Serpent Mermaid King Isis Speaks On Creative Influences, Becoming, and Their New EP
Written by Jess Huang
All images courtesy of Hunter Cates
King Isis (they/she) is an artist born and raised in Oakland. From tracks that are loud and gritty to those that are stripped down, Isis cannot be tied down to a singular genre or sound. They sonically and lyrically craft a personal yet universal introspection on angst, existential dread, and growing pains. I had the chance to chat with them about their influences and inspirations, their journey of transforming and coming-of-age through music, desert island album picks, and their upcoming EP SIRENITY!
JH: King Isis, tell us about who you are and your superhero origin story - how did you start making music, who and what inspired you?
KI: Yes! I think…I mean I grew up in Oakland. It’s a very musical place, I grew up surrounded by music. And my mom, she doesn’t really play any music, but she’s always been a huge fan. So she took me to shows and played music all the time, and encouraged me and my sister to do music lessons from a really young age. So I was just always doing music, and I happen to like it. So my mom definitely planted that seed. And yeah, my great-great grandma was an opera singer in Chicago. And my grandpa played bass in a jazz band when he was younger, so music [is just] in the family. And yeah, I feel like music also has been a space for me to feel fully myself and express myself. Cause I was really shy, I still am shy. It was a place where I could be fully myself, listening to it or writing it, yeah. Some of my favorite artists, I would say, are Sevdaliza, SOPHIE, Erykah Badu, Nirvana, I guess, and also just like other art forms too, I feel like they inspire me as well.
JH: Yeah OMG. Going off of that, if you were stranded on a desert island, what five albums/EPs are you bringing?
KI: Yes! Desert island…I mean, my first thought is Brat, just cuz like I love that album down, and I’ll be going crazy on that island. For when I get all fucked up and depressed and like you know tired of being on the island I need my King Krule, I’d probably put the OOZ. Probably like Hiatus Kaiyote, I think it's called Choose Your Weapon, their first one. And then Alex G too, God Saves the Animals. Those would be in there, oh! And blond, blond definitely.
JH: Great! Let’s talk about your upcoming EP SIRENITY- is it siren-ity or serenity? I wanna make sure to get it right.
KI: It’s si-renity!
JH: Ah gotchu. It’s so exciting! There’s worldbuilding and continuity with your two previous EPSs. Can you speak on how this new one relates to and maybe completes this journey? What’s your creative and emotional journey been like with these projects?
KI: I feel like one of the themes that was tying them all together was like this excerpt from Borderlands by Gloria Anzaldúa, and it’s called Entering the Serpent; it's like a couple of chapters in the book. [The excerpt is] like shedding and the serpent as release and divine femininity, and so it's like that process of releasing and becoming. So the first project was called scales, because of piano scales, or you know, scales on an instrument, or vocals. It’s like the beginning or warm-up of something, and also scales like a snake. And then shed is like that process of releasing stuff, and like letting go of shit that was like holding you back and stuff, or holding myself back, I guess. And then SIRENITY is like a place of accepting all parts of you, the light and the dark, like the shadow and the light. Accepting all the parts and being grounded in reality, not fully being there, but that’s the idea or the attempt.. And yeah, I think that’s how they all kinda relate. And also sirens because, sirens, scales, and snakes, stuff like that!
JH: Is there any particular significance of the sirens and snakes symbolism?
KI: I mean, I really was just inspired by Gloria Anzaldúa, but I am also just obsessed with mermaids as well. That’s why it’s called SIRENITY too. And I feel like the symbol of the actual process of shedding and renewal with an actual snake is what inspires me as well.
JH: Totally. You already kind of spoke on this, but can you speak on the themes of coming-of-age and transformation that happen in your own life or in general?
KI: Yeah! The themes, I feel it’s a never-ending process of becoming and renewal, and always finding new parts of yourself. And also the battle of okay, I’m here, I feel good about who I am, but then there’s this other hurdle that comes, and being kinda okay with that process, instead of constantly beating yourself up about it. Are those themes? I think those are the themes!
