To press play on Sarah Isabella’s debut EP ‘The Keeper’ is to step into a world of breathtakingly bold, soulful, and smoldering alternative R&B.
Stream: “Intuition” – Sarah Isabella
I’ve always wanted my music to be real and raw, allowing people to truly feel the words.
To press play on Sarah Isabella’s debut EP is to step into a world of breathtakingly bold, soulful, and smoldering alternative R&B.
The East London artist embarks on a journey of spiritual reckoning, reflection, and release throughout her first extended player, inviting audiences to get to know her as she largely gets to know herself – washing away the dust on the surface to reclaim her voice, embrace her truths, discover and unleash her inner power.
That all sounds like a tall order, and indeed there’s an intensity to these songs – but that’s exactly what makes The Keeper so alluring: How often do we truly hear an artist stepping into their skin in real time? How often does meaningful, transformational therapy reveal itself in an accessible, approachable package? Music doesn’t have to be more than entertainment, but Sarah Isabella’s songs are without a doubt food for the mind, the body, and the soul: The up-and-coming artist has found her voice through achingly vulnerable alt-R&B full of weight, warmth, and wonder.
Lately I have had this strange obsession
Reminiscing on the things of the past
Drifting I have lost my intuition
I have tried to hold on to things I left
Thinking I might quit my job tomorrow
Maybe that’s been holding me back
Selling all my hours just to get by
Mother Nature told me
don’t just live just to die
Lived I lost, I loved I tried…
Lived I lost, I loved I tried…
– “Intuition,” Sarah Isabella
Independently released July 4th, The Keeper is – ironically enough – a record that basks in a newfound, hard-won sense of “freedom.” It’s a refreshing space for artist and listener alike; working with her longtime collaborator and producer Tolu Shorts, Sarah Isabella basks in sweaty, seductive sounds while dwelling in an equally alluring arena of self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-worth.
As a record, The Keeper tracks her ascent; the personal and artistic growth that lead her to this special place. It’s a journey of self-discovery that required her assert herself in ways she never had before, and to rewrite narratives that had been otherwise dictated and previously written for her.
“This project has been in the making for just over two years,” Isabella tells Atwood Magazine. “Throughout the process, I was simply creating without realising that it would eventually come together, forming a clear journey that reflected what I was subconsciously working through at the time. Creating these songs felt like therapy – it exposed things I had buried and bottled up. The main journey of the EP is one of self-understanding and self-acceptance, with each song representing its own world, with its own journey and discoveries.”
“My vision going into this period of creating was to write songs that could help me understand myself,” she continues. “Throughout the journey of recording it, I began working on myself more, exploring sound therapy and somatic healing, and I began to learn more and more about parts of myself that I had suppressed and confronting generational habits I’ve inherited.”
“I would say that this personal and spiritual work helped change the course of the EP and led me to a place where I could write more honestly, more introspectively, and ultimately made the EP become so much more healing and significant to me, and I hope, to others too.”
Sweet Isolation
It’s taking me away
It’s taken such a long time to get here
So don’t call me while I’m gone
In sweet isolation
It’s taking me away
It’s taken such a long time
So don’t call me while I’m gone
… Silent healing for your struggles
I’m gone, I’m gone, I’m gone…
Sage and santo
Save yourself, save your soul
– “Sweet Isolation,” Sarah Isabella ft. Tahn Solo
As someone who has long suppressed the fiery spirit within myself, this EP represents my acknowledgement that I am ‘The Keeper’ to my own greatness.
The East London-based singer/songwriter has been releasing music in some form of fashion since 2018, but for Isabella, this EP is her most definitive statement yet.
Its arrival after three years of relative silence is more than just a reintroduction: It’s an assertion of all that she is, and all that she’s become.
“I feel that The Keeper truly captured me and my artistry at that moment,” she smiles. “It’s a reflection of who I was during its creation, encompassing honest, socially conscious lyrics, and a deeply introspective tone from start to finish. I’ve always wanted my music to be real and raw, allowing people to truly feel the words. This approach to songwriting was instilled in me by my parents, who are also songwriters. I believe this EP introduces me as exactly that kind of artist. Creating this EP alongside my producer, Tolu Shorts, felt like crafting a spiritual sonic journey with depth and transcendental importance.”
Isabella candidly describes The Keeper as introspective, explorative, and soulful. “Originally, it was titled ‘The Keeper to My Fires,’ which I later shortened to ‘The Keeper,’” she explains. “As someone who has long suppressed any fiery or bold qualities and sought external validation, ‘The Keeper’ represents my journey inward. It symbolises my realisation that I am the keeper to my own growth, power, and worth. The only person keeping me from becoming who I want to be is myself.”
These oceans got me feeling like I can see
How we are smaller than we wish we could be
Your touch has taken over me
I’ve forgotten how it feels to breathe
These streets look nothing like they did in my dreams
They will stop me from being free
I’ve travelled places that I’ve never even seen
And it is more than you and me
Just breathe
Just take me higher than here
Just breathe
Let’s see what’s beyond the fear
– “Higher Than Home,” Sarah Isabella
Highlights abound throughout The Keeper’s twenty-minute run, its six songs (and the 46-second-long intro track “Beyond the Veil”) proving an enchantingly cohesive, hypnotic journey from end to end. The EP’s lead single “Intuition” remains a standout – a jazzy, ambient slow-jam that effectively conveys the intensity, and the intimacy, of Isabella’s songwriting and Tolu Shorts’ soul-stirring production.
