AN islander has made her breakthrough into the music industry, with the release of her debut single, following a battle with leukaemia.
Isabel Marsh, a former Highlands College student who performs under the name IZI, released her first original song, BAD, last week.
Ms Marsh described BAD as a “fun, upbeat pop song about knowing someone isn’t a good match for you but wanting them anyway”, adding that it followed the trope of “enemies to lovers”.
Ms Marsh began her singing and musical journey at an early age during her time growing up on the Island.
She said: “I’ve always loved singing but decided it was something I really wanted to pursue when I was around 12 and went to my first singing lessons.”
“Since then, it’s been something I’ve been so sure of and spent my teenage years determined that it was the route I wanted to go down.”
However, her ambitions were interrupted in 2020 when, at the age of 20, she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
She underwent extensive treatment in Southampton, followed by a stem cell transplant, which affected her voice.
“I didn’t sing properly for the majority of my treatment,” she recalled, “and the combination of this and the side effects of treatment left me with a voice that used to hold a lot of power, to a voice with no power or control at all.
“I had somewhat accepted the fact that I wasn’t going to ever sing in the same way again and I felt really lost.”
Now in remission, Ms Marsh said she has now regained strength in her voice and discovered a new passion for songwriting.
“Without this life-changing event, I likely would never have realised my love for songwriting,” she reflected.
“It became a tool to help me process how I was feeling, and it really helped me through understanding my trauma.”
Following her recovery, the now 25-year-old singer-songwriter relocated to Manchester to pursue music professionally, enrolling in a course to hone her songwriting abilities.
Since then, she worked with different artists and producers leading to the release of her debut single with producer and co-writer Joe Jennings.
She said she hopes the result will resonate with listeners, adding: “The last few years have been really difficult so to be in a space where I can share a song that I am so proud of feels surreal.”
Currently available on all music streaming platforms, BAD is the first release from the singer, with more scheduled to be released in the future.
Islanders can follow Ms Marsh on Instagram (@_onlyizi_), where she will be posting about her upcoming gigs and performances.
