AN EVENING WITH ISLA RICO
The streets of East London are gloomy and rainy, but nothing that ever stopped a good night out in Shoreditch. I’m walking along the pubs and crowds that start to gather after their regular 9–5 jobs, slowly but surely filling the night-life with one of my favorite districts in London.
Shoreditch nowadays is what Camden – personally for me – used to be. A comet that clashes with a mixture of art, queerness, spirituality and of course – music.
The short notice of Isla Rico’s announcement of a London gig is what essentially brought me to the district in the first place. How has it been four years since I’ve seen them live? It used to be a regular monthly thing, before the pandemic hit.
The venue is cosy, a niche bar that I almost missed thanks to my natural loss of orientation. It reminds me of one of the first venues I’ve ever seen them play, somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the Midlands. Nostalgia hits but my genuine excitement to hear their new music, songs I’ve only listened on Spotify so far, eventually takes over.
Having the privilege of watching a band grow over the years, is like watching your own journey as an artist. From years of being used to high adrenaline pop, Isla Rico nowadays turns the room from grey, cosy atmosphere into an evening of Summer Rain and Good Vibes only. There is not a moment in their set that doesn’t make you laugh or enjoy yourself, front singer forgetting to drink enough water included :D.
Whether it’s the confidence and smile of Harvey, who seems naturally like he had always belonged on stage, the smooth guitar tunes from Jasper or Cal's natural charisma as frontman, Isla Rico simply bring the atmosphere with them.
Now as a natural listener of medieval rock or K-Hip-Hop, just like other niche genres, I can confirm that it’s not easy to impress me, when it comes to music. My taste ranges from soundtracks to T-Swift 2am moments, but often it is the lyrics who make it or break it for me, if I want to come and see a band play.
Songs like Feels and Butterfly are sugar to my darker themes I’d like to hear, but seeing them live is a different kind of melody. At least for Feels. But latest when Cal animates the crowd, no one can simply just watch and starts to clap.
After a vibey favorite Naranja, two new tunes are on, and it’s exactly what I was hoping to hear tonight. Waiting Room and Wavelength are day and night in terms of style and lyrics, but exactly what brings the set to a perfect mixture and showing Isla Rico’s skills. Bands with creative layers that manage to show the contrast in their writing and performance, regardless of their over all vibey theme, is sometimes what I miss in certain genres, but not with Isla Rico. They know how to bring the balance.
Finally, my favorite Dave is on and not only am I reminded why it’s a personal favorite, but also why Isla Rico never miss bringing a show to a close circle. Despite the motivational tune, the lyrics are relatable to anyone, but in my eyes especially to artists who ever had to struggle through anything in their career. The song hits close to my own artist experience between writing and acting and how to find your balance, when days get darker, hence why it is my fave ;)
Conclusion: For a set that was less than an hour, I was able to immerse myself in the summer tunes between motivation, mind and magic that Isla Rico bring to their stage. An evening worth recommending for anyone that ever wants to escape the grey-scale that London tends to be.
