Interview with Isabella Coulstock
If you’re looking for a rising star on the UK country music scene, Isabella Coulstock certainly fits the bill. At the age of just 13 she recorded a session for Bob Harris and now, just a couple of years later she is gigging on a regular basis. It was great to catch up with Isabella over Easter and find out her career so far.
Can you start by telling us how you got into country music in the first place?
I became interested in country music without really realising it. I was always listening to Taylor Swift and her early albums, I then started to watch the TV program Nashville and absolutely loved it. I began listening to some radio shows like Bob Harris Country and a few Nashville internet stations, then received a guitar for my 13th birthday and started writing songs. It was when I started writing that I began to realise just how brilliant country music is, great stories, some of the best musicians ever, 3 chords and a whole lotta truth, and I’ve loved it ever since.
And which artists have influenced you in your music?
The artists that have inspired me in my music are of course Taylor Swift, and people like Kacey Musgraves, Brad Paisley, Joni Mitchell and the brilliant Brandy Clark for their incredible songwriting and amazing musicianship.
Tell us about some of the personal highlights you’ve had in your career so far?
I love playing live and opening for the fantastic Worry Dolls at a sold out theatre was brilliant. Really, every live performance is a highlight even when I played for 2 people. I performed an Under The Apple Tree session for Bob Harris when I was 13 which was an absolutely amazing experience, it was only a couple of years ago but I look really young and I still had my braces in, Bob and his son Miles were really nice. Recently I played a set at The Bedford in Balham, which was super exciting as so many excellent artists have played there. My songs went down really well, there’s certainly a love for country music in London.
Do you have a set routine when writing a song, or does it vary?
I don’t particularly have a set routine, sometimes I will come up with a nice chord sequence or a pretty melody, other times I will hear, read or experience something to write about. Sometimes I just imagine what it’s like in Nashville, brilliant I bet.
If you could do a duet with any country artist on the planet, who would it be?
It would definitely be Brad Paisley, an absolute, out of this world, dream of mine!
And what was the very last album you listened to?
The newest album I have listened to is ‘Go Get Gone’ by Worry Dolls and the very last album I listened to is ‘Moonshine In The Trunk’ by Brad Paisley.
To finish, tell us about your plans for 2017 and let us know where we can find you on social media!
I’m really looking forward to the rest of 2017, I am playing at The Pizza Express Music Lounge in Maidstone on April 20th, I’m supporting Orfila at The Grey Lady on May 30th and I’m in the process of setting up some more London gigs and summer events which will be posted on my Facebook page.
