Getting Intimate With #007: Issermann
Having spent the majority of his childhood bouncing from one creative musical project to the next, London-based artist Issermann recently introduced himself to the world with his debut single ‘Throated’. Mixing together explosive hip-hop-style production with grizzly guitars gave him an edge that we rarely see in today’s music scene.
So with his profile firmly on the rise, we decided to get up close and personal with Issermann to find out about the more intimate aspects of his life.
Last time I cried was…
Writing one of the new songs coming up later this year. I nearly always cry when I write lyrics, I kind of use it as a guide to know if it’s good. Either that or watching Cheer on Netflix.
When I'm stressed I…
Try to refocus on the music. I usually get stressed about all the other stuff but when I’m composing and writing at least my emotions have somewhere to go. Being too stressed feels like having a tiger in a cage looping around and around without escapes.
The album I play over and over again is…
I haven’t binged on an album super hard recently. I have been aggressively searching for a lot of new artists to discover and rarely go through entire albums. Some of the albums I kept on loop the most in my life though were Yeezus and Gorillaz .
The last person I spoke to on the phone was…
A friend I do a lot of creative work with. We set up to go see the Dora Maar exhibition at the Tate to steal some visual ideas.
My favourite place in the world is…
London. This one is easy. I have a very deep love story with London. I’m a Londoner before anything else, I call it my “soul city” like some sort of shamanic spirit totem.
My favourite comfort food dish is…
McDonald’s Nuggets. I am mainly vegetarian now but sometimes I just can’t resist. Coming back from the studio late at night... going through London Bridge without having eaten… I know it is right there. Calling for me, like a mermaid. I’m not proud of that one.
My biggest regret is…
I don’t think I have too many regrets. I try to learn from everything I do, mistakes don’t have to be regrets. I wouldn’t put it past me to not royally fuck up something so hard soon enough that I change my opinion on that.
The movie I watch when I'm sad is…
Something big and stupid. When I’m sad I want something to distract me. I spend enough time being sad; I’m not looking to snowball into it. Also I get intensely emotional regardless when I watch a movie; if I’m already sad, just give me something out of the Marvel catalogue please.
My last thought before falling asleep last night was…
I’ve been adding up to an imaginary story every time I go to bed to help my mind disconnect with reality a bit. I have been adding to it for more than two years now, it’s like a saga at this point. Sometimes I get excited to go to bed so I can find out what comes next.
The last book I read was…
I haven’t found or taken time to read recently to be honest. The last one was last year, I finally read Animal Farm (and 1984 back to back). Both great and depressing.
Interview by Chris Bound
Issermann’s new single ‘Throated’ is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it below.