Meet Dizzy Mavis of Phoenix, AZ

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dizzy Mavis.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From Shoebox Stages to Swirling Sounds: The Story of Dizzy Mavis
By Jess (Yes, the one with the mic)

Let me introduce you to my drummer, Adam. He’s also my older brother.. though don’t hold that against either of us. He picked up the drums as a teen, banging along to Green Day and grungy punk like his life depended on it (and maybe it did, emotionally speaking). At some point, he developed a musical ear, which sounds fancy but really just means he could pick out a sick beat and play it louder than anyone told him to. Someone handed him a guitar eventually because clearly, he needed more ways to annoy the neighbors. But Adam was up for the challenge and started shredding along to Metallica and whatever 80s riff-rock he could get his hands on.

I was younger, studying silently from the sidelines, tuning in to live concert videos he would be watching and he probably thought I wasn’t paying attention.. but I definitely was.

One day, Adam joined a cover band that just happened to need a bassist. Guess who got the call? Did I know how to play bass? Absolutely not. But Adam taught me a few notes, and I did what any naive, overly confident sibling would do: I decided I was ready to tour the world. Reality check: it was a handful of shoebox-sized stages with sticky floors and maybe a crowd of 12. Still, it felt cool and I was hooked.

Fast forward through a couple of painfully average metal bands (sorry, but if you were there… you know), but after those bands ended I got really good at guitar. Made some money playing gigs at resorts with cover songs. But I was missing something. I started writing songs and realized: that’s what I needed. The soul. My own truth behind all the noise.

So, Adam and I decided to make something of our own again. Only this time, with intention. We needed a bassist, and after some Facebook ads and Craigslist roulette, we found Tyler.

Tyler was freshly relocated to AZ from Southern California, and definitely had a west coast vibe. And when he plugged in? Instant magic. The guy found the pocket like he built it himself. Played every note along to the kick drum. We all clicked instantly.

Tyler’s grew up playing in punk and ska bands, and from the look of his old band photos was like just stepped out of a yearbook photo from 2002: puka shell necklace, frosted tips, and flip flops. Like if NSYNC joined a punk band and never looked back. But those west coast ska influences added a raw, bouncy undertone to our gritty riffs.

So just like that, Dizzy Mavis was born. A band built from the sounds we grew up with: the bluesy tones of the ’60s, soul-bending solos from the ’70s, searing 80s tubes, 90s grunge, and the pop sensibility of modern hooks. A sonic smoothie with a little extra overdrive.

The name Dizzy Mavis came to me one day, part fever dream, part tribute to the swirl of influences that shaped us. I’ve always loved female-fronted bands. Give me Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Joan Jett. I just love their power and melody, but with a little edge. That’s the energy I wanted to channel.

We jammed, played some shows, then life happened as it does. So we took a break. I kept writing and at the start of 2025, we made a pact: no more back burner. We’re all in.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life struggles got in the way of the band:
Jess going back to school (fun fact Jess has her masters in applied behavioral analysis, behavioral health). Early 20s stuff like leaving relationships and starting over, new jobs

Adam was struggling with finding a place to live and bouncing between jobs, eventually he worked for a company that had him traveling a lot so there was no way to practice music

Tyler had young kids he was raising and needed to set his roots in AZ.

We’ve all luckily stayed connected and now that we are more solid in life it’s been so much easier to pour everything into Dizzy Mavis.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We’ve already played some killer shows, made real fans, and connected with the kind of musicians who actually rock. We’re growing. We’re building. We’re making songs that sound like us and like everything we’ve ever loved.

Dizzy Mavis isn’t just a band. It’s a tribute to what made us pick up instruments in the first place. It’s for the bedroom concerts, the garage rehearsals, the old concert DVDs, and the “hey, I think I can play this” moments that started it all. And more importantly for our listeners. To give people a fusion of sounds all blended into something familiar but fresh. Scratching the vintage itch while still sounding current.

This is just the beginning. If you’re into genre-blending riffs, vibey nostalgic textures, and songs that actually hit—stick around. It’s only getting better from here.

What’s next?
We are planning for bigger shows, bigger stages, opening up for bands we know and love. And possibly some day headlining a big stage.

We’re working on an EP release by the end of 2025 with a release show.

Long term, we are slowly building intricate sets with all of the lighting, visuals, props, and fun elements to bring to the fans. We always want to make our shows memorable and worthy of sharing a stage with these other amazing artists and bands.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/dizzymavis
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/dizzymavis
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/dizzymavis
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dizzymavis8133