New Mood” and “Delayed Gratification,” present a ritualistically unprocessed artist with grit and charisma. 

Get to know more about LPX’s everyday life as an artist, entrepreneur, feminist, and ambitious individual below:

What have you been up to during quarantine?

Similar to a lot of other artists I’ve spoken with from all mediums, it was very hard – at least at first – to use quarantine time creatively. I had JUST finished an EP the week before we all found ourselves in lockdown, so I was honestly already a little creatively depleted by the time I was in isolation. That first month was especially hard… it was such an emotional, mental, and physical challenge I didn’t have much juice to create. The second month was a different story. I started really deep-diving into music, books, and films that had always sat in the back of mind and turned into a sponge filling myself with as much inspiration as possible from Yayoi Kusama to Eve Babitz, Miles Davis, Ted Chiang and beyond – essentially drinking in as much art as I possibly could to re-spark my own flame. This then manifested itself in month 3 where I was finally able to refocus on LPX and put the wheels in motion to release my newest single, Delayed Gratification. An anthem for the impatiently patient, written prior to COVID 19, it was an unintentionally timely release that reflected my own ongoing internal struggle with hopeful malaise.

You’ve had an exciting and versatile career, exploring many different paths of the music industry and doing a great job with it! Do you have any advice for young women looking for a future in the music industry?

Know that you are capable and you don’t need someone else to validate your opinion and perspective. Passion and persistence are key. Remember to be respectful and kind along the way – this industry is small and can often feel like a game of musical chairs, you will continue to run into the same people over and over again – that respect and kindness will go a long way. Also, look to other women in the industry to create a network of support and mentors you can continue to engage with, get feedback from, and build relationships with. And know that will be an important role for you to grow into as you become more established in your own career.

Working both as the co-founder of Neon Gold Records and as your own musician, what does an average day look like for you?

No day is typical when it’s a rotating schedule of my own design freely balancing my responsibilities between Neon Gold and LPX, and I love that. It seems to regularly be a back and forth between creativity and execution whether it’s on my own behalf or someone else’s. I’ve always loved being able to bring my experience from NG to LPX and vice versa – it’s a symbiotic system.

How has working in alternative rock, known as a male-dominated genre, affected your musical journey and artistry?

Moving into this genre sphere has helped me to more earnestly self identify and align myself with the music and artists I grew up listening to like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Le Tigre, Garbage, Gwen Stefani/No Doubt, Florence and the Machine, Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees etc. POWERFUL female forces that expanded my own views on what kind of woman I am and wanted to be. In the process of finding my voice as LPX, I want to pay homage to those that came before me and help to continue demonstrating to other women that no genre is off the table and you can be whatever kind of woman you want.

You truly have a genre-bending energy, but if you could, in just a few words, how would you describe your sound?

If Karen O, Florence, and Hayley Williams had a musical love child… haha just kidding. I wish. I lovingly sometimes refer to my sound as pantone punk – a spectrum of bold kaleidoscopic shapeshifting.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a musician for you?

Performing and touring. 100%. That’s where the music and I most come alive. There’s no greater feeling than uniting people in a room and spreading joy and a cathartic escape to their day.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

I’m so excited to share I’ll be releasing a new EP (my third) this summer, stay tuned…

What are some of your major goals in the next 5 years?

To release a debut album as LPX. Sell out a headliner tour across the country. Tour in Europe. Become an established festival heavyweight and play Glastonbury, Splendour, Lolla, Bonnaroo, and Coachella to name a few. While also help to further close the gap on festival line up gender inequality as both as performer and curator/organizer. Dive deeper into and help foster and support the community of female alternative artists.

What’s something people don’t know about you?

I was born and raised in London till I was 18, but my accent would deceive you…

What are you listening to right now?

I’m alwayyyyys listening to new music and right now I’m loving Arlo Parks, Remi Wolf, Jany, Grace Ives, Bickle and Zsela! I’ve got a playlist up on my page called “Suck on This” if you’re curious to stay up to speed on what I’m listening to which is filled with new favorites, like the above.