As drum and bass continues to mount its invasion of the mainstream, Issey Cross, one of the modern genre’s breakout stars, is charging in the calvary. Freshly signed to Atlantic records, the rising vocalist and songwriter is swiftly building a fine discography, working with some of the biggest names in the space, from Luude to Hybrid Minds and Bru-C.
This summer has seen Cross reaching new heights with the impressive single “Bittersweet Goodbye” a major reason for such. Reworking the ’97 Verve classic “Bittersweet Symphony”, the track sees Cross and Luude illustrates sample flipping at its finest on a track that feels sentimental and reflective yet hard hitting and groove-laden. The track has recently also received a remind from one of the brightest minds in the electronic music hemisphere, Tiësto, who puts his own signature touch on the undeniable cut.
Stopping by on her way to stardom, we speak to Issey about finding her style, what she’s been up to this summer, and the thoughts and motive behind her latest single.
Read the exclusive interview below…
Who and what inspires you to create?
I’m inspired by a lot of female artists like Nia Archives, FKA Twiggs, Lana Del Rey, but I grew up listening to people like Avril Lavigne, so I also love the punky stuff which I think I show through my outfits and hair! I’m also inspired by dance culture and the ‘90s which I actually write a lot of songs about.. like the feeling of being at the end of a rave when the sun’s coming up!
How did you find the style that you wanted to create within?
I was with a label before in 2020 and was making alternative kinda pop stuff and it didn’t feel very honest to me even then. About a year after I got dropped, I ended up taking some time off from my own music and writing for other artists. One of the sessions I had was with Wilkinson and that was the day we wrote ‘Used To This’. I grew up going to a lot of drum & bass raves, so have always been inspired by dance music and from then onwards it just made more sense to me to carry on making dance music as I enjoyed it so much more and it felt so natural.
How would you describe your essence as an artist?
I love to make songs that sound happy but also sad, songs that you can dance too but also make you feel emotional. As a person I’m quite emotional and I think I show that through the clothes I wear and through how I write music.
Have you had any standout moments this summer? It seems like you’ve been busy!
I’ve had many standout moments recently which has been crazy, but I think my favourite was definitely closing Tomorrowland singing ‘Bittersweet Goodbye’ live on stage with Tiesto!
You’ve worked with an impressive array of collaborators, is there anyone who has stood out?
I’m so lucky to work with all of them and everyone has been amazing! However Luude has really stood out to me as we have worked on a few things together now. I think he’s so talented and definitely one of the best new artists in drum & bass.
Is there any artists in particular that you’d like to work with moving forward?
I mention them all the time but I would love to collaborate with Nia Archives or FKA Twiggs! I’d also love to make a dance record with a rapper, too.
What drew you to reinvent the classic track “Bittersweet Symphony”?
Luude sent me over his drum & bass version of the track which he’d uploaded on SoundCloud and asked me to write over it. As soon as I heard it I thought it was amazing! I went into the studio with a few friends and this was what we came up with. I think it could be my favourite song I’ve ever made.
To you, what does the track represent?
To me “Bittersweet Goodbye” represents being at the last day of a festival when the sun is going down and you’re with your best friends dancing but feeling sad that the festival is going to be over. But there’s still a sweet feeling knowing you’ll be back there next summer!
Where do you want to take your artistry?
In the future, I’d love to make emotional, epic sounding songs that don’t have to be full on drum & bass, but that definitely have dance elements in them. I wanna make people dance!
What else is to come from you this year?
I’ve got a lot of new music coming out and there’s a mixtape I’ve been working on with SoundCloud! Lots of shows around the UK too, which I can’t wait for!