I cannot begin to tell you how much I love the music industry, it is one of the few places where I am completely at home, in a skin that makes me feel so incredibly complete. In October, during my trip to the UK, I was fortunate to watch Isabella Coulstock perform twice, it consumed my essence with an overwhelming whimsy. When this woman performs, she commits with every single part of her body, not just her voice; I’ve witnessed Isabella on two small stages, first at The Hyatt (near where the Jack the Ripper tour takes place) and at The Camden Club. Both performances were on small stages, however, Isabella’s performance was MASSIVE; much like I would imagine when she opened for The Who at The 02 Centre earlier this year. If you have the opportunity to watch Isabella perform, I STRONGLY suggest you do so, and I recommend you sit at the front when she does, her smile and eye contact lead to a powerful performance.
Furthermore, I am so thrilled to share that Isabella’s newest track Love is out today on all digital channels, check out this link for more details. Now, for our interview…
RMMW: Isabella, writer's block can be so very annoying and frustrating, have you ever been creatively blocked? And, If yes, how did you move passed it?
IC: I wouldn’t say I’ve been blocked as such, it’s more that there are moments where inspiration comes and doesn’t come, I usually get an urge to write at a random moment, maybe something has happened or I get a sudden feeling that I feel I just have to write down, and of course melodies enter my mind which I have to get recorded into my phone. Then there are those times where I’ll sit down to write, and nothing will feel quite right so rather than force it I’ll come back a little while later. I’ll do some chores for example to take my mind off it.
RMMW: I love that, I’ve experienced severe writer’s block only twice and it was the most annoying thing, a world void of expression can be almost painful. Your positive attitude is quite encouraging, how you foster an organic relationship between yourself and your writing. Which brings me to my inner critic, a plethora of times, I’ve discussed dealing with my annoying inner critic Tabitha, how do you contend with your inner critic?
IC: I think that it’s important to have the awareness that we aren’t going to love everything we create and the questions we ask ourselves of course can sometimes have a negative effect but i use any negative energy to strive to be a better writer.
RMMW: It is interesting how negative energy can create some of the most positive outcomes, I wonder if that is tethered to your favourite time of day to write and when that could possible be?
IC: For me, there’s no particular favourite time, I get inspiration at different times of the day, sometimes it will be at the piano in the afternoon or late at night in my room.
RMMW: I’m the same way, when writing poetry, it can be anytime anywhere; it is like the challenge of moments never really is one as a pen and notepad are always close by. As a woman in this industry, what do you think is the greatest challenge for emerging female artists?
IC: Getting your music heard by the right people is one of the most difficult things! A challenge that any artist faces nowadays is trying to compete with a highly saturated industry where anyone can release anything on digital streaming platforms. Unfortunately, a lot of people’s successes are measured on numbers and not on live performance. Live performance for me is where my strength lies and being on iconic stages supporting people of the likes of Jools Holland and The Who or my own headline shows is where I’m at my happiest.
RMMW: I so feel for you, you know, there was an article I that was reading a while ago about streaming farms, where music is played on a constant loop to raise the number of streams artificially. It actually enrages me as there is nothing authentic encased in that methodology. Now, for something a little sweeter, we both share a love of baking, do you have a comfort recipe you gravitate to?
IC: Ooooh, tough question, I definitely have staples, for example my dad loves bread and butter pudding, so I make a brioche and then use that as my base! Highly recommended hack! But I suppose the thing I make the most are my infamous shortbread biscuits that I take to almost every show I do and give to the sound engineers and other musicians, no better way to a musician’s heart than with food!
RMMW: Oh, that sounds so delicious. I may have to find a way to wrangle your shortbread recipe from you. And, I totally agree with you it is the perfect way to warm a musician’s heart especially the way shortbread has the proclivity to melt in your mouth. Noted lesson, bring shortbread to gigs, now for another, what is the main lesson you learned transitioning from a small stage like The Camden Club, to a massive one like the 02 arena?
IC: I have learned that no matter where you are, what stage situation you are in, every performance should be the better than the last….you should give it your all no matter how many people are out there in the crowd. The more variety of performances you do and audiences you play for, the more comfortable you feel on the arena stages. I’ve played for one man and his dog, and I’ve played for 20000 people, and I always give the best performance I can….and top tip: you never know who that one man is!
RMMW: That is honestly true, one never knows who is watching, which is why it is always important to go whole hog regardless of what platform one performs on. And, to decide what songs to perform, which brings me to my next question what comes first for you, the lyrics or the music?
IC: It depends, there’s no right answer or specific method, inspiration comes at random times and in random forms, I might sometimes start with a line and build from there or I’ll wake up with a melody in my head. Very often a complete story will come out all in one go!
