With only 21 years of age, Issie Goffman has emerged as one of the most compelling new voices in contemporary soul, blending soft soul, jazz and mellow blues into an intimate, expressive sound that has earned her comparisons to Olivia Dean, Celeste, Bill Withers and even Amy Winehouse. Known for her hymn-like lyricism and rich melodic sensibility, the young artist is gaining attention well beyond the UK scene.
Issie has already collaborated with notable industry names — including Jim Reilley, Franklin Jonas, Alex Apolline and PeanutButterWolf — while expanding her craft in respected songwriting networks around the world, from Zonkey Studios in Vienna to American Songwriter’s acclaimed Between the Lines camp.
On stage, ISSIE brings the same emotional depth: she has performed at iconic venues such as The Cavern Club, The Finsbury and The Troubadour, and has shared festival lineups with legends like Gloria Gaynor and The Fratellis. Now splitting her time between Liverpool and Los Angeles, she continues to shape a distinct sound that is heartfelt, soulful and destined to resonate globally.
Your sound blends soft soul, jazz, and mellow blues in a way that feels both intimate and timeless. How did you arrive at this musical identity so early in your career?
I’ve always just remained who I thought I was. I think identity is complicated in the music industry, because there’s such a volume of people with many similar looks, sounds, stories, and anything in between. And sometimes you can doubt yourself or want to become something else to deem more unique. But I’ve consistently grown up around a collection of Soul, Jazz, and Motown music- although I now listen to a wide array, that music I grew up on is something that made me, me. And I think that, along with how I grew up with my family in Southern California, shows in my music.
You’ve been compared to artists like Olivia Dean, Celeste, Bill Withers, and even Amy Winehouse. Do these references influence you in any way, or do you try to distance yourself from comparisons?
I don’t look at it as references influencing my own music or image. Someone once told me that new music and sounds come from listening to different and weird collections of music, where you pick out the parts that you love in each, and with that, sometimes an entirely new concept emerges. Comparisons as an artist are more so for the audience to understand the world that your music lives in, rather than for my own idea of who I am- and I take pride in navigating my own sound. While I’m inspired by many of those artists and creatives, my goal is to create something new and unique from them!
You’ve collaborated with names such as Jim Reilley, Franklin Jonas, Alex Apolline, and PeanutButterWolf. What have you taken away from these collaborations, and how have they shaped your development as an artist?
Every opportunity to meet someone, take a meeting, or collaborate is something I am so grateful for. Some of the people I worked with took a chance on me before I had ever been in a writing room or been on stage. That’s something I admire and take with me as I go; always being optimistic and a problem-solver has only helped me thus far, and that’s something I learned from these experiences. Especially in the songwriting world, it’s helped me further develop as a writer, acknowledge my strengths, and recognize my weaknesses and how I can overcome them.
Your songwriting has taken you to respected creative hubs—from Zonkey Studios in Vienna to American Songwriter’s Between the Lines camp. How have these international experiences influenced your writing style?
Through every camp or writing opportunity, I learn something new about my writing and how I write for myself specifically. Through many writing camps, I’ve learned to write more from the outside and for different artists through different perspectives. The role of a songwriter is always funny, because you have to relate it to yourself to feel the material, but still target the narrative towards the pitch or singer at hand. While writing for myself, I trust my instincts and the melodic feel or lyrical flow I usually use throughout my songs. These camps have helped me understand how to balance one another and do both at the same time!
You’ve performed at iconic UK venues like The Cavern Club, The Finsbury, and The Troubadour, and even shared festival stages with Gloria Gaynor and The Fratellis. Which of these moments felt like a turning point for you?
Each gig feels like a turning point for me, even when it’s not my best performance, I can always take something away from it. I always learn something, meet new people, or gain more traction from it- and that’s something that I always strive to do at any of my gigs. But one of my personal favorites included DEVA FESTIVAL, because I got to take home the Festival Lineup for my family and showed them my name on the same bill as Gloria Gaynor and The Fratellis- which felt like a super cool moment in my career so far.
You split your time between Liverpool and Los Angeles. How does living between these two music worlds impact your creative process and your sound?
Splitting my time between Liverpool and Los Angeles means two vibrant music cultures surround me. LA is home—it’s where I grew up, where my family is, and it gives me comfort and space to recharge. Liverpool, on the other hand, gives me a sense of freedom. Being in a new city allows me to be myself fully, pursue whatever I want, and explore my creativity without limits. Moving between the two keeps my perspective fresh and my sound constantly evolving.
Your lyrics often feel like anthems—emotional, honest, and full of depth. What themes or stories have been speaking to you most in this phase of your life and career?
Right now, I’m really leaning into vulnerability and honesty in my writing. Navigating grief and trying to understand what it means is something I’ve been searching for for a while now. It’s a theme many people write about. For me, though, it still feels deeply personal and hard to put into words- because we always think we are alone in difficult moments of our life, and for me, music is the only key to reliability and communication towards that. Even though I don’t fully understand my feelings, and may not for a while, it’s a part of life that everyone has to experience and something that makes us more human and empathetic.
As you continue to shape your distinct sound, what can fans expect from your next releases? Are you exploring new directions or doubling down on your signature style?
I’m yet to release my debut single, but am slowly and slowly getting closer to….and am very excited for. I want to put out something I am deeply proud of and ready for the world to listen to, but until then, I will continue my work playing live and writing constantly, trying to be the best and most genuine version of myself.
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