UK-based songwriter, producer, and audio engineer Island Fox shows us a different kind of love with the lead single, "May the World Know You as I Do," from her upcoming 6-track EP, 'I Will Find You In Songs Forever.'
Island Fox's brilliant electronic creations know no bounds. She's a versatile powerhouse that's mastered the art of sonic emotion. Her upcoming EP, 'I Will Find You In Songs Forever,' is a reflection of familial connection and feeling blessed with that unconditional loyalty and love.
"Being family isn't always about always getting on but always showing up regardless and learning to truly appreciate differences," says Island Fox. Now, she's blessing listeners with the first track from the upcoming EP, entitled "May the World Know You as I Do." This purely instrumental tune lets us focus on Island Fox's production abilities and style to further understand the person behind the mixing board.
Hitting play on "May the World Know You as I Do," we're met with poppy keyboard melodies and spacey effects that linger in the background. Almost instantly, Island Fox throws us into a mystical and atmospheric future bass experience with tight and quick drums alongside her spacious synths and vibrant keys.
The song continues to flow through our speakers with the addition of ghostly effects and bright bells that add an ethereal layer. Without any lyrics, Island Fox perfectly portrays such relatable emotion and passion through her skilled production abilities that leave us floating into the celestials. If this song is anything like her upcoming EP, we know we're in for a treat.
Drift off into the otherworldly and ethereal sounds of Island Fox's latest single, "May the World Know You as I Do," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Island Fox. We're head over heels for the chilling and dynamic atmosphere you've created in your new single, "May the World Know You as I Do." What was the driving inspiration behind this sweet single?
Thank you so much. Honestly, I struggled a lot in the pandemic, and I wanted to make something positive for everyone who loved me unconditionally. One quality I love about music is that as an artist, you can create a picture of yourself and what you care about most. It makes me feel much closer to other artists as I have a sense of who that person is just by listening to their music. I wanted to paint that picture of my family and loved ones who continue to practice and work on loving me this way. I wanted everyone to know how much life my family gives to me and how much I love them.
Did you create the production for "May the World Know You as I Do" entirely solo? What was that process like in the studio?
Actually, I did on this song and across the EP. Although, I've seen a lot more value in collaboration recently. I enjoy mix-engineering my and others' music a lot as it visually sets the stage for what someone will hear when they listen. When I work on things myself, I tend to gamify making music by setting myself fun challenges and innovating from outside of music. This EP has a lot of sounds from pilot whales, dolphins, and narwhals, as well as my first data sonification from the NHS website. I think musically and production-wise, I have just as much influence from writers and poets such as Ocean Vuong, Patanjali, Rumi, and Yung Pueblo and films such as Dune as I do from a lot of current music. As a producer, I think it's super important to innovate and take inspiration from all walks of life, as I believe this is the heart of creativity.
Why did you want to keep "May the World Know You as I Do" as a pure instrumental without a featured vocalist?
When I write music with lyrics, it helps a lot with storytelling from a particular angle as I'm exploring something from lots of different lenses. I have a lot of future music with lyrics, but I find it hard to be both lyrically direct and complete in complex emotions. For me, that's a real challenge working with lyrics – like how do I capture the sound of the mixed emotional experience after having had a disagreement with my brother and what I learned from it to make our lives richer moving forwards? The reason why I left this EP without words is that I wanted something iridescent like this. It's an appreciation and celebration of the multi-facets of people and an unconditional love for it all.
How does "May the World Know You as I Do" blend into the theme or concept within your upcoming EP,' I Will Find You In Songs Forever?'
My family really helped me return to myself as I went through a period of feeling isolated. I felt like they gave me just the right amount of space and support to explore what love is and means to me, and I really filled my cup up through daily practice. I've gained a lot of skills in my capacity and resilience as a result, and I wanted to make an EP that honors what they have done for me.
I often feel I want to make my gratitude speak louder than any regret. I don't understand why it is often at funerals when you hear people say how they truly or completely felt about those that have gone. Life is too short, and I would rather people know how much they mean to me now. This EP is in part a permanence of that and an amplification of gratitude.
What's next for you?
My music is a by-product of me, so I hope that I am able to have the opportunity to continue to tell people how I feel about them. I used to be someone that could only really fully express this in songs, and one of my most freeing and authentic shifts has been deeply trusting in the Universe and loving myself enough to take the leap of faith to do this in real life too. There is someone very dear to me I would love the chance to properly reconnect with and spend more time together again now that I have this self-awareness. Ultimately though, I want to continue my practice and enjoy the journey of self-love I'm on and see where it leads and future doors it will open up. I have more music on the horizon – an EP where I'm lyrically exploring the lover archetype and the idea of having a soulmate or meta angel, and also an album about climate change and our personal interconnectedness with the Earth. I'd also like to explore fiction in my work again at some point too, as I love the imagination involved in sci-fi and fantasy world-building.
