Chatting embarrassing boyfriends, tour life, and Raven with alt pop’s archangel
When the shadow is about to eclipse our aching hearts, Isabel LaRosa flies in, creating dark alternative pop music for our sad lover-girl souls; encapsulating nights of late-night longing and navigating those ever-so-sticky situationships. On her European Psychopomp tour for her debut album Raven, the American-Cuban singer-songwriter takes vulnerability into a new light, crafting enchanting, breathy melodies that make us want to dance and cry (and think about texting him back) all at the same time. Ahead of her sold-out show at Melkweg last week, we caught up with Isabel to talk Her Face, writing with family, embarrassing boyfriends, and the dark-winged world of Raven.
First thing, how are you doing?
I’m so good. I’m good. I feel like I was saying that I’m now fully waking up. Yeah, but I’m so excited about everything.
How was Zurich yesterday?
It was amazing. It was so fun. It’s very fun to be able to play these rooms. I’ve wanted to do this for a while. So it’s very exciting.
So cute! When I arrived to Melkweg, I noticed there was a huge line of fans outside, waiting for the show already!
So cute! That’s so—it’s actually the sweetest thing, they like to come in costume, basically.
Really?
No, literally. It’s so—I love it so much. It’s so sweet.
You dropped your single Her Face last week. How has that been, putting it out?
It’s been amazing. It’s been honest, it’s a song that I wrote with my brother, and we wrote it with CJ Baron. And he is just incredible. I don’t know, I feel like it’s a kind of different, slightly different feel for me, which was really fun. I feel like I’ve just been having a lot of fun experimenting with different types of sounds and whatnot. So yeah, it felt like something I wanted to get off my chest.
I read you write all your songs with your brother. How did that come about?
It’s amazing. We’ve just always done it. Our dad played jazz music. And so we grew up singing jazz standards. And then we eventually started writing together because Thomas played guitar. And we’ve just like always done it. So it doesn’t even feel like anything, I always say, like, Thomas just feels kind of like an extension of my brain. It’s just so nice
I know you sing about relationships often. Did you see last week in Vogue, there was this article asking if having a boyfriend is embarrassing?
I think this is the best interview question I’ve ever been asked. I think it is embarrassing. If you allow treatment, like if you allow yourself to be treated badly, that is actually embarrassing. Because I’ve been there. I’ve been there, done that; it’s like actively not cool. I think it’s not like—if you have a great partner, whether that be a boyfriend, girlfriend, whoever, who treats you with respect and like, is not like being a fucking, I don’t know, freak all the time, then like, it’s great. But I do agree with the article that I feel like—well, at least right now, I’m like, goddamn, no one acts right.
Yeah, you talk a lot about the experience of longing for something, which I think is something we all experience.
Totally. It totally feels embarrassing. It feels so embarrassing, bro. Having a crush is the most embarrassing shit ever. I’m like, it’s actually mortifying. I’m like, “Oh, I’m like, No, this is ruining my life. Like, stop.”
OMG yes! Haha, I totally feel you. You got thrown into the spotlight very young—your first viral song was in 2022, so you were 17. Was there one thing you’d say to your younger self?
I would—I feel like it’s very interesting having perspective. And now, like, I guess it’s been like three years, which is really fucking weird. I think I would just say, like, don’t take things for granted. And I think that like, you know, just don’t assume that everything is going to exactly go the way you want it to all the time. Like, I think that’s a recipe to get down. But I also think I’m glad that I kind of went through different things because now I am the way I am now. And I learned.
Can you talk a little bit about your album Raven that came out in the spring?
Yeah, totally. Raven is my first album. And it was very special. It was also a very stressful process getting that album done because we were on the road, and it had to be done really fast. But it was very exciting because I felt like I’d never been able to put things together into a body of work before and really show a visual representation of what I am. I think that was very, very special. And also being able to put out songs that maybe aren’t the most like “viral” song ever, but have it mean something to fans—that has meant a lot to me.
And yeah, it’s been very, very special. I feel like it’s like my first kid or something.
And it has a very light gothic visual language. Why did you pick that?
I mean, obviously, like the raven’s black and things. Totally. I mean, I feel like generally that’s very much like my vibe anyway. But I grew up with a really weird fixation with crows and ravens. Like, I would literally listen to audiobooks on them. Like, literally, I was homeschooled if you couldn’t tell. I also think they represent a lot of what I like in folklore. I think a lot of the message of the album was like, ravens are typically guides into the afterlife, which I think is very cool. And psychopomp, like the tour name, means a guide into the afterlife. That was something that was important to me. I really like what they represent. I went through like five different album titles. And then I was like, “Dude, it should be called Raven.” And then—I was like, this is what it should have been all along.
Rapid fire: Do you have a tour essential? Something you always take with you?
God, there are so many things, but I feel like generally, I can’t live without lip liner. Like that’s literally always with me at all times. Or Bobby pins, because I’m always pinning my clothes because they shouldn’t be falling down. I’m like, I can’t be flashing the audience. So that’s—yeah. That’s a good one.
Favourite place on Earth?
I would say my hometown is probably Annapolis, Maryland. I just—I miss it.
Current obsession?
Current obsession? Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Buying clothes. I mean, that’s just a consistent obsession.
Motto you live by?
A motto that I live by? Oh—um, mantra: I am, I can, I will. Why am I forgetting who fucking said that? Charlotte Mason?
Images courtesy of the artist
