A while ago, we had the chance to listen to some of ISSIE’s unreleased material, instantly recognising her underlying artistic talent and malleable vocal tone. While we can’t share more details about the tracks, we can certainly help the project reach a wider audience, which is why we have loved learning more about ISSIE in this interview. Everything about Isabella screams commitment and perseverance: she works hard and reaps the benefits.
A quick glance at her biography will impress even the most ambitious artists out there. Originally from California, ISSIE now calls Liverpool, UK, her home, although her career enjoys a global outlook: she’s already built a solid presence in songwriting sessions worldwide. Championing a keen soulful allure, the gifted songtress looks at the future with exuberance and purpose, which is why we expect big things from her.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with ISSIE to learn more about her future goals and general artistry… Interview below!
Hi ISSIE, thanks for chatting with us! Even though you haven’t officially released music yet, your career appears to be rather blooming, especially as a songwriter and performer. Having read and watched some of your past interviews, you also seem very motivated to develop your artistic journey. Would you say that music has given meaning to your existence as a whole? Could you imagine a scenario where you’d be doing something else?
Hi! I think it’s hard to imagine my life now and how much I’ve changed thus far. I somewhat fell into music accidentally… (my parents are much better at telling this story, so I’ll try to do my best). I’ve always been overly ambitious growing up. I used to have this vision board in high school, where I plotted a ten-year plan… that being I would go to NYU (New York University) and be a pediatric surgeon, and live in Manhattan.
I’m not sure why I thought I’d want to go into medicine, because I’m terrible at science, but I always had this drive in me that would push me and constantly challenge myself. And although I wasn’t good at science, I grew up as a competitive dancer and danced my entire life; I loved being creative. Whether it was dance, art, writing, or music, I loved being the black sheep of my family, the super artsy one.
Once COVID happened during high school, I wasn’t really doing anything and felt like I had lost everything until I asked my parents to do singing lessons. I never dared to do music growing up, so I think a part of me during COVID was like, might as well try? And I ended up loving it, writing poetry and singing, and felt like I had discovered a part of myself. So when I then applied for music school and got in…it felt a bit serendipitous. It’s kinda wild to imagine a life where I wouldn’t be doing music now, because I think I’ve finally found myself through it, and I’m just grateful that I have.
Off the back of my previous question, I’d love to know more about your upbringing; is there anything or anyone that has helped you become the gifted musician you are today? Did you go to any specific music school?
Ah… well, I do talk quite a bit. So I guess I kinda answered that… but to extend my answer, no, I never had any training. I’m from Southern California, in a little bubble called Orange County, which is like a little beach town. I actually went to catholic school growing up, so when I got into LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts), my parents thought I was crazy. I didn’t know how to play any instruments or know any music theory at that point; I was sort of like Rick Rubin, I guess. I just had my intuition and had to trust my gut with what I thought sounded good, and creating melodies or toplines with my own lyrics.
I had always loved lyrics and melodies growing up; it was the main thing I always gravitated towards when listening to music, so for me, that was the most important part of writing songs. And I think on top of that intuition, being a dancer allowed me to hear music differently. I gravitated towards music that created more creative choreography through the melody or rhythmic choices, and that just made you want to dance.
Now that I’m graduating from LIPA, I’m so grateful for how much I’ve grown and challenged myself over the past four years. Because I went from knowing nothing to wanting to learn everything and be confident in what I do.
I was lucky enough to be sent some of your demos, and they sound really good! 🙂 I am serious, they are better than a lot of the submissions I usually receive. It’s clear that you feel most at home in soulful/jazz-ish territories (Amy Winehouse comes to mind). What are some of your biggest influences? Are there any modern-day artists that you particularly appreciate?
Thank you! It’s always nice to hear that someone likes your music (especially unreleased) because it’s so easy to be a perfectionist and say “it’s not good enough”, so I appreciate that!
