London-based American songwriter and indie-pop producer Isla Rose released “Let Me Take You” on March 1st. It is the third song on her latest album No Answers, which was released on March 10th. It is a moving song about freedom and self-discovery, and there’s a lovely self-made visualizer to go along with it. We had the pleasure of interviewing Isla Rose, and here’s what she had to say:
Q: I like the songwriting! What’s the story behind “Let Me Take You”?
ROSE: “Let Me Take You” may seem like it’s about a relationship between two people, but it’s really a relationship with one’s own self and their own mind. The opening lyrics ‘fooled me once now I hear you calling down my hard embrace’ allude to hearing your mind tell you not to trust yourself and steer clear of new ways of living or thinking. But your inner conscious has a drawing to it, a curiosity to seek the new and untraveled territory. Later lyrics say ‘calm me down, but I know the truth and all we’ll do is hit the ground .. hear the sound, listen to my crazy thoughts and can you hear them now’. This relates to the conflict between your mind and conscious, one telling you all you’ll do is hit the ground and to be scared of this untraveled territory. While the other is constantly in the back of your head pressing you to explore it.
It’s all about freedom and the ability to break away from the rules of society and discover new parts of self, people, and the world around you – not conforming to social constructs, and instead trying new things that allow you to discern what you believe about yourself, the world, and what’s right for you.
Q: What was the inspiration for the visualizer and how long did it take to create it?
ROSE: We made the ‘Let Me Take You’ visualizer at the very end of the ‘My Adeline’ music video shoot. We had to shoot the projector scene within about 5 minutes and then we had to get out of there as our studio booking time was up. It’s pretty amazing we got what we did, the days go by so quickly when you’re shooting. We shot it on the sidelines, kind of a ‘behind the scenes’ vibe, using a 90s VHS camcorder. We were overlaying some vibrant colors and motion designs to help transport you to another world. I thought the 90s camcorder would help add a new element and bridge the connection to a different era and visual approach all together; straying away from the norm and going against the usual visual media we use today.
Q: What did you enjoy the most about creating this song? And what aspect would you say was the most stressful?
ROSE: I really enjoyed making the lyrics. During this time, I was in a stage where I just wanted to go have fun and let my hair down because I hadn’t done it as much growing up – and I did just that. So when I went to write it, I was able to take inspiration from all these moments, which was amazing to express through song. The lyrics came so easily with the analogy I was trying to convey. It’s fun when that happens. It’s like the song had just been waiting there for me to be the vessel to write it.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve been given about the music industry?
ROSE: I’ve been given a lot of advice about the music industry, but you don’t really quite understand or appreciate it until you live it yourself. I’ve come to realize the music industry can be very tough, and learning from my own experiences has been the best teacher. But one piece of advice that has really stuck and resonated with me is how important it is to find people you can trust to work with, and also finding people who are just as passionate as you are about your music. I’ve found that’s the most practical and important piece of advice when starting a career in music.
Q: If you could perform at any venue in the world right now with any artist, where would you love to perform and with whom? Why?
ROSE: Oh man, if I could perform with any artist I would die at the chance to perform with Stevie Nicks. What a legend. She shaped such a new powerful sound for female voices. I grew up on 60s and 70s music, specifically Fleetwood Mac as my father would always play them in the car. He would give me a quarter for every song and artist I could name that came on the 60s and 70s radio. This sparked my curiosity and love for music at a young age, knowing he cared about it so much. Stevie Nicks would need a massive venue, but I love the more intimate settings, so I’d pick the O2 Academy in Brixton as I’ve spent many nights there watching some of my favorite bands like Alt-J, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Kasabian. It would be great to come full circle and be the one to perform there.
Q: What projects are you currently working on?
ROSE: I am currently working on my next EP, and it’s in a pretty good place at the moment. I think it has some of my best work on it, so I’m super excited to share it with you as soon as I can. I’m also preparing for some live shows to showcase No Answers once I’ve had a little bit of time off, so I’m looking forward to that too.
Interviewed by Zoey King
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