Melbourne singer songwriter Isadoré will be releasing her debut EP, Fight or Flight, this Friday, a culmination of a year immersing herself in new sounds and creative experiences. We’ve been stoked to have had the opportunity to listen to this newbie out of the East Coast recently and today, share it exclusively ahead of its official drop.
For the unaware, Isadoré is the moniker of Isabelle Reynaud. She’s been kicking it on the Melbourne music scene for a little while now but with the release of Fight or Flight, the talented songwriter and producer is set to flourish on a wider radar. The EP comes as a sort of concept record, with Isadoré highlighting the struggles with mental health and youth – the emotional tugs between succumbing to certain decisions, do you fight or do you fly?
“Neither choice is right or wrong,” Isadoré has said. “That is important to understand. You just have to do what is best for you at that moment in your life and that will free you.”
Along with this sneak peek of Fight or Flight, Isadoré takes us through each track on the EP below – read on to find out more about her story!
FIRE
Funnily enough Fire was never going to be on the EP and now it’s the first track! When I was working with Steve Mowat recording vocals I showed him the song briefly and he immediately loved it and wanted to work on it. This song is about temptation, the lure to do something you know is dangerous but you just can’t help yourself. I put this track first because it’s the beginning of the EP’s story…the curiosity that leads to you falling down the rabbit hole.
SET ME FREE
Now, this is probably my favourite track. It makes me feel everything as soon as the first synth hook begins in the opening few seconds of the song. I wrote this track when my boyfriend and I broke up even though we still loved each other deeply. We’d become toxic for each other and needed an out but it was so hard because there was still so much love and respect. I was also discovering and playing with new synths at that point, which definitely set the tone of the song. Steve also laid down some sweet guitar riffs that I think finished the song so well. I think “Set Me Free” works as the second song on the EP because after giving in to the “Fire” comes the inner struggle to get out and shall I say it…be set free.
LOSE CONTROL
Ah, the first single off the EP. So “Lose Control” was never going to be the single release, but I had such an overwhelmingly positive response from friends and family that I decided to follow their advice. Often when you work on a tune for so long, you form a very different idea of the song because there are so many other things going on in your head when listening to it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love it and I am very happy it was the first single released, however it was unexpected. I recorded these vocals in Melbourne at the beginning of the year in a tiny studio in Collingwood with Steve on a 40-degree day and the vocal booth’s air-con was broken. It was so intense but I think perfect because I was delirious by that point which is what the song is all about. Being so exhausted with the struggle in “Set Me Free” the only option was to place Lose Control as number three. I love how “Lose Control” resembles a warped dream accompanied by a wistful piano and lush harmonies. It then snaps you out of the dream as it cuts to the strong hard-hitting song, and takes you further away from reality into a realm where you have no control. Finding the courage to go with the chaos is powerful and thrilling.
SKY
This is probably the oldest song on the EP. I started writing the chorus on guitar after a friend of mine passed away but I could never finish it. Then last year I made a film clip with a wonderful group of people, pulling a 20-hour day to finish at 5am to make it happen. I was on such a high from life and the beautiful people who were involved when it all came crashing down.
My car got stolen exactly the same day we finished filming. It was the first time I’d had anything significant stolen from me. It was also upsetting to have personal items that were in the car suddenly taken away. However what I did remember to take out of the car at 5am that morning were all my records that we’d used as props. Suddenly I realised how replaceable a car, an ipad, and speakers were and how I wasn’t going to let this horrible thing ruin my well earned high. Then I wrote the rest of this song. So when something shitty happens to you, don’t let it shadow the good things that surround you, just move on and get on with it. It tied in perfectly with my friend who passed away. Instead of focusing on her absence we now celebrate her zest for life and how she inspires us today.
Kumar Shome (one of Melbourne’s best guitarists, I think) also features on this track. I wrote this track with bongos and tablas and Kumar was the perfect fit as he also plays the sitar and is familiar with that worldly sound. He came over one day and I just got him to noodle over the track. I then got to cut it up and mess around with it. Best thing ever to do as a producer! I am stoked that he will be playing this track live with me at the launch.
In relation to this EP, “Sky” was the perfect final song because it is about flight, the decision to leave and find peace. Accepting the sadness and finding the beauty.
Fight or Flight is released on August 4th. Follow Isadoré here!
———-
