Isabel van Gelder has been keeping fans fed with her recent release, “Kissing You Away.“ The single is the latest preview of her upcoming EP, ‘Lovesick’, which comes out October 16. The song follows up previously released tracks, “I Don’t Want To Fall In Love Again” and “Complicated”.
“I just knew, having discovered songwriting, that there was nothing that made me feel as euphoric and as much like me.”
“Kissing You Away” is a cheeky, bittersweet that balances vulnerability with a confident carefree attitude that shows the Dutch artist’s playful approach to heartbreak. It’s just another taste of her EP ‘Lovesick’, which explores different facets of romantic love, from longing and rejection to heartbreak, escapism, emotional distance and letting go, bringing together introspective ballads with more playful, tongue-in-cheek moments. While her songs often detail the crushing weight of heartbreak and romantic disillusionment, van Gelder approaches life and art with a distinctly optimistic, “glass half-full” mindset. Drawing creative fuel from an extensive collection of personal journals, iconic films like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo + Juliet’, and foundational musical influences like Radiohead and ABBA, van Gelder balances intense, unfiltered lyricism with a playful, theatrical aesthetic. “I think what I really love about the writing is that it sometimes feels like you almost wouldn’t want to say because it almost feels a little embarrassing or too painful to write,” van Gelder shared, “and I think that’s the best writing, when you dare to be as ugly and as unfiltered as possible.”
Originally from Amsterdam, van Gelder grew up in a creative household with a screenwriter mother and a photographer father who would expose her to a range of artists from George Michael and Radiohead to Daft Punk. At 14, she began writing songs herself, initially just for fun and as a way of expressingherself. Very quickly, songwriting became something much bigger. “I just knew, having discovered songwriting, that there was nothing that made me feel as euphoric and as much like me,” van Gelder stated. “I fell in love with it.”
van Gelder will make her North American debut in October in select cities including New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, amongst others.
Isabel van Gelder spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about her upcoming new EP ‘Lovesick’, the influence of movies on her music, as well as navigating relationships and using it as inspiration.
Isabel van Gelder spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about her upcoming new EP ‘Lovesick’, the influence of movies on her music, as well as navigating relationships and using it as inspiration.
