By: Staff
Isabel Maria released “At Least We Don’t Have Kids,” and it will win you over from the first note to the middle and all the way to its last.
We don’t know where to start because we love the piano, the vocals and the lyrics instantly so we decided to start with the lyrics. We hear, “Feed me to the Lions babe. I’m sure it won’t hurt that much. Just scream into the silence, babe. You don’t need me for that stuff “. Wow! Such powerful words and energy come from this heartfelt and emotional song and performer. The vocals start so soft and introspective, luring us into a sort of sense of calm, waiting for this song to continue on its somber tone. But without any warning, Isabel Maria chooses to explode like an amazing fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Your ears are instantly filled with the full sound and power of this very unique and creative artist. The sensation we felt during this part of the song was overwhelming emotion, and it was enjoyable and also somewhat calming because we felt the sense of this artist now taking control and really steering them away from this unhealthy situation. “Did I stumble, did I stutter? Yes, I guess I probably did. “ This delivery and vocal power and control that Isabel Maria put out for the lyrics make it a 1000 times more powerful message. As we get to the chorus and meaning of this song “At Least We Don’t Have Kids” is such a powerful statement to understand that sometimes you just have to let go before you make matters worse. Absorbing such an intelligent statement and realizing that it’s not just coming from a place of emotion, it's coming from rationale makes this song a little bit of a chuckle because you are thinking in your mind how smart it was for this artist to realize and just move on.
The production team did a fantastic job with this song utilizing since and techniques that really feel your ears with musical candy. Right around the two minute mark the song drops to total silence for just long enough to make you wonder what’s coming next. The whisper delivery of the lyrics again stand out for this very powerful artist.
We think you’re missing out big time if you don’t check out Isabel Maria, and really learn about this artist ability they possess.
It’s time to stream and share “At Least We Don’t Have Kids” by Isabel Maria before everyone else finds out about them!
Powerful Quote from the artist:
“At Least We Don’t Have Kids was a really quick one to write - I remember writing it in a two-hour flurry, having a lot to say and not a lot of time to do it in.’ Isabel explains. ‘I suppose it’s about shared accountability in a situation, and finding the - in this case, slightly tongue in cheek - silver lining in a dark spot.”
Wait, there's more!
We caught up with this exciting and emerging artist, Isabel Maria, for:
“The Cage” Music Blog, to talk about music and learn more about them.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
How long have you been making music professionally?
I’ve been writing songs since I was eleven years old, and it was a long time coming when I released my first one, Catharsis, three years ago. A lot has changed about my sound and my outlook since then, but it’s all still so exciting and I feel very lucky to be able to do it.
Was there always a desire to create music, or did you have an event in your life that made you realize this is what you want to do as a profession?
When I was little I loved all kinds of writing - I would write instruction manuals, plays, half-finished novels - but none of it ever interested me quite enough to get finished. One day, though, my grandad gifted me an old Casio keyboard from his attic, and I tried out songwriting because I’d seen people on TV do it. I clicked with it immediately, and (even though I was writing horrific songs at first) I really fell in love with that craft.
Who created your artwork and what was the inspiration and intention for the observer to absorb from it?
I have worked on all of my cover art so far with an amazing photographer called Howy White, and we always have a lot of fun. For this single in particular, I wanted to revisit somewhere I’d go a lot as a kid (to represent the title, At Least We Don’t Have Kids). So we went to a local arcade, and it was very difficult to shoot without getting in any children’s way, but we did it! I’m really happy with the final shot we got - I was on the whack-a-clown machine at the time, I think.
What instrument do you not play, but wish you could conquer?
Piano is my main instrument, but I have always wanted to be able to play the guitar. Annoyingly, I have quite small hands so I’ve always struggled - even after professional lessons and really solid advice from friends I’ve never quite been able to conquer it!
Tell us more about your producer Josh Ingledew and Blank Studios. How did you build this relationship?
It’s been really lush working with Josh at Blank Studios - it was really out of the blue that I reached out to him, but I’d heard a lot of tracks that he’d worked on and everything he does sounds great. And as for Blank Studios, I took some music production courses there and immediately fell in love with the whole vibe there - it’s such a friendly studio and not intimidating, as a lot of big studios tend to be.
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful, ie the creation, the actual release date, etc?
I find for me, it’s the most stressful when all the creative, collaborative bits are done, and all that’s left is for me to make sure it goes out smoothly! There’s a lot to handle in terms of making sure your music is registered properly, mastered well, and distributed correctly, but luckily I’m surrounded by some very amazing peers who’ve always helped me out buckets.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
I think we’ve come so far as an industry but I would still love to see more diversity, and more opportunities going out to independent artists. A lot of early career artists are fed this idea that they need to move to London or Nashville and get a record label, but it’s so not the case!
Where do you currently reside and what is the live music scene like there?
I’m from the North East of England - currently in Sunderland and about to move to Newcastle (the two cities are football rivals, so don’t tell anyone)! The whole north east of England has one big scene, and it’s honestly the most gorgeous musical community I’ve ever encountered, having played other cities and countries too. Everybody is so talented up here, and so willing to root for each other. It’s really special.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell her to stop stressing out about the people who think she’s weird or uncool, because - speaking from the future - they’ll change their minds. I’d also tell her to eat more vegetables.
What is the most inspirational thing a fan, or anyone, has told or shown you about your music?
One of the subscribers of my newsletter - who shall remain nameless in this case - reached out to me earlier this year and told me about their experience finding one of my songs. They’d attached a screenshot of their Spotify statistics and that song was their most played of all time. I think I needed to hear that, at the time. Sometimes as an artist you can get so caught up in your goals that you forget to even check whether you’ve achieved them! And that’s always been my goal - for other people to enjoy listening to my music as much as I enjoy writing it.
END INTERVIEW
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Isabel Maria on Spotify & YouTube.
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