Name: Ivana Carrescia aka Isola
Nationality: American
Occupation: Producer, composer
Current release: Isola's LP1 is out April 29th via SMARTdumb.
Recommendations: My favorite piece of music is “Love Theme from Spartacus” performed by Yusef Lateef.
The book I constantly recommend to people who are trying to heal from illness is Gut and Physiology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.

If you enjoyed this Isola interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her on Instagram.  



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

I began writing music in my late teens. I recorded mostly stark guitar / piano and vocal performances.  Some of my early influences were Cat Power, Lucinda Williams, Alice In Chains. I enjoyed a lot of music that was minimal in instrumentation and raw vocally.



I still like to have my vocals very up front and stark as if whispering or speaking directly into the listener’s ear.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

If the music or a specific sound resonates, I feel emotional and swept away. If it does not resonate, I feel kind of annoyed or disgusted.

I try to pay attention to these feelings when deciding to use or discard a sound or piece of music.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

In my early days, I was focusing constantly on making music, being heard, and playing shows. It was an obsession and I would get very burnt out hearing myself sing sad songs; with music being the center of my entire life. I became kind of disgusted with myself and the business, but eventually found that balance.

Positivity is key. Finding other hobbies and interests like painting, drawing, gardening, were very important and freeing. Making friends with people who are not artists has also been great.

Now whenever I make music, it is like an urge that I have and a delight ... not something that I am forcing myself to do all of the time.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

I really enjoy listening to and making music filled with messages of love and gratitude. I try to make music now which is upbeat and joyous. I try not to complain or be negative or sexual in my lyrics.

Melody can also be uplifting, a downer, or create anxiety. We decide what type of energy to put out into the world.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

When I listen to or make music it is like an automatic “Yes” or “No”. I would say that it’s important to either keep or discard a sound or melody that doesn't immediately resonate- and to keep it moving.

I try not to get stuck trying to “fix” something that isn’t working.

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

I have grown to love electronic music so much. I used to think it was cheating or ridiculous to use a computer or synths to make sounds, but now I understand that these tools are just as down to earth as a guitar or piano made from wood that doesn’t use electricity. We are electrical beings and the earth is a conductor, after all. You can make any sound imaginable or vibration with these new tools.

I love classical music, and I love electronic music. All styles of music and methods are equally important, and beautiful to me.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

The Dave Smith Rev 2 is the most important instrument in my collection and my greatest source of inspiration. I have admittedly not read the instruction manual. I just turn knobs and hope for the best, and the best sounds always come out! I also have a guitar from the 1950s which gives the most beautiful tones.

The strategy is to not force anything. Like, if I don’t feel like playing the guitar, piano, drum machine, or synths, I don’t.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

I wake up, make coffee and eggs, and feed the animals. We have two cats and 12 chickens at the moment. I snow blow the driveway in these colder months. Some days I go to town to get necessities. We live in a very rural area in West Virginia so the drive is 40 minutes one way.

I read and do a lot of research into things I am interested in like holistic medicine and nutrition. I care for the plants. I am in touch with friends and family. I clean the house and prepare dinner for my husband who is a welder at a nearby factory.

Usually I will paint, draw, write, or work on music after he goes to sleep at around 8pm.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

Nick Sylvester (owner of SMARTdumb) is responsible for turning me on to electronic music in 2016 when we made our first EP going by the name Gioia.

The process we have has always been the same wherein he will send me many hours of his meditations or pieces he has made with his instruments, whether that be a drum beat or instrumental … any sound really … then I will add to those sounds with vocals or other tracks.

This process is very dear to me because it is a rare blessing to find a musical soulmate whom I consider to be a genius, and to be able to work with him consistently for many years.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

I enjoy working alone but collaborating with other people is also very enjoyable. I used to work on jingles for commercials and TV shows with a team of people and I really enjoyed that.

I am naturally introverted but it is important to listen to other people’s opinions, critiques, and ideas. I find that I ultimately prefer music I make with other people.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Music moves people to do good or bad things. It has the power to change the vibe or mood in any situation, really. I don’t think we understand the true power of vibration or tones and the energies they harness and release. One great example of this is the mysterious Coral Castle in Florida.

I think that we as artists can be very narcissistic and it is easy to make music or imagery to glorify ourselves, but in my opinion the best artists see themselves as vessels and their voice / talent as tools to bring people together and give glory to God.  

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

I personally believe that a person cannot be of any service to others without emotional control. There is this idea that we should let emotions be our guide, but in my opinion, emotions are to be observed. A person who can simply observe their anger or sorrow and not take action in those moments has true strength and wisdom. This is not to say we should suppress our emotions, but we can feel / observe the emotion, let it pass.

Yes, we can make music when we are sad or to pay homage to someone who has died, and that may help a listener for a short period of time to feel less alone ... but since we know for a fact music has a great power to uplift, I think it is important to honour the gift we were given as musical artists to bring peace and joy to others with the sounds we make.

There really needs to be a balance of negative and positive messages in our bodies of work and I would say even heavily focused on the positive, if possible.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?  

Well, science is a method of verification we use to bring us closer to The Truth. Music is spiritual. In a sense the process of creating and listening to music can bring us closer to truths about ourselves and who we are.

Some people are going to feel great about a piece of music and others will feel nothing for it, but in general both music and the scientific method can be used to help us heal in mind, body, and spirit.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

A lot of mundane tasks can be meditative just the same as making or listening to music. I personally really enjoy doing the dishes, cleaning, or making food and feel a sense of accomplishment when they are done! We can find that same sense of accomplishment when finishing a piece of music.

On the other hand, there are many different ways to make a great cup of coffee, but there are infinite possibilities and sounds when making music.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

I believe music, our bodies, minds, and faculties are gifts from God.

There are so many things we will never completely understand, but it seems to me that music is one way in which our creator works through us to make connections with others and to heal.