Isaac Levi has spent the better part of the past year busking in London, writing songs by the sea side and effectively using tube rides to create content and keep his community on social media in the loop. The hard work seems to be paying off: A snippet of one of his songs has recently won an audience on Instagram, boasting more than 3.7 million views, prompting the singer to finish and release the track- called ‘the last song about you’, within less than a week. That alone is impressive enough to shine the spotlight on this rising artist.
Photo Credit: Ethan Trimby
If you’re already following Isaac on Instagram, you’ll know that he is committed to his work. No matter the weather – burning heat, wind or rain (of which there famously is a lot in London where Isaac is currently based), you can find him busking all over town – even on New Year’s Eve. He also regularly secures himself a spot as an opening act for fellow musicians such as Biba or Oliver Pinder. His passion for his music is evident. But what exactly can you expect when you happen to run into him while he’s busking or catch him on stage?
Equipped with an acoustic guitar and a piano, Isaac is a singer-songwriter whose music is reminiscent of that of Dean Lewis, Passenger or Niall Horan. The songs can be described as soft indie-pop with plenty of ballads to cry to. Heartbreak is the most prominent theme in Isaac’s songs, although it’s not always the romantic kind. His debut track ‘23’, for example, is about the melancholia and sometimes even desperation that comes with leaving your teenage years behind and being forced to deal with the reality of life as a grown up. This realisation is often referred to as “the violent jump from 19 to 23” on social media and Isaac captured this feeling incredibly well in his debut song.
Its successor ‘Here Without You’, on the other hand, is a classic break up song that offers everything such a track should have: relatable, deeply moving lyrics, soft piano notes and a tune that tugs on the heartstrings. Another rather sad song he released this year is called ‘Chemistry’ and it’s on this release where his songwriting abilities really shine. The line “all we do is hurt each other and mistake it for chemistry” sums up the reality of a toxic relationship in a simple but striking way.
On Spotify, Isaac calls himself a “retired emo kid in disguise”, a description which truly undersells him and his musical chops. Apart from writing songs himself, he also doesn’t shy away from adding his own personal touch on great ballads like ‘Bruises’ by Lewis Capaldi or ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls.
According to his recent stories on Instagram, Isaac is currently spending quite some time in the studio, meaning that more music can be expected soon. During his live performances, the unreleased songs are usually met with great enthusiasm by the audience, so be assured that Isaac has plenty in store for us to look forward to!
Written by: Melanie Falkensteiner
Edited by: Molly Day
