Lizzy Szabo's Desk Notes
Spotify's US lead indie editor gives us an annotated tour of her desk.
This is my desk in area in our Hollywood bedroom. My husband took this photo, and I figured I should look my best - even though I’m actually writing this in pajamas. I'm a collector of all things, as you can probably tell from this one little corner of our apartment. A maximalist!
Remi Wolf pizza box: This is from our infamous little backyard Lorem & Friends hang from Fall ’23, where Remi Wolf performed and Norah Jones came out as the special guest. We brought fans, artists, and creatives of all kinds together to the In Sheep’s Clothing house in the Hollywood Hills. My coworker Lisa had the brilliant idea to have Remi design the pizza box. I love how it turned out, and now I get to think about that night every time i see it on the shelf. We still say it’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever done at Spotify.
Furniture: This midcentury atomic-legged desk and George Nelson shelf behind me are local auction scores, and I drove an hour for my pink Modernica Case Study desk chair I found for a steal on FB marketplace. I love to research vintage pieces and furniture makers, gallery hop, etc. Aside from music - interiors are my thing.
John Mayer letter: When I was still an assistant at Spotify, I made a case for his ‘New Light’ video to be included in our first editions of the canvas tool on platform. He was grateful, and sent a handful of these letters out. It’s typed on a typewriter! And signed. It’s traveled with me from LA to NY to New Orleans and back.
Ella Rose Flood print (far right middle shelf): I came across Ella’s work during the pandemic and fell in love. It’s a little bit dark and dreamy and I'm fascinated in how she presents different objects. She lives in Chicago, you should check out her work. This is a limited edition print she did of a ghost orchid. I purchased it the second it went live, so it's #1 of like 250.
Piece of the 2021 Arc de Triomphe "Wrapped": This is a little fraction of the 270,000 square foot wrapping of the Arc de Triomphe by iconic artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude that I bought on eBay. It's a reminder of what is possible, that art and its legacy is fantastic.
Lizzy Szabo is the US lead indie editor at Spotify, where she and her team look after the indie playlist ecosystem from Lorem to Fresh Finds and more. They've just launched the Lorem & Friends Substack, which dives deeper into the curation, storytelling, and community around the playlist.