Revenge Wife is Liz Nistico’s latest project as she focuses on her independent voice after over a decade of work with HOLYCHILD, a successful pop-duo she has been a part of since her time in college. Now, she is focused on her solo work, learning the ropes as an independent artist and taking all of her knowledge of music to make something new and polarizing.

Nistico was kind enough to chat with us before she took the stage at Thalia Hall in Chicago, Illinois as the opening act for Kate Bush, and talked about everything from her past life as a dancer, to transitioning into a solo artist, to what’s next for her.

So let's start off with talking about your experience with music growing up. What's like the first song that you felt like you had a strong connection to?

It was an album that I was obsessed with, and it was Oasis’s “What's the story? In Morning Glory?” I couldn't get enough of it, and I was in second grade, and that was when I realized, I'm more obsessed with music than others. That album is perfect and it’s something It's that I go back to all the time.

Is that, what kind of inspired you to get into music, or do you feel like there's some kind of way Oasis is still connected into your music now?

I mean that songwriting continues to inspire me, for sure, but it took me a while. I mean, I was seven or eight years old when I was listening to that, so it took a long time for me to find my way to music after that. But yeah, having art be this thing that I was just using as a form of escape and connection started then, and I think that is definitely what led me to make music.

You were also a dancer for a while, what are the lessons that you learned in dance that may have helped you with your musicianship in like, singing, songwriting and performing?

Oh my god, yeah. To to me, like dance is another form of an instrument, you're on the physical plane, but you're so connected with music, and dance was so important to me. I was in middle school with these cool older girls as my dance teachers, and we're doing our warm ups to bands like Radiohead. I think that's super inspiring too, to just be around powerful women who are super connected to art, and then the physical connection with music was so strong for me. It gave me such a strong understanding of music, that when I started making music, I already had an understanding of it. Simultaneously, I was doing music, playing in the band or the orchestra, and I was in choirs, I was doing stuff like that also.

Any invisible thread theory kind of thing between, modern dance, and writing songs?

Yeah! I went to school for modern dance, and thought I was going to be a dancer in New York City after my college graduation. I kind of did start doing that, but it feels really inaccessible to the audience for me to be l doing weird performance art. People weren't so quick to understand what I was a part of when I was doing modern dance, so I pretty deliberately [changed my path] and said ‘I want to be a pop music artist’ so that I can infiltrate people. Everyone understands pop music, everybody hears it.

You were also a part of HOLYCHILD, and you worked on that for a while, right? How have those experiences helped you find your own voice as you navigate this chapter in your life as a solo artist?

It's pretty crazy because HOLYCHILD popped off so quickly. We had a big team really quick, so I feel like everything I'm doing now is so backward, like I'm advancing the show, booking everything, andI don't have a manager. Back then, I had a huge team who did everything and we were able to just focus on the art. So that experience taught me how to be an artist and the work ethic you need, but also, like what the standard is for how I want to operate. Now I’m kind of playing catch up by learning how to do all of the tasks I never really did before.

You say it’s moving backwards, but I think it’s pushing you further since you are now your own boss and have full control. What has that been like, let’s say for the past year?

I've really been trying to sit and ask for the universe to give me more because I could handle that. Let's get bigger let's get to the next level. The responsibility can be a little bit daunting when, like, on tour, I have three guys with me and I did all the logistics for it so there's a whole like aspect to it that can be scary because now I'm responsible for these people. I'm trying to take it in stride because the bigger that you get, the more hate you get for a while until, people start knowing you. I've been dealing with hate, and I want to be conscious about that and grow from it.

Describe who you were at the beginning of your solo career, versus now.

That's such an interesting question. In a lot of ways, I am still me, and I was still trying to understand who I am through my music, but I'm deliberate about my sound and what I'm doing now. When you start releasing music, and you think nobody's really watching this, so I can be kind of more free, then once you feel like people are taking notice, it’s a little bit of a pressure. That's always like, something that people talk about with bands who do really well on their first album, like, ‘How's their sophomore album?’ There's so much pressure on them, so I think that I'm just being, like, trying to be more grounded and conscious. When I started everything, I was in a weird relationship with this person who was just not right, and now I feel like in such a better place.

Why is it important that you do your solo work now in 2024?

I've been asking myself that a lot lately because it's so intense to release music that it's like, ‘Why put yourself through that? Why should I put this out? Is there a space for it?’ John Mayer wrote this thing today that my boyfriend was reading me, ‘You should find someone who inspires you and watch them throughout their career, and watch them persevere because that can be a source of inspiration for you to keep going.’ That's probably like the main reason there are so many incredible artists doing such cool things, there's room for everybody. My perspective is definitely unique, like, for so many reasons, but yeah, I guess it's perseverance. I'm also 36 and I feel inspired to continue doing music as I'm getting older, and just be like an example for younger women.

What are some of the messages you hope come across in your music?

I hope that my music comes across as grounded and connected to self and that people feel inspired. All of my music is from a spiritual and ritualistic place. When I want us to be heard, that's a beautiful thing about music, that's the feeling that I want. It’s from the inner the of the earth.

Final question: What's next for you?

I am releasing my album next year! I'm just finishing it now, and all my music videos are sequential, and I'll be touring. I feel really good about it, so I'm really excited for what’s to come.

Revenge Wife will continue to travel around the United States as an opening act for Kate Bush, for more information visit her website.