Richard and Sarah Isen Delve into a Janis Joplin Inspired World that Transcends Reality, “Into the Blue”
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Family is the tie that binds is a saying that has resonated across the world for multiple centuries and the term has been manifested magnificently in the latest recording effort by Richard and Sarah Isen titled “Into the Blue”.
Singer-songwriter and pianist Richard Isen has collaborated with his niece and powerhouse vocalist Sarah on a music project that has led them to create an intrinsically distinct composition and song that’s literally beyond this world.
Richard originally wrote “Into the Blue” with the intention of placing it in one of his musical theater works entitled Quantum Janis, which explored an alternate universe where Janis Joplin ran away from her music career and opened her own “hippie hotel”.
The story behind the song’s concept goes like this….The year is 1999 and Janis is 57 years old, in financial difficulties and realizing that her utopian ideal of “peace and love” has failed. The song imagines the kind of song Janis might have recorded if she’d live and matured as an artist and musician. Through this song she finds a new vision of life, seeing how vast and mysterious the universe is and realizing that all she can do it “Leap into the blue.”
Source : Press Kit : “Into the Blue”
The messaging of “Into the Blue” is poignant to say the least, figuratively imploring you to embrace the unknown and take to one’s heart the rush of emotions that come with such a leap of faith. Quite a brilliant concept that displays the adept artistry that Richard brings to the table. His songwriting conveys the theme of the song extremely well through a cleverly arranged collection of profound lyrics.
Everything is changed
But there’s nothing new
What’s the answer to
Where?, when? and who?
Excerpt from “Into the Blue” : Richard Isen ft. Sarah Isen
Backed by a mellow, ambient soundscape that is driven by a glorious lead piano and winding guitar melody, Richard’s lyrical vision is brought to life by the expressive vocal performance of Sarah Isen. Sarah’s singing “chops’ are a bona fide dynamo and her vocal versatility is on full display here.
Sarah injects an added dimension of appeal to “Into the Blue” with her emotive and magnetic vocal delivery. She possesses a commanding presence in her tone that projects an engaging authenticity. It truly pulls you into the song and garners your interest from beginning to the end.
You can’t help but ponder at the conclusion of the song is this a type of record Janis would have released had she lived and was approaching her 60’s? That’s the beauty of a masterfully thought out song. It makes you think…wonder…..push the limits of your imagination….makes you listen again and again.
“Into the Blue” is available on all streaming platforms. Make sure to stream it! Playlist it! and save it to your Favorites Library! While you’re at it share it on your socials as well :). Enjoy the wonderful listening experience of “Into the Blue” and marvel at the journey it takes you on.
Stream “Into the Blue”
Into The Blue
Listen to Into The Blue on Spotify. Richard Isen · Song · 2021.
Connect with Richard Isen
- Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/5URVQHBEPNAgRusKhsoe4R
- Website : https://www.richardisen.com
- YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/c/richardisenmusic
- Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/richardisenmusic
Connect with Sarah Isen
- Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/sarah.isen
- Email : sarahgisen@gmail.com
- TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@sarah.isen
- Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/5URVQHBEPNAgRusKhsoe4R
Watch “Into the Blue” Visuals
Into The Blue – Music Video for EP Release
This is.a video made for me by a talented video artist using the title song from my new EP “Into The Blue” with Sarah Isen singing. You can save it to your …
Learn more about Richard and Sarah
Richard Isen Bio
Once a jazz cocktail lounge singer, television composer, musical theater experimenter, as well as a software engineer & web pioneer, this singer songwriter and his piano threads a dreamy, after-hours melancholy with a wise, compassionate, and often times humorous outlook on life and music. Counting influences ranging from Joni Mitchell to Bill Evans to Shirley Horn to Tom Waits to Tori Amos, Richard Isen has released several recordings including “Let It Fall”, “9 Songs” as well several original cast recordings of his musical theater works. He holds an MFA in Musical Theater from NYU, an Emmy Award nomination and has received many awards and grants through the years.
Now retired from his information technology career, Richard spends his days writing, recording, releasing music to the public and occasionally performing. He’s amazed at how the music business has changed and loves that he can record and release his music and find an audience big enough to support his continuing career.
Sarah Isen Bio
Sarah Isen was born to sing. The daughter of LGBT mothers, she was conceived through an anoymous donor in Berkeley, CA and grew up in the same household with her uncle Richard Isen, a professional musician and award winning songwriter for musical theater. Richard recognized her talent at an early age and had her performing at age 8 as he accompanied her on the piano. She studied music as a youngster and eventually was accepted in the Oakland School of the Art as a singing major where she was a member of the award winning a capella group ‘Vocal Rush.’ At age 14 she had her first gig at a local senior center where she performed her favorite songs along with some jazz standards taught to her by her uncle Richard.
In her teenage years, her donor father agreed to let himself be known and it turned out that he too sang and had been a member of a professional group years before. Because of websites like ’23 and Me’, Sarah has discovered 32 half siblings, many of whom also sing. They meet on yearly retreats and many of them came to Los Angeles to cheer Sarah on as she competed on ‘American Idol 2020’ and again when she competed on Fox’s ‘Alter Ego’ as St. Luna.
“Isen’s voice is a wonderful instrument that is fully as melancholy as the sound of an English horn”— The Southern Voice.
As a young girl Sarah was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and later became involved with the Diabetes Awareness movement. She’s worked with parents of diabetic children helping them understand what their child is experiencing. In order to be helpful in emergencies, Sarah got her certification as an EMT and studied Biology and Society as her major at UCLA.
Family is very important to Sarah and she feels very lucky to have such an extraordinarily large and loving family. She is thrilled to have worked on her uncle Richard’s 5 song EP ‘Into The Blue’ and has plans for future releases of her own as she continues to pursue her life as a singer.
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Kevin James has over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry in various facets. He has worked as a recording artist, songwriter, producer, on-air radio personality, background actor and film director. Kevin is a Member of the National Writer's Union.