“All of the songs are special to me for different reasons, but ‘Purple Skies’ and ‘The Keeper’ are my two favourites,” Isabella says. “‘Purple Skies’ is particularly important to me; it feels like a confession, like a letter to myself and to those passed. Every time I sing it, it re-centers me and brings me back to my heart center.”
“As for ‘The Keeper,’ it was the last song I made, and I remember feeling a shift in my artistry. It’s one of my favourites because it felt like an evolution in my work. It’s fitting that this is the final song on the EP, marking the end of the journey, because it represents who I am now. Creating it revealed the direction of my music as I move forward from this EP and onto the next.”
My fruits grow deep
In soils of gold
They bare life
They bare pain
They run cold
When we forget who we are
When it is easier to hide than face it all
Was it pride that poured water on the flame?
That kept your soul from running rivers,
kept you tame…
Won’t you release me
Please release me
You know what is required
To free the Keeper to your Fires
I know I’m worthy
Of all that I desire
I’ll meet you in the fire
Isabella also cites three lyrics that continue to resonate with her:
“I have sunken to a place, where I am no one and I think it is safe here.” – “Only You”
“Was it pride that poured water on the flame? Kept your soul from running rivers, kept you tame?” – “The Keeper”
“My mother held in all of her pain that’s why I never learnt to let go” – “Purple Skies”
These lines, as vulnerable as they are visceral, accentuate the ways in which this EP ended up being a balm for Isabella herself, in addition to a record for others to connect with and enjoy.
“What I hope listeners take away from this project is the importance of learning and honouring who you are at your core,” Isabella shares. “I hope we can all reject the narratives imposed by society and our own insecurities. By being honest with ourselves as we navigate grief, generational pain, and the loss of self, I hope you realise that you are worthy of everything you desire.”
“What I’ve gained from creating this project and listening back to it is a realisation that I am more than I had just accepted. It has deepened my spirituality, enhanced my ability to self-reflect, and strengthened my sense of self-worth. It has taught me to use music as a safe space for self-expression. Because of this EP, my songwriting has evolved, and my perspective on sharing myself and being ‘seen’ has changed for the better.”
Sarah Isabella hasn’t just expressed her innermost self in these songs; she’s crafted an entire seductive world into which we can sink our minds, bodies, and souls, immersing ourselves not just in the music she makes, but in the existential, transformational experience she creates. Stream the full record below, and peek inside Isabella’s The Keeper with Atwood Magazine as she takes us track-by-track through the music and lyrics of her debut EP!
I was born a caged child,
questioned everything that I was told
From the land of tribulations
Did everything we could to grow
Some people need everything I don’t
Selling pieces of their soul I came
Closer than I’ve ever been to being just the same
And I can’t watch any more of us go
And I can’t do this on my own
I’ve lived with regrets and love that’s untold
Now I’m just tryna find the point of it all
I guess I’m just lost
Searching under grey skies
Tryna find the silver lining
I guess I’m just lost
Searching under grey skies
Hoping it’s purple on the other side
– “Purple Skies,” Sarah Isabella
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:: stream/purchase The Keeper here ::
:: connect with Sarah Isabella here ::
Stream: ‘The Keeper’ – Sarah Isabella
:: Inside The Keeper ::
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Intuition
‘Intuition’ is my ode to inner peace and personal power. Partly inspired by the book ‘Women Who Run with the Wolves’ which is rich with stories of women reconnecting with their instinctual knowledge. Writing it felt meditative, like a conversation with myself, a reminder to trust in my inner voice and to re-center at a time when I felt lost.
Only You
“Only You” was written during a time when I struggled with being ‘visible.’ Many artists face this, realising that being an artist means being seen, heard, and perceived. As an introvert, this was daunting. I’ve always played it small, people-pleased, listened more than spoken, and preferred the shadows over the spotlight. This song is a tribute to the dangers and allure of the comfort zone and a reminder that only I have the power to change my life—a message from me to myself.
Sweet Isolation
Sweet Isolation felt like a playful hiatus from the music I had been making at this time. It celebrates self love, spending time alone and exploring the depths of your own psyche. It’s okay to not answer your phone sometimes, and this song reminds me of that.
Purple Skies
‘Purple Skies’ is one of my favourite songs from the project. Writing it felt confessional as I had just experienced loss and grief for the first time as an adult. This taught me how much we don’t know, and acceptance was a place that I struggled to arrive at. This song navigates the whirlwind of emotions that came with it.
Higher Than Home
This song was a little different from anything I had made before and the process of creating it felt explorative, fun, and freeing. I wanted to encapsulate the feeling of elevation, self-discovery, and overall, being unapologetically yourself, even if it means leaving the comfort of your ‘home’ state of being.
The Keeper
‘The Keeper’ to me, encapsulates the message and essence of the entire EP. It’s a little chaotic, yet introspective and raw. It began as a poem until I wrote the keys and turned it into a song. This track is particularly significant to me because it features my dad on guitar, marking our first collaboration.Its about learning who you truly are and embracing raw authenticity. It talks of ‘fire’ as a symbol of personal power, and is a plea to embrace your inner fire, and let go of our repressed selves.
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:: stream/purchase The Keeper here ::
:: connect with Sarah Isabella here ::
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© Salam Zaied
© Salam ZaiedThe Keeper
an EP by Sarah Isabella