JH: That’s so relatable, that’s something that I’ve experienced, I’m sure so many other people have experienced. I really feel that. Keeping to that, how do you think your aesthetic and visuals have evolved (whether that’s since you’ve started releasing music or just in life)?
KI: On this specific project, on SIRENITY, I feel like the production is a lot more dynamic, there’s a lot more going on. And also lyrically, I feel like in the first two projects I used a lot of metaphors and kinda [hid] behind language to say something. I feel like some, not all of the songs, but some of the lyrics on this project are just more raw and frank, and more to the point. It’s also me trying to be more confident. It’s representative in the lyrics as well. And I feel like there is still a lot of that punk-rock, alt-rock sound that is in the first two projects, but this project is more representative of all the things, more of the sounds that I like. It explores more genres. There’s one fully acoustic one, there’s one that's really chill, and one that's really hard. I feel like it just encompasses a lot of different sounds, um so more in that way, expanding sounds and expanding my ways of using words.
JH: Yeah, totally! I feel like when I was listening to the songs I was like Wow they’re so direct, I feel like you’re speaking to whatever or whoever (makes hand gestures…) you know what I mean!?
KI: I do!
JH: I totally see that.
KI: Yay!
JH: I personally think that there’s a One True Context (like a One True Pair haha), that certain context a song should be listened to in. You know how in some songs, you have to play at a party or in the car, if you had to try to nail that down for the five songs on your EP, what would they be?
KI: Okay, they may be a little bit all over the place…Okay, so PERMANENTLY BROKEN, that is a song you scream in your car when you need to just let it all out. TEARS DON’T FALL, I’m gonna say that’s the song when you’re getting ready to do something that you need some courage to do, I guess, I don’t know. BAD 4 ME is the song you listen to when you’re about to text your ex and know that you shouldn’t. And TUESDAY IN LA is the song for after that night that you texted your ex and your kinda fucked up and like I’m hungover and yeah. And then LATELY is the song when your alone in your room and everything feels like it’s all fucked up and not working out, and when everything feels like it's too much.
JH: …Do you have a favorite?
KI: I don’t know. My favorite right now is probably LATELY or TEARS DON’T FALL. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know!
JH: It’s hard to pick.
KI: They’re all like, so different.
JH: It’s like picking your favorite child.
KI: Right, exactly.
JH: Okay, this next question is a little bit weird, for our readers unfamiliar with King Isis, how would you describe your music as a food?
KI: As a food, it’s either like a three-course meal or like um a buffet, like whatever, you can get a little bit of everything, you know? You can get a little bit of everything if it’s a buffet, or if its a three course meal, you have your light salad, ‘cause you know I have some light songs, and then you have that steak for the meaty shit that’s hard, and then you also have a fruit tart you know, for all the you know more fun, like gay shit.
JH: Yeah, absolutely! I can see there’s a lot of different directions and bits to pick from. So my second question for you is, what would your music be if it were an article of clothing?
KI: Oooh you know, if it were an article of clothing, um, I’m gonna say it's like a pair of pants that also can turn into shorts.
JH: OMG like the rip-off ones!
KI: Yeah haha! And it’s also reversible. I’m gonna say that.
JH: I like that it’s versatile and functional. I’ve always wanted a pair of those.
KI: I’ve never had them. Me too!
JH: And finally, what would your music be if it were a feeling?
KI: I’m gonna say release or angst, I don’t know. Or soft angst, because it’s not a lot of angst.
JH: That’s all my questions for you. Do you have anything else to say to our DWG readers?
KI: Hmm…I don’t know.
JH: You don’t have to, I wanted to just give you the chance.
KI: Listen to SIRENITY!
JH: Out June 13th?
KI: June 13th!
JH: Save the date!
