Indie pop duo Isabella&Sebastian confront their inner chaos in style on “Lobbytommy,” spinning self-doubt into sonic gold through a funk-fueled fever dream pulsing with heart, heat, and self-reflection.
Stream: “Lobbytommy” – Isabella&Sebastian
Fighting off the dissonance, I’m running out of time…
* * *
There’s urgency in every beat of Isabella&Sebastian’s latest single – a restless, radiant reckoning with the voice in your head that says you’re not enough, and the fire in your heart that fights back.
It’s an inner conflict that most of us will never fully resolve – one that just might threaten to eat us alive, if we’re not careful. But what if we danced through the doubt? What if we faced it with glitter, guts, and a groove?
Isabella&Sebastian confront that inner chaos in style on “Lobbytommy,” a funk-fueled indie pop fever dream pulsing with heart, heat, and self-reflection. Bold, fiery, and unapologetically dramatic, the song surges with glistening beats and glammed-up emotion – turning insecurity into electricity and inner reckoning into an irresistible hook. It’s the sound of a band refusing to shrink, spinning self-doubt into sonic gold.
Looking in the mirror
Tryna see a little clearer
Didn’t think I’d go so far
Blame it on a broken heart
Chasing who I could be,
Hardly thinking of what should be
Didn’t think I’d go so fast
Blame it on the moments past
And I’m drilling in the progress that I’ve made
Has my insecurity made me afraid
It’s just yet another lesson I should take
No mistakes
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Lobbytommy,” Isabella&Sebastian’s second single of the year and the final teaser off their upcoming debut album Is Anybody Listening?, out this Friday, July 25. Following the duo’s intoxicating 2024 single “Helium” and more recent singles like “Jellyfruit” and “Oxygen,” the striking “Lobbytommy” arrives as a bold, beat-driven anthem that captures 20-year-old Isabella DeFir’s vulnerable confessions and 13-year-old Sebastian Stephens’ intricate instrumentation in full, technicolor bloom.
“‘Lobbytommy’ is about combating self-sabotage,” DeFir tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s so easy to get in your head and convince yourself you’re not deserving of the things you want, but it’s good to approach and question why you feel that way and to remind yourself how hard you worked to get where you are.”
“Regarding the title, I made a joke about getting a lobotomy at Claire’s. Sebastian told me that when he was a kid, he thought it was pronounced ‘lobby Tommy,’ and we thought it was so funny that we made it the title of the song.”
That blend of deep emotion and quirky playfulness is quintessential Isabella&Sebastian – a duo who pair fearless honesty with fantastical production. “Lobbytommy” shines with warped textures and unexpected flourishes: theremin swells, distorted banjo riffs, and a rhythm section that refuses to sit still. Stephens’ dynamic beat-making lays the foundation, while DeFir’s vocals strike like lightning – fierce, raw, and full of feeling.
Fighting off the dissonance
I’m running out of time
Sending out a warning
To the girl I’ll never find
Pick apart the pieces
Cause you can’t go back inside
Oh my! Oh my!
There’s urgency in her voice, but there’s beauty too – the kind that comes from telling your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s not just catchy (though it’s wildly, endlessly catchy); it’s cathartic. A soul-stirring scream dressed up in sequins and syncopation.
For Isabella DeFir, who has long struggled with self-sabotage and an inferiority complex, this song is also profoundly personal.
“I always seem to be my own worst enemy and convince myself I’m not working hard enough for the things I want,” she confesses. “When all my hard work started to pay off with my music, and with our music as Isabella&Sebastian, I had fully convinced myself I was not deserving of my own success. I was so critical of my lyrics and my voice, and I spent way too long invalidating all my hard work.”
“It got to a point where I couldn’t even sleep because I was so frustrated and insecure about my art. All I’d do was compare myself to people who were way ahead of the game instead of acknowledging and being grateful for all the progress I had made. I thought I was asking myself how I could work harder at my craft and become better, but I was really asking myself, ‘How can I change to become everyone’s cup of tea?’ I should have been asking myself, ‘How can I genuinely and honestly nurture the best parts of myself?’”
“Lobbytommy” answers that question with rhythm and release. Isabella&Sebastian effortlessly groove through the grit and glamorize their very real growing pains. Musically, the song calls to mind the fiery fun of MisterWives and The Aces – bright, bold, and bursting with dramatic flair – but Isabella&Sebastian make it their own with left-field textures and smoldering,sky-high emotional stakes.
Fending off the silence
Tryna turn it into violence
I don’t wanna sleep tonight
I think that I lost my mind
And I’m drilling in the progress that I’ve made
Has my insecurity made me afraid
It’s just yet another lesson I should take
No mistakes
An invigorating musical affirmation, this song stands as a spellbinding reminder to not let our demons get the best of us – a testament to being stronger than our doubts and insecurities.
“It’s so easy to get in your own head and convince yourself you’re not deserving of the things you want, but it’s good to approach and question why you feel that way – and to remind yourself how hard you worked to get where you are,” she says.
Fighting off the dissonance
I’m running out of time
Sending out a warning
To the girl I’ll never find
Pick apart the pieces
Cause you can’t go back inside
Oh my! Oh my!
Sitting in the waiting room
I’m waiting for my turn
Severing connections
That I fought so hard to earn
Maybe I can fix myself
When will I ever learn?
Oh my! Oh my!
A highlight off their upcoming album Is Anybody Listening?, “Lobbytommy” is a testament to the power of owning your story – of meeting your demons on the dance floor and letting them know they don’t get to win. So crank it loud. Move your body. Sing it like a battle cry. Because healing doesn’t have to be quiet – sometimes, it’s dramatic, impassioned, and unflinching.
Is Anybody Listening? is out Friday, July 25 via 767 Publishing. Watch Isabella&Sebastian’s “Lobbytommy” music video below, streaming exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
— —
:: stream/purchase Lobbytommy here ::
:: connect with Isabella&Sebastian here ::
— —
Stream: “Lobbytommy” – Isabella&Sebastian
— — — —
Connect to Isabella&Sebastian on
Facebook, TikTok, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© 767Agency
© 767Agency:: Stream Isabella&Sebastian ::
