For Isabelle Mettle, making music has always been about finding a way to express the things that don’t necessarily come easily in words. Drawing from a wide-ranging musical palette rooted in Black music, the North London-born singer, songwriter and producer brings together soul, funk, jazz, alternative influences and whatever else feels right in the moment. But while creativity has always come naturally, finding the confidence to fully claim her place as an artist and producer has been a journey of its own.
Her newly released EP, CMD, takes its name from the keyboard abbreviation for ‘Command’, reflecting a growing sense of ownership over her music, her identity and her creative direction. Entirely self-produced, the five-track project moves through self-love, vulnerability, healing and resistance, from the defiance of ‘READ THE ROOM’ to the emotional openness of its latest single, ‘Stained Glass’. Rather than offering easy resolutions, the record captures different versions of Isabelle as she learns to embrace every part of herself.
We caught up with Isabelle to talk about reclaiming her space in music production, the experiences that inspired ‘READ THE ROOM’, learning to sit with difficult emotions, finding the courage to be seen and bringing her creative vision to life on stage. Read the Q&A below.
For anyone discovering Isabelle Mettle for the first time through this interview, how would you describe yourself creatively – and what is it about making music that you find yourself needing to express?
“I’d say I’m quite curious creatively. I’ve always been fascinated by different genres and sounds; from funk, soul, jazz, to folk, to heavier alternative genres and dance music. So, I approach making music like it’s a mosaic of my influences, muses and inner thoughts. I love finding a way for all of those things to coexist and come together cohesively. They all intertwine and overlap, with Black music ultimately being at its centre. I just try to make what feels good and feels like me in that moment, and usually it’s easier to express myself through music than it is through words.”
You describe yourself as a “producer who happens to sing”. Why is it important to you to put the word producer at the centre of your artistic identity?
“For years, I had no clue that I was a music producer. My songwriting process is embedded into music production, so it always felt as though the lines between the compositional and technical side of music creation were blurred. But I also didn’t feel like I had a space in that side of the music industry until I saw other women championing their space in production online. Music production and songwriting has always been at the forefront of who I am, and I will always create music in that way.”
CMD takes its name from the keyboard abbreviation for “Command”, with ideas of control, direction and agency running throughout the EP. But rather than following one strict narrative, it moves through self-love, sensuality, healing, attachment, vulnerability and resistance. What did bringing all of those different parts of yourself together teach you about who you are as an artist?
“I’ve grown a lot as an artist through this EP. The project started as a way to reclaim my creativity and space as a producer, but with writing each track I feel as though I’ve done some real healing around the parts of myself that the project tackles.
“Once a song is out in the world you don’t experience it the same way you did when it was written. It feels like each release has allowed me to sit with different versions of myself, and realise how much the project has essentially documented my growth. I’ve come out of this with a serious drive to take this as far as I can.”
On ‘READ THE ROOM’, you respond to having your abilities questioned before people had even heard your music. Has there been a point in your career where you stopped feeling like you had to prove you belonged in those spaces and started trusting that you already did?
“It’s weird because there’s so much talk of intricate procedures and rules within audio and the tech side of the industry. Even though I’ve always written music alongside production, I’m still someone with composition and writing at their core, so that was really difficult to navigate – it made me question what a ‘producer’ really was. I was hesitant to take up space in that way, because my ideas didn’t always follow the technical expectations. So, I studied music technology to fill in those gaps.
“But even with a degree it felt as though I wasn’t taken seriously. It wasn’t a feeling of having to prove I belonged in those spaces, but a feeling that perhaps I wasn’t welcomed in those spaces.
“Then I went to a panel about women in music production, and the experiences were almost unanimous: being brought into co-production and writing sessions only to end up sitting at the furthest point from the desk – the sofa at the back of the studio. The mansplaining, the dumbing down; the shock when you use technical terms, even though you introduced yourself as a producer.
“That was what inspired ‘READ THE ROOM’ It’ll likely be the only time I address that topic so directly in my music. It was born out of fury, and writing it was cathartic.”
