by sierra romano
photo courtesy of isabel pless
Longtime singer-songwriter Isabel Pless has released another single! The Vermont native has been writing music since she was 12 and has recently gained a large following on social media. Recently we got to chat with Isabel about her new song, and what it’s like for her navigating a career in music while also being a full-time student. Be sure to check out her new song “More To Give,” and you can catch some snippets of her songwriting on TikTok!
Congratulations on your latest single “More To Give!” What would you say is the main inspiration for this song?
Isabel: “I was sent home to Vermont from college in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and I didn’t leave the state until I went back to school in September 2021. I love my home state, but towards the end of my stay (July or August 2021) I started to feel really cramped. When I feel restless I tend to fall into a pattern of constantly trying to perfect myself and feeling like I can always be doing more. Ultimately, there really wasn’t much for me to be doing — I hate being stagnant, so I was just making problems for myself to keep my mind busy. I wrote ‘More to Give’ in that unrealistic headspace of constantly wishing I could be a faultless person.”
You’ve been writing music for so many years. What is your writing process like and how has it changed over time?
Isabel: “I’m a lyrics person! I love words — I always start with at least a couple of lines before I bring in instrumentation and melody. I’m definitely writing more now than I did before I started sharing my music online — I think one of the biggest changes in my writing process is that I write everyday now. I used to be afraid to write often because I was worried that if I tried to compose a song without feeling inspired that it would always turn out absolutely terrible. I’ve learned that songwriting is really a muscle you have to use quite a bit to be proficient, and sometimes you have to write through the crappy ideas to get to the good ones.”
What is it like balancing being a student and also a musician? Do you have any advice for people who are trying to do something similar?
Isabel: “It’s tough! I study linguistics at school, so I keep academics and music very separate from each other which leads to me feeling quite split brained some of the time. I’ve loved college these past four years and I’ve worked incredibly hard, but I’m very excited to graduate in May and to be able to pour more time and energy into music. I think the biggest piece of advice I have (and I’m still learning how to do this as well) is: prioritize your well being. Not in a selfish way! But it’s definitely overwhelming to try and balance schoolwork and a music career, so be patient with yourself and take a mental health day or two if you need it.”
Recently you have gained quite a large following on TikTok. How would you say social media had impacted your music?
Isabel: “TikTok has allowed me to reach so many people who I never would have been able to connect with otherwise! It’s been so instrumental in getting my music out into the world and helping me find so many wonderful listeners and other musicians. I love using social media as a tool to gage feedback on what I’m writing and creating — ultimately, I’ll make the final decisions about what songs I want to fully release into the world, but I really value sharing little tid bits of what I’m working on.”
Who would be your dream collaboration?
Isabel: “My favorite musician from the past couple of years is Henry Jamison — he’s probably my top dream collaboration. I’m also such a big Gracie Abrams fan and I would kill to work with her.”
What message do you hope listeners take from your music?
Isabel: “I’m always trying to establish a sense of shared experience in my music. I often find myself feeling really lonely in our world that is very much driven by social media — it’s quite isolating. I’m a young person attempting to figure who I am and how I fit into the world, and writing helps me process my thoughts and emotions. I hope people feel a sense of understanding when they listen to my music — I write and play and sing to relay how I experience my own life, and I hope others can relate through their own points of view as well.”
What else can fans expect from you in the near future? Do you have any upcoming projects?
Isabel: “I’ll be releasing a lot more music this year! I’ll also be playing more live shows, so keep an eye out for those. And, of course, I’ll be sharing new songs on social media as I write them, so expect lots more TikToks from me.”
Where is your dream place to visit, or perform on a tour?
Isabel: “I would love to play Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont someday for nostalgic reasons — I grew up seeing shows there! I also dream of touring internationally, and playing some shows in Europe would absolutely rock my world.”
