“WAZU have this sneaky charm about them, they seem to find optimism in the seediest places. These songs kind of taunt you and please you in a way you might not expect at first. What we hear from them is edgy and mysterious, and especially because we only have three songs right now, it definitely leaves you wanting more.” (RoundLetters)WAZU is Matt and Rizz – an Australian-American glam/grunge/electronic/pop duo based in New York City by way of Sydney. Matt and Rizz met as freshmen at The University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, and after writing and performing together in several influential Sydney bands, including Open the Gates and Captains, the two decided to officially become a duo and further explore the chemistry and ideas that so naturally occur between them.
In their first week as WAZU, the duo performed seven shows in six nights at the Top 10 “Best of the Fest” Festival at Toronto Indie Week 2010. “We showed up planning to play three shows, but [we] kept winning!” Shortly after, the band performed as part of the CMJ Festival at Lower East Side staple The Living Room, the Neon Reverb Music Festival in Las Vegas, and the Dropout Party at Don Hill’s in New York City.
In 2011 WAZU released a series of self-produced singles, three of which were re-recorded, re-mixed, and re-mastered with legendary producer Kevin McMahon (Titus Andronicus, Real Estate, Swans, The Walkmen) to be released as the WAZU EP on January 10, 2012 via Anti-Language Recordings. In celebration of their debut EP release, WAZU will perform at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn, NY at 8pm on the same night.