As someone constantly searching for new music, Nashville’s independent radio station Lightning 100 has been my go-to these days for all things music. In addition to diversifying your musical palette, get the inside scoop on the best upcoming shows and events in the community.
I’ll take a cheap thrill wherever I can get one, like when a song you love comes on or shazaming a new local favorite you would’ve never discovered otherwise. I have my parents’ good taste to thank for Lightning 100’s radio frequency flowing through my veins. My beloved old-school car I got this year brought me back to older listening methods. Get a break from your cell and feel the music unless you’re calling in to win some free tickets!
One normal afternoon I called in on a whim after hearing a giveaway for a show at The Eighth Room – a new tiny enticing rock venue I pass on my daily commute – that it was a non-ticketed event. The announcer picked up on the first ring, laughed at how excited I was, and told me there’d be an extra special guest. I forgot to ask who playing, so I hung up the phone not knowing who I won tickets to see that night.
On to the show!
The large brass detailed tentacle door handle alluded to a secret rockstar paradise. Through gold chain curtains the intimate soul filled space was dimly lit and adorned with bold clashing designs meant to “provoke, disturb or awaken.” There was no way there were more than 100 people there.
A dark-dressed witchy woman artist named Ilsey was on stage before us with a warm voice. She had a stage presence and talent like Stevie Nicks. Standing in the back, I recognized the opening song “Ain’t No California” from the radio as I had recently added it to my playlist. We inched our way up to the front, and I have never been more chilled to the bone by a soothing, unique voice. Ilsey’s cozy blend of California softness cut with the Tennessee whiskey sting of heartache lit up The Eighth Room.
My jaw dropped first at her version of “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young, then twice for “High Hopes” when I realized it was the same Panic at the Disco tune taken in a totally different direction. Kneeling in the front to get some photos on my lomography camera, I was mistaken for a family member.
Meeting Ilsey
The show ended, everybody started hanging out, and next thing you know, there she was! I was a bit nervous, of course, yet she was an angel and ecstatic that I called in to attend from the radio. As it turns out, she played the venue for the same reasons I came to it. Pointing toward her Nashville home, she explained she drives past it all the time and needed to know what it was all about. What I soon learned about her life after meeting her made the experience even more magical.
Who is Ilsey?
Born and raised in the shadows of Laurel Canyon, Ilsey grew up surrounded by music. Her father was the lead guitarist for Paul McCartney and Wings’ from 1978-’81. In an interview with Grammy, she recalled with a chuckle, “My dad was playing guitar in the room when my mom was giving birth to me”. The singer’s parents introduced her to the Beatles, Jackson Browne, and Motown. At age 11 she started playing the drums which she credits to her Hanson obsession. She explored the music of Laurel Canyon like the Eagles, Joni Mitchell, and Fleetwood Mac. As a teen she was drawn to Ben Harper and learned to sing harmonies like Patty Griffin.
From writing in her bedroom at 15, she has made her mark as a 2x GRAMMY-nominated songwriter, writing for the likes of Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves, the 1975, Noah Cyrus, Panic! At the Disco, and more. She most recently worked with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and is on his collaborative project Big Red Machine, with The National’s Aaron Dessner.
Over the past decade, Los Angeles-born songwriter had a major presence behind the scenes. Now Ilsey is following her own heart with her new album “From the Valley” to share her journey.
New Album From the Valley
From the Valley takes you on down the path to self-discovery from the end of a tumultuous relationship to finding courage to build yourself back up. The album was kicked off with singles like “Heart of Gold (with Bon Iver)”, “Yellow Roses”, and “No California” an acoustic 1970’s inspired tune about a once idyllic place turned sour.
On her cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” with Bon Iver, Ilsey’s draw to the song foreshadows her vision for the album. “There’s something about the plaintive melody and the simple, evocative lyrics that go straight to the heart of what we feel. The image of a miner searching for a precious metal—searching for love, connection, something true…it’s a difficult, often frustrating process, but the reward is so worth it. I kept coming back to the thought and the song. I listened on repeat one day before meeting up with Justin and BJ [Burton, producer] and it just felt right to see if we could play it in a new way, that felt like us, and would do it justice” (Pitchfork).
Ilsey’s soft musical blend flows through her masterpiece “From the Valley”. On the album, she told Grammy, “This album is almost a road trip of self-discovery, where you are to figure out who you are. And then you end up exactly where it’s supposed to be –you end up home,” Ilsey explains. “That’s been my process of moving through heartache and figuring out who I am as a person. You have to have these valleys in your life. Without them, there’s no way to appreciate the peaks.”
My favorite song on the album is Down to the Bone, it sounds like Stevie Nicks and Bon Iver had a baby. Happy listening. The night ended in meeting a lovely London mama and daughter duo ❤
Click here for a a playlist of songs written by Ilsey.
BOOGIE WITH EMMA 