Hello, thank you for your time, please introduce yourself in a few words!
Hi, I’m Isla Noon! I’m writing to you from my hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, and I make indie-pop music.
Please give us an update about – new single, new album, tour dates, new videos?!
I just released my latest single I Need To Go Home on November 19th, alongside a music video that we shot here in Auckland! The song tells the story of a night out where you feel like you’re the only one not having a good time. I wrote it about times in my life where I’d found myself doing things just because others wanted me to, and the growth I’ve gone through to realise that trusting my gut is more important, even if it means going my own way.
Name 5 things we all should know about you as an artist?!
- I write and co-produce all my music.
- My favourite sounds are huge, room-filling sounds. Think expansive synthesizers and 80’s drums!
- I love writing “pop” music with very layered themes or lyrical concepts, weaving in metaphor to talk about my own life experiences.
- My songwriting inspiration is a real mix of the kind of music I grew up listening to in my parents’ house. Folk singer-songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Simon & Garfunkel influence my lyric writing, and Euro-pop and disco like Boney M, ABBA and later Robyn have heavily influenced my pop songwriting style.
- I love playing live! My family have always said it’s like I’m a different person on stage – it’s where I feel most alive. I can’t wait to play this new music live!
What fashion style or brand would best describe your music?
Such a good question! It’s funny because my personal fashion style is quite neutral and structured, but in many ways my music contradicts that! There’s a lot going on in my songs, and I love adding a lot of texture. For that reason, the last few years of Gucci runway shows are coming to mind – maximalist, bold colour and colour combinations, bold texture pairings, at times a bit unexpected but always confidently presented.
Tell us more about your songs! Topics! Message!?
I tend to write about my own experiences, mostly honing in on the emotional experience. I think I’m more of a conceptual storyteller, not telling literal stories but building a feeling or emotion to relay through the music and lyrics to convey that feeling as accurately as I can. The music I have out now discusses complex relationships with others and how that reflects on me, mental health and personal growth . Most of the time I’m writing down whatever is swirling around in my brain so I can stop over-thinking about it.
Beside music, do you have any special talents?
Music has always been my main focus, but I did a bit of acting as a teenager. I never pursued it because I was really focused on songwriting and being an artist! In many ways having that priority set out for myself has made it easier for me to know where I’m going and what I’m truly most passionate about in life.
Being on stage feels like….!
The most free version of myself. The stage and songwriting are the two places where I switch gears into something larger, and allow myself to sink into all facets of my emotional experience. Sometimes it’s euphoric and energising, sometimes it’s about embracing difficult emotion and just letting it out. There’s definitely some kind of magic in it.
How did you learn to sing/ to write/ to play??
I’ve loved singing since I was young but I didn’t know I was any good at it until I auditioned for a School musical in Primary School. When I was 8 I started writing little songs and typing them up on the home computer. I started taking guitar lessons when I was 10 so I could play some of the songs I was starting to write, and then it was just a lot of practising whenever I got the chance! I learned every song I l could on guitar and got involved in anything music-related. After high school I studied songwriting and performance at University, which is where I experienced some intensive singing, instrumental and writing growth.
A question you’d like to answer, but never been asked in an interview before?! + Answer pls
I’m sure I will think of a better question right after I answer this, but with the Taylor Swift re-recordings in my mind at the moment, one day I would love to discuss her impact on the music industry and the significance of her Reputation era – although I think that might need a full-on essay! So for now I will simply say that I think she is having a monumental impact on the way artists view their rights to their own music. Change is needed in the music industry to ensure artists are protected and compensated for their art, and I can already see her impact rippling through to smaller artists who are now negotiating record contracts that look vastly different to what artists were accepting just a few years ago. She is a true industry icon !
Instagram: @isla.noon