I.M THE ARTIST
Isabél Murgelas aka I.M THE ARTIST is a Swedish singer/songwriter based in London.
Influenced by genres like alternative r&b, neo-soul and lyrical hip-hop, the 23 year old artist released her 5-track debut EP Self-Made in 2019.
Released in July, her latest single “Bleeding Blue” was produced by Alex Dopierala. The record tells the story of an emotional tug of war between protecting somebody you love and protecting yourself.“It describes the inability to cut somebody off no matter how ugly things get. Even when we know people are bad for us — even when we can feel the rope wearing thin — sometimes we just care so much, that we’d willingly sacrifice ourselves, if it means saving those we love,” she explains.
With a bright career in the horizon, I.M THE ARTIST is a storyteller who speaks her truth through authentic and relatable records.
“Bleeding Blue” is now available worldwide.
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
At the core, I’d say I’m a creative, a writer, a storyteller, an artist. I was raised to approach my dreams with a fighter mentality, to never limit myself or my capabilities - that really laid the groundwork for my ambition. I don’t recall a time when I wasn’t performing, whether in the form of singing or dancing or acting… that’s just always felt like my purpose. I guess I was lucky enough to find my passion very early on, and I haven’t let go of it since.
Do you remember your early musical memories?
I very vividly remember loving those little lyric booklets that came with albums, and if I didn’t have the album, I would listen to my favourite songs and write the lyrics down as they played. I have pages full somewhere. I remember some of my early music solos too… I used to get crazy nervous. Even as a kid I was always such a perfectionist. I’m naturally a bit of an introvert too, so that really didn’t help.
What did you grow up listening to?
Oh man, I grew up listening to so much. I’ll always credit Alicia Keys as one of my biggest musical inspiration. She’s actually the main reason I started learning piano. My parents listened to such a wide range of artists and genres, which naturally had an influence on me — from Prince & Queen, to Stevie Wonder & Marvin Gaye. My brothers and I are massive hip-hop heads too, so there’d be a lot of classic Lauryn Hill, Nas, Eminem, Tupac, Dr. Dre, OutKast etc playing around the house and on our family road-trips.
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
My passion for writing really grew in my teen years. I was that kid in class who loved reading and writing poetry. And you know what it’s like when you’re a kid, life comes at you fast and it can be overwhelming, so writing songs quickly became an outlet for me to express myself with and a way to reflect on my emotions.
When did you know you could sing?
I mean, I used to doubt it for a long time, but I was just always singing. I guess it became important to me that I was good at it when I started getting more singing opportunities at school and in choir performances. I started taking singing lessons when I was around 10 years old, and that really helped give me a solid foundation.
What gave you the confidence to become an artist and release your original music?
Probably when I realised there’s no way around it. I’m crazy in love with what I do - but the sharing has never come easy to me. I crave control and so it took a little while to feel comfortable letting go of my work. I had to come to terms with the fact that you can’t focus on what everybody’s doing in the car AND keep your eyes on the road. My progression in becoming an artist came with learning to trust that my art doesn’t need me to play babysitter. I had to give myself breathing room, and then it felt right.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My family has always had my back. That’s always been a constant in my life, and I’m extremely grateful for it. Family excluded, I’ve been lucky enough to have some incredible mentors, and teachers - as a little girl with big dreams, sometimes all you need is for somebody to tell you that you’re unstoppable. I owe them for that.
"Bleeding Blue" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
This single comes from a very real place. It was initially inspired by a situation I was going through with a friend, but it developed from there into a deeper reflection of how complicated aging friendships can be. I describe it as this tug of war between letting go and holding on. There’s a lot of growing pains that come with feeling like someone you love is turning into a stranger. We rarely talk about platonic relationships in that light.
When did you write this song? Could you describe the songwriting/production process?
I wrote this song on a late night, at the end of last year. It must have been a few weeks after the release of my debut EP. It flowed out pretty quickly, although one of the initial verses was different at the time, and the version you hear now I re-worked a couple nights later. Then my producer, Alex Dopierala, and I began working on it during our next session. I knew that I wanted it to feel “noisy” - hence why we weren’t precious with it. It’s not meant to sound perfect, and to really enforce that we played around with different warehouse samples. I knew there needed to be hard hitting electric guitar presence too, and Alex really came through, especially with that killer riff towards the outro.