RMMW: Inspiration can be so ridiculously random and in the oddest of places too; as a multi instrumentalists is there one tool you cannot live without?
IC: Not really tools no! But I have feathers hanging from guitar and hair which are part of my look! And I also always like to use the very first guitar I got when I was 13…. I like the sound and the feel of it!
RMMW: Oh, your feathers were one of the first things I noticed about you, they flow so incredibly with your hair when you perform; it truly is so elegant to watch. The photographs of you where movement is incorporated are quite stunning and so genuine with the smile on your face. You are truly doing what you are meant to be! What about the music you appreciate, what are your current 7 favourites songs to listen to not written by you?
IC: At the moment my 7 faves would have to be: Run To You ~ Bryan Adams, Sixty Years On ~ Elton John, Right Here Waiting ~ Richard Marx, Careless Whisper ~ George Michael, Getaway Car ~ Taylor Swift, If It Makes You Happy ~ Sheryl Crow, and If I Can’t Have You ~ Yvonne Elliman.
RMMW: That is such a varied list from so many different eras, most of which have been on my playlist for decades. I just happen to know from our discussions you have a wide variety of interests, what are your top three staples and what is their origin story?
IC: My main interest of course is music, I absolutely love finding new music especially older songs I may never have heard before, I have grown up on great songs and it becomes a part of my everyday when I write, perform and even when I train. Secondly, big interests for me are Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai! I started training in martial arts when I was 5 and my dad has been teaching me ever since in and out of class. I love my martial arts as its an excellent discipline and way of centring myself. I also am a qualified Zumba instructor which is great fun….I do this three times a week. I’d say that another avid interest of mine has to be classic cars, I am obsessed with going to classic car shows all over the place, my dream car has to be a ’67 Mustang, I just love everything about the older designs of vehicles, and the way they almost have cheeky faces…..I love their character.
RMMW: Woah, I love it, you go from 0 to 60 in a picosecond, I will tell you this, having met your father I would not want to cross him ever in a dark alley. There is such an elegance to Martial Arts that humans genuinely take for granted, everything is so purposeful especially with Muay Thai, intentionality of motion is everything, as is with music; what intentionality do you want listeners to imprint upon themselves after listening to your songs?
IC: I suppose in a way music acts as an escape, and whichever way people choose to escape is totally up to them and different for everyone. Mainly I would just love people to connect with my words and stories and to remind them of a feeling or a time or a certain person, that for me is what I love to see in my audiences. But at the end of the day music and life is only as serious as you want it to be, so if people want to come and just listen to a melody and not think too hard about attaching themselves to it then that is totally great too.
RMMW: That attachment is exactly how I have felt for decades about Jane Kenyon; she wrote a poem about what a typical day looks like for her in the poem “Otherwise”; what does a typical day look like for you?
IC: Typically my day will start around 6:30am, I will get up and go out for a quick run for around 20 mins and do some Tae Kwon Do warm ups in the park (yes I do get a few funny looks) haha and then I’ll come back and stretch, have breakfast, do a few hours of emails, admin, catching up on that side of things, and then at around 9:30am I’ll head down to the gym and jump on the machines and do some strength training and then walk the dog (we have a little pup called Buddy, he is a Collie and Spaniel mix so you can imagine the amount of energy he has!) And then I’ll work on a few songs before lunch then spend the afternoon rehearsing and finishing any recordings/zoom meetings/writing sessions all depending on the day. I will then have dinner and head to classes to do Strong Nation (which is a martial art based HIIT workout) and I’ll teach Zumba after that before catching up on some more work until 10pm then I’ll head to bed. Obviously, this changes from day to day depending on gigs I’ll have in the evenings and studio sessions in the day so it’s quite a nice variety, I try to get a lot done with my day!
RMMW: It is insane how many things can happen over the day. My favourite mode is everything all at once, I never get bored, so full on — yet satisfying, I think my favourite time is when I can write. Now the question I find the most whimsical, if you had a superpower what would it be?
IC: I would love to be able to talk to animals, I am just totally intrigued in what they have to say, much more interesting than most human conversations I imagine! And I believe that they could teach us a lot! Either that or time travel, I have always thought I have been born in the wrong era due to my taste in music, cars, fashion and men in the movies….give me 80s Rob Lowe any day!
RMMW: You know, fun fact, my name is Serbian means earliest, I too have felt on so many occasions that I was born in the wrong era. You remind me simultaneously of Fern from Charlotte’s Web, and Sofia from Sofia the First with the desired ability to speak to animals. There is something so comforting about animals that must be appreciated, the soft tender hearts and wild spirits.
Thank you so much Bella for taking the time to answer my questions, I wish you every success as you continue to navigate your way through the steps of the dance, rhythm of your music, and lyrics within you – Congratulations on LOVE! I cannot wait to review it. Xo
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