Known best for his debut track Tired of You and kindly telling us all about his new vulnerable 10-track record called keep my head afloat, San Diego alternative artist iisaac bravely shows us the scars of depression and was kind enough to open up the curtains on this revealing interview. This is must-read stuff.
Llewelyn: Thanks so much for joining us today isaac. Please tell us where you’re based at the moment and what was it like growing up in your hometown.
iisaac: hello! Thank you so much for having me, I am based in San Diego. Growing up in San Diego was amazing, I loved every moment of it, especially starting my craft as a musician.
Llewelyn: Have you always been connected with music and who do you personally work with?
iisaac: I have always been connected with music, especially when I express my vulnerability and emotions on each song I do, also when I was younger. I sing a lot so I feel like music has always been around me, growing up. I haven’t worked with any artists yet but my dream is to possibly work with Clairo, JOJI, BENEE, all such talented artists.
Llewelyn: Please tell us more about your emotion-filled new 10-track record, keep my head afloat. This is raw and revealing. We admire your courageousness. It feels like you have put your heart & soul into this effort.
iisaac: This album was so hard emotionally and mentally because I basically told a story all about my life, growing up as a kid who felt lost, and depressed, it was hard. The main goal for this album was that I was completely honest about the things that I went through and perhaps someone who listens to this record relates to it in a way. The whole album talks about heartbreaks, depression, moving on from people who no longer are in your life, and just finding yourself to be who you are. Each song on keep my head afloat all tells a story about me, and I couldn’t be more happier on how this album turned out to be, which is a life diary of me.
Llewelyn: Which songs in particular are you most proud of and which ones were the most difficult to make as they perhaps made you revisit those tough times?
iisaac: The most proud songs on keep my head afloat were blurry side, hostage, keep my head afloat and deep end, because they all talk about different topics about my life which is not getting push down again, losing a connection with someone, being hostage from toxic people, and getting to the deep end with your thoughts, overall i do feel proud for the rest of the songs. I feel like the songs that were difficult to make on keep my head afloat were blurry side and hostage just because blurry side told a story about losing someone you had a connection with and before you saw all clear, because you and that person were together etc but now its all over so you’ll forever not see clearly, you start to see this person on the blurry side, a side that doesn’t exist. Hostage was another one that was hard because it’s being trapped with someone who constantly abuses you with their power, meaning they control you with their harsh words and actions, which was very difficult to write and record that song and blurry side.
Llewelyn: Does making music make you feel happier and away from the deep end?
iisaac: Music is therapy to me, being able to write your heart out with real topics that relate to you and being able to record, and just feel some way when you release your emotions with music, makes me so happy to be an artist, I definitely get out of those hard situations with music for sure.
Llewelyn: You seem to mix alternative and RnB rather well. Do you love to fuse different genres and make music that is different to what most people are making?
iisaac: Yes, because I feel like as an artist you need to be as unique as possible because there’s so many artists who make the same music and they lack the ability to be different. some artists copy other artists, same type of vibe for the song etc. So it’s important to be different as an artist, so that’s what I do, especially with my alternative R&B sounds.
Llewelyn: What plans do you have for the future? Making more music and touring, or it is one day at a time right now? We certainly live in a rather odd world.
iisaac: My plan is to keep creating music and hopefully put out a new record by the end of 2023, also hopefully touring more, doing music videos, so much stuff that i can’t wait to do with my music.
Llewelyn: Also, who is on your team? Who backs you when the chips are down?
iisaac: I don’t really have a team right now, but I do have my mom who supports me and my music career which I’m forever grateful for, and she mostly helps me get back up when it gets difficult for me to handle.
Llewelyn: If you could play live in any country, where would it be and why?
iisaac: I would love to play in the UK because their vibe seems so fun, and I would love to learn the uk accent.
Llewelyn: Lastly, who do you make music for and how do you hope to inspire the lost youth who are looking for genuine role models right now?
iisaac: I make music for myself, it heals me, having so many things that i went through was so hard to get out of, but music made me have purpose in life. Creating different beats, writing songs that come from my soul, and being able to just have fun, so i feel like music is for me. Some person told me that when it’s hard to find the light, you don’t keep your head down, you stand tall and keep going until you find the light to guide you on where you want to go.
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Interview by Llewelyn Screen
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