‘Stained Glass’ explores vulnerability, self-worth and the fear of repeating emotional cycles, using stained glass as a metaphor for how our experiences can leave their mark on us. You wrote the song from within those emotions rather than looking back on them – did creating from that place of immediacy reveal anything to you that reflection might not have?
“I’m an introspective person. A lot of the time when I write, it’s from a place of knowing there’s a lesson in what I’m going through, and there’s hope in knowing things will get better.
“But in all honesty, sometimes you don’t want someone to tell you that everything will be okay. When you’re sitting in sadness, or you have those feelings just laying stagnant in your system, sometimes the hopeful stuff can actually feel quite isolating. Because when you’re in the troughs, the peaks feel so high you can’t see beyond them.
“Every now and then you just have to sit in those feelings, and at the end of the day, we aren’t robots – it’s not always about resolution and results. Sometimes you just want someone to say, “Hey, what you’re feeling is valid, I see you, I get it, take your time.”
“I’ve learnt a lot about myself and my experiences because of ‘Stained Glass’. And because those feelings have been frozen into the music, I get to revisit where I once was and where I am now. When I’ve performed it live, it seems like a lot of people have connected with those same feelings, which I think is beautiful. It’s like a collective “you’re not alone in this.”
You’ve spent years developing your skills behind the scenes, while also working alongside other artists as a backing vocalist. What have those experiences taught you about the kind of artist and producer you wanted to become when it was your own vision at the centre?
“I spent a lot of time working behind the scenes because I was so afraid to put that side of me on display. It took far too long to break out of that, but I am a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’ – the opportunity to work alongside artists like Raye with the Flames Collective came at a pivotal time, when I was deciding what direction to go in with music.
“With Raye in particular, our approaches to music and dreams are actually quite similar, and I really resonated with her journey. Such a blessing to have played a small part in it. But being around her and seeing her growth up close has been really inspiring – her drive has definitely encouraged my own drive, and contributed to me wanting to delve into this world completely.
“Creatively, I’ve always had a strong drive to turn my dreams into reality, but I spent a long time keeping that behind the scenes. I want to be an artist whose music connects with people, and says something they need to hear or feel in that moment – and I now believe in it enough to put it out there. I can feel a community growing around the music already, and I know we can get there, and I know this was the right path for me.”
The video for ‘READ THE ROOM’ saw you deliberately step outside your comfort zone, while the song itself is about taking up space and being comfortable in your own. Did making it change anything about how confidently you allow yourself to be seen?
“It’s funny because I think to my family and friends, I’m quite a different person. They know I’m passionate, they know I’m quite weird, and they know that if you get me started on something I care about, a different side to me comes out – but to some people I can also seem quite reserved.
“Music has always been my way of communicating though. When I’m performing or writing, that’s the truest version of me. I think Isabelle Mettle is really just that side of Isabelle that I’ve allowed myself to express through music – it’s a version of me that I just didn’t let people access before.
“That’s why making the ‘READ THE ROOM’ video felt so significant. I really needed that because I’d carried this weird imposter-syndrome feeling around my past releases.
“I’m still getting more comfortable with that version of myself but I think that’s part of what makes this so exciting – the people who are following along now are seeing that change happen in real time! And there’s so much more to figure out, but we’re sort of figuring it out together, and I think that’s quite lovely.”
With your headline show at The Social coming up, what does bringing this fully self-produced world onto a stage mean to you – and what do you hope people feel when they experience it with you?
“I’ve had a lot more time to prep for this show, and we’ve really been trying to bring a super well-developed Isabelle Mettle performance to the stage. One that honours the message of the EP, but also the talent on stage alongside me. I’ve got an incredible band and support act, so it’s going to be a beautiful night. People will definitely feel the love in the room, and I ultimately hope they connect with each other and the music. I love performing live, and it’s always so magical being in and amongst this community. There’s something really special about seeing the music bring people together. I know it won’t be one to miss, and it feels like it’s all been working up to this. It’ll definitely be a pivotal evening.”