What's your favourite thing about this song?
I like how unapologetic it feels. I’m proud of the way the story unfolds too… lyrically, it really captures how I felt at the time, and I hope that it can feel empowering and relatable to anybody who’s been in a similar situation. I really love with the instrumental build, like when that beat kicks in around mid-way, wheww yep… it hits hard!!!!
What can you tell us about the visuals for this single?
In creating the artwork, I wanted it to represent what it feels like when you’re constantly having to grip on tightly to a rope that’s wearing thin. It wears down. It burns your hands. It’s close to snapping, unless the other person is willing to give it some slack. In the graphic visual, I incorporated water themes, because the real essence of bleeding blue, to me, comes from this feeling of losing a fight within yourself. It’s like gasping for air.
What vision do you have for your art?
I want my art to have an impact. I want to offer perspective, complexity and inspiration. Writing is a really emotionally intense process for me, so more than anything, I want it to have an emotional response. I want people to feel something from it, and not just through my music, but in anything that I create. This is how I express myself, and the mediums in which I choose to do so will be forever expanding. I trust that my stories will guide me. It’s really all about feeling limitless and encouraging that sense of possibility in others too.
What did you learn from the release of your debut EP Self-Made?
That you have to love your work. It won’t matter what anybody else thinks, if you aren’t proud of who you are, and what you’re doing. I made Self-Made for me. I needed it. Everything else is just glitter. So, it really taught me to become more fearless. What others think doesn’t mean shit. What matters is what YOU think. You gotta do it for you.
What does it mean for you to be an artist?
To be free.
What's the hardest part about being an artist? And what is the best part?
The best part… it gives me a sense of purpose. I’m grateful to have something that fulfils me like that, because I know that not everybody does. It’s a special thing.
One of the hardest parts is that it’s a constant. There is no 9-5, you know? You don’t really ever clock out, and that commitment can make you feel pretty disconnected from others. It’s a different lifestyle, and people often question your choices, and rarely understand your sacrifices. It feels like you spend a lot of time explaining yourself.
On the real, you just hear too much unsolicited advice/opinion. I don’t know why being an artist, an actor, a filmmaker, a dancer etc is something people feel they can question. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “…but what’s your plan B” or “are you STILL trying, what are you gonna do when it doesn’t work out?” It’s patronising and insulting to insinuate that creative careers are any less valuable or worth pursuing. Truthfully, most people don’t know shit about it. There are quite a few hardships, but I say that in the most humble way, because I still wouldn’t change it for the world.
How did things change for you since your move to London?
My life mostly just sped up. Everything in this city feels like it’s going at 300mph, which can be really exciting, but also exhausting. Between the ages of 16-18, I was juggling so much that I hardly had time to breathe. I’m kinda a sucker for the business too, because the momentum feels so motivating to me, but I can get caught up in it… and when I’m not careful it takes a toll. I’m still working on that. It’s a balancing act for sure.
What major life lesson have you learned so far?
There have been a lot. Now, the challenge is to actually incorporate them into my life. Much like the themes of my single, ‘bleeding blue,’ I’ve been reminded one too many times that I have a bad habit of seeing people how I want them to be, and not how they are. This year has definitely reminded me that not everybody is meant to be in my life forever, and that it’s okay to let go. I’ve learnt how important it is to really guard my space, and surround myself with people who uplift & inspire me. To protect my energy, at all costs. <It’s not selfish to put yourself first - don’t let anybody tell you different.>
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Understanding. I don’t mean to over-simplify it, because our world is fucking complicated. But I think a lot of acts rooted in hate and judgement and evil come from a lack of empathy and perspective and in turn, understanding. People, wrongly, feel threatened by unknowns, and I think those in positions of power have mastered the ability to weaponise that, and create narratives that divide and destruct. I think it comes from their fear that our love and compassion actually has the power to heal and unite people, and that would go against their corrupt agendas to cause more chaos. We need to learn to listen more. To put our egos aside. To uplift and come together. Our planet needs that.
What message do you want to give to the world?
Right now? WEAR YOUR DAMN MASK, and be kind.
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