There are so many influences and artists that I look up to today! There’s such an abundance of talent out there, and it’s amazing to grow up in a time with so many incredible artists to witness. I’m a huge fan of the soul/jazz scene in London right now, from Joy Crookes to RAYE, Sienna Spiro, or Olivia Dean. That’s one incredible thing about streaming platforms and the social media aspects of artists: you can discover new talent anywhere.
Zinadelphia, for example, is an artist I found on TikTok back in 2021, and I’ve been a huge fan since. I think I’m inspired by the huge array of artists above, but also by some big names that I have been listening to since forever: Amy Winehouse, Elvis, The Bee Gees, Bill Withers, and Donny Hathaway. I grew up on a lot of Motown and early Rock and Roll (mainly most of my dad’s music taste), so I like to keep my mind and ears open to different artists and genres.
Speaking about demos, your curriculum is packed with illustrious collaborations among songwriting camps and international writing networks. Is this a career you are actively pursuing? Do you separate writing for others/commercially versus writing for yourself?
I actually started off wanting to be purely a songwriter and have always had this love for the job. Partly it’s because when I went into music I didn’t know how to play instruments, so I really relied on my melodic and lyrical senses. I’ve always put myself out there and done as much as possible. I really just love the ability to grow and gain confidence in my ability as a songwriter. I think there’s something so exciting and terrifying about going into a writer’s room with the majority of people you’ve never met and leaving with a song from scratch. That’s something that I’m always pursuing and will probably want to do for the rest of my life.
You are currently based in Liverpool, UK, a city that certainly shares an illustrious musical past. How’s the local scene? Have you found a local creative community that supports you and helps you grow?
I definitely have grown with the scene in Liverpool. It’s so funny looking at it, cause when you’re in the heart of it, you don’t realise how illustrious and vibrant the music landscape is until you leave…and I definitely have that sometimes. I think there are so many styles and eclectic umbrellas of music wherever you go. It feels like it’s the kinda place where you can be anyone and really discover yourself.
People might not know this, but you have worked with some industry heavyweights, including Grammy-winning writers Pamela Sheyne and Richard Harris, as well as multi-platinum-selling writer and artist Julia Michaels. I’d love to know how it feels to work with people who carry such strong experience. Is there anything in particular that you learned from them?
Learning from professionals who have so much weight throughout the industry has always been really important to me. I’m so passionate about what I do; it gives me so much purpose throughout my life. And to have opportunities to even be in the same room as some of these people is not taken lightly- I want to be able to grow and learn from such talented and impressive artists. But every time I go into a session, I’m a bit nervous and anxious about what may happen…especially when it’s someone who’s a legend.
You have been navigating the music industry for a while now; what’s the one thing that artists should do (or do more) when trying to establish themselves in a local scene/professionally? (in your opinion)
I think one of the most important things an artist can have, especially when trying to establish themselves, is a strong work ethic. That’s something my parents really instilled in me from a young age, and it’s carried through every part of my life. Whether it’s your career, your health, or your relationships, work ethic is always going to rise above things like talent or even luck in the long run.
I can think of so many moments where I felt like I wasn’t the most confident person in the room, or I doubted my own ability, whether that was in a classroom or in a session. But regardless of how I felt, I always tried to put my head down, stay consistent, and keep working toward where I wanted to be. So trying to block out the noise can be difficult, but if you stay consistent with yourself and work hard, you never know what can happen. I think that’s so evident today as well, when you look at artists like RAYE or Olivia Dean who worked 10+ years to get to where they are!
Lastly: what does 2026 have in store for ISSIE? Will we be getting new music at some point?
I’m hoping to release some of the work I’ve been building over the last two years, which feels really special to me. It’s been a long time in the making, and I think I’m finally at a point where I’m ready for people to hear it! There’s still a lot to do behind the scenes, but that’s the exciting part. I’m just really looking forward to taking that next step and letting people into my world a bit more 🙂