Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist Aksel Undset, known musically as Isak’s Island, is set to release a brand new single and album. The single, “Someone I’d Recognise”, was released on May 5th, and is taken from the album “Fallen Anchors On The Sea Bed”, which will be released on May 26th.
Isak’s Island draws inspiration from 60s and 70s songwriters such as Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen, while still maintaining its own unique style. The music is intimate and evocative, with poetic lyrics set against gentle, swaying melodies.
“Someone I’d Recognise” is a romantic ballad that tells the story of a relationship set against the backdrop of London, where Aksel lived for a time. The album, “Fallen Anchors On The Sea Bed”, was self-produced alongside Herman Wildhagen, and features Aksel on guitar, mandolin, and vocals, Herman on pedal steel, partner Brooke Sharkey on vocals, Håkon Aase on strings, Leo Geller on bass, and Åsmund Skjeldal Waage on vibraphone. The album is Isak’s Island’s second release, following the debut album, “Songs For Winter”, which was released in autumn 2021. Many of the songs on “Fallen Anchors On The Sea Bed” deal with the themes of longing and hope, often accompanied by metaphors and imagery of the sea and nautical travel.
“I wanted to make a simple singer-songwriter album where the writing would be the focal point,” says Aksel. "It was important that the songs could be performed simply with guitar and singing in one take to make the recording process as simple as possible. I also wanted to incorporate more poetic writing into my songwriting and focus more on the text.”
Isak’s Island’s new album promise to be a poetic and evocative listening experience, with its gentle melodies and soulful lyrics. For fans of singer-songwriters and folk music, this album is not to be missed.