SPOP: ISA BORNE TALKS SEXTON
"It's like having a friend who always listens"
Daniel John
What is this EP about. What ties these five songs together?
'Sexton' is like a diary about my life at sixteen, a time of intense emotions, first loves, betrayal, and self-discovery. Each song represents a specific feeling or event, but together they form a whole that reflects the complexity of being a teenager. What ties them together is the raw honesty and the desire to understand myself through the music.
It feels honest and intimate, like you’re telling the story of where you are in a time when many otherwise feel alone in their thoughts and emotions. What do you think it gives to be able to translate thoughts into songs, and what would it be like for you not to be able to do that?
Writing music is my way of processing the world around me, it is like having a friend who always listens, without judging. Without music, I would feel lost, as if I were missing a language to express what’s deepest inside me. I feel incredibly lucky to have songs as my way of expressing myself. Being able to put words and tone to my feelings without burdening anyone else, that’s a freedom I truly value. Instead of placing what I’ve been through onto other people, I get the chance to process everything myself through creating. And the most beautiful thing is that the music also reaches others my age who might feel the same way, we meet there, in the feelings, and suddenly it doesn’t feel quite so lonely anymore.
When did you make first eye-contact with music, writing songs?
Music has always been there, but it was when I was around twelve that I started writing my own songs. It began as little poems in the notes app on my phone, which then became melodies, it’s actually quite funny, when I think back, as a child I really couldn’t sing at all, I was basically tone-deaf. But despite that, I’ve always loved to sing. So when I finally decided to really invest in music, I took singing lessons and practiced almost every day for several months. It was incredibly important to me to be able to sing my own lyrics, it felt personal and genuine. All the time and energy I’ve put into it has really paid off, without that I would never be where I am today. And even though there is still so much left to learn and discover, it feels good to see how far I’ve already come within myself.
In an art form that is also, in many ways, an industry where many different people work together you seem mostly to surround yourself with your circle of friends, with close collaborators and friends in your band. Is it important to you that the people you create with are the people close to you?
Yes, absolutely, for me it’s incredibly important to surround myself with friends, both in life in general and in music. In fact, my closest friends are the ones who play in my band, and they are so damn talented. We met through the music-focused high school I go to now, so it became a natural part of our friendship to start creating together. I’ve always had a hard time being alone, that’s probably one of my biggest personal challenges. That’s why I often have people around me, and I have been incredibly lucky to have so many talented people close to me. One of my best friends, Alfons, for example, produces almost all of my music, it means a lot to be able to build something so personal together with people I truly trust.
'Lär Mig' features Lova Herner. Do you have a close friendship?
Lova is my absolute closest friend, it almost feels like an understatement to just call her my best friend. She means everything to me, she has been there through all the tough periods of my life and supported me through everything. I’ve looked up to her ever since we first met in preschool, and my admiration for her has only grown, over the years. I love her more than words can describe. When I was working on 'Lär Mig', I realized that an extra verse with a feature would fit perfectly, and Lova was the first person I thought of. It’s so powerful to get to create something together that we’ll always have, something that means so much and that truly belongs only to us.
You make pop but there are clearly other melodic currents flowing beneath the pop surface. What would you say your influences are in rhythms, melodies and your way of writing, in Swedish or in English?
I draw a lot of inspiration from artists like Moonica Mac, Lola Young, Håkan Hellström, and Miriam Bryant. There’s something about their honesty, expression, and emotion that really speaks to me. I like to experiment with my sound and blend in different genres and vocal styles, it keeps the creative process alive. Since songwriting and the content of the lyrics are my main focus, I feel a great freedom in how I shape the songs. What matters most to me is what I want to say, and how I want it to feel. I prefer to write in Swedish. Even though I have a few songs in English, Swedish feels much closer to me. It becomes more personal, more vulnerable, and more me.
You performed at Kulturhuset last month, what was on offer there. Was the focus on the EP tracks or was there also a chance to hear some earlier and future favorites?
The concert at Kulturhuset really became a special evening. It was a journey through my EP, 'Sexton', but I also took the opportunity to play older songs, and, to the audience’s surprise, even a completely new one that I’m working on right now. It was dedicated to Lova, my best friend whom we mentioned earlier. It was extremely emotionally charged and I could barely get through the song without breaking down. That song belongs to her. It was an intimate and emotional evening where I really felt that I got to share both my music and my stories deeply with the audience. A night I will carry with me, for a long time. I’m always just as surprised that so many sing along and know the lyrics to my songs. Performing is genuinely the best thing I know.
Do you prefer to leave time between writing songs, to allow space for life experiences and growth, or would you say you are always writing?
I would say that I’m always writing. In one way or another, that doesn’t mean I’m constantly working on finished songs, but I write down thoughts, phrases, feelings, or melodies as soon as they appear. It’s like my way of processing life is through writing, almost in real time. At the same time, I absolutely believe you need breaks sometimes, to live, feel and develop. But the writing is still there, like a kind of companion, even when I’m not actively thinking about it. It comes naturally.
