This is an interview done with Isabel Pless, read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!

Tell us your story! Where did you begin and how did you reach the caliber you’re currently at?

Songwriting has always been my biggest love, but it was always something I did for just myself, I didn’t necessarily always share it with others. I’m currently a senior at Wellesley College studying Linguistics and that’s been my main focus for the past three years. In September 2020, when I was doing school online from my home in Vermont, I started casually posting clips of my songs on Tik Tok and they began to perform really well, so as they gained in popularity, I began to post more regularly. I started releasing music in November 2020 and in March 2021, I released by debut EP “Too Big for the Playground, Too Small for the Big Leagues”. I never even allowed myself to imagine that I could pursue music professionally or as anything other than a hobby, so I’m incredibly excited and grateful that people enjoy listening to my music and can relate to what I write about!

What makes you love what you do? How long have you been making music? Would you call it your passion?

Songwriting is incredibly cathartic for me. I’ve been doing it almost every day for about 10 years now– I started when I was 11 or 12. Songwriting is absolutely my passion! It’s how I process my emotions and what I’m feeling on a daily basis. I also love connecting with others and music gives me a direct avenue to do so. My favorite comments are always the ones along the lines of “you put it into words” or “I feel the exact same” because it makes me feel like there’s a sort of mutual understanding that’s been established.

What are some accomplishments or milestones you’ve reached lately?

The biggest milestone I’ve reached recently is that my most recent single, ‘Bechdel Test’, hit over 100k streams in just about 10 days. It’s my first song to ever hit that number and I’m so overwhelmingly grateful for all of the support on it. I also am going to be playing my first ever real show on December 1st at The Middle East in Boston which is incredibly exciting!

Tell us about Bechdel Test!!

Making ‘Bechdel Test’ was such a fun process! It was also extremely fast– I had written the first verse and posted it on Tik Tok in late July and it really quickly gained a lot of traction. Andrew Tufano reached out to me over Instagram and we finished writing the song together and then recorded it virtually. Andrew produced the song and then it was released less than two months after I posted the first clip! I think the lyrics and melody are some of the best I’ve ever written and it’s a song that’s really special to me– I think we all have been experiencing some feelings of hopelessness during the pandemic, as it has not been an easy time for anybody. But sometimes you have to just look at all of your pain and discomfort and think, “In a weird and twisted way, this is actually kind of funny, how odd” and that’s what I was trying to capture with ‘Bechdel Test’.

Go Check Out Isabel Pless!

Instagram: @isabel_pless

Spotify: Isabel Pless

Apple Music: Isabel Pless

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