ISADORA balances knife-edge emotions against cavernous bass on new cut “Visions”

“Visions” sees ISADORA crystallising that knife-edge balance of angst and apathy with which every millennial will find themselves begrudgingly familiar. “I don’t have time, I don’t get money to spend,” she sings in the verse, before the chorus’ frank admission: “I got visions, man, but not a single plan.” There’s something sweetly forthright about her honest, relatable vocal set against “Visions”’ cavernous bass and jittery percussion.

There’s nothing subtle about the themes “Visions” lays out, though as ISADORA elaborates frankly on the inspiration behind her songwriting, it’s clear to see that this song very much reflects her current state of mind. “As soon as I began writing songs, I felt like I had found something that could get me out of bed in the morning, something to look forward to, even though I was struggling with my own mental health,” she explains. “Ironically enough, as soon as I discovered that songwriting could be an effective tool in dealing with my depression, I was thrown into an absolutely soul-sucking world that felt to me like one big battle royale. I moved to a new city on my own, and witnessed firsthand so many young aspiring songwriters and artists being chewed up by this machine. It felt like everyone was competing, and where most would fail, a select few would succeed and obtain commercial success. I didn’t have the spirit for it; my self confidence was battered, so I became a recluse. I stayed in my bedroom all day and wrote and produced this EP instead.”

The aptly named Battle Royale EP, dubbed by its creator as “pathological pop”, takes a multifaceted approach to the word we see one side of in “Visions”. By no means donning rose-tinted spectacles, ISADORA still manages to find light and shade throughout its tracklisting. Depression and apathy might be a jarring starting point, but there’s humour and brilliance yet to come from this talented newcomer.