Music
Sarah and Richard Isen Explore Alternate Realities In Family Made Single “Into The Blue”

“Into The Blue” is a progressive folk track channeling Janis Joplin’s neo soul, tinged with the vibrant intricacies of psychedelia.
Sarah and Richard Isen come together in an epic family-made project with their Janis Joplin inspired single “Into The Blue,” out November 12. Painting a colorful soundscape weaving between musical modes, this track is a sonic masterpiece that keeps listeners engaged from beginning to end. “Into The Blue” is a glorious fusion of the most beautiful parts of so many genres; the emotion present in neo-soul, the creativity of psych-rock, and the rawness of folk music. This song was originally written for one of Richard’s musical theater works entitled QUANTUM JANIS that imagined an alternate universe where Janis Joplin ran away from her music career, and opened her own ‘hippie hotel.’ Written by Richard and brought to life with Sarah’s full-bodied, soulful vocals, the two have effortlessly captured something magical with this collaboration. “Into The Blue” characterizes a song this version of Janis might have sang in her later life, accounting for the struggles in her mid-life as well as watching her youthful dream of a hippie utopia die.
Piano & Musical Direction: Tammy Hall, Bass: Daniel Fabricant, Drums: Daria Johnson, Guitars (electric & acoustic): Cam Perrdige, All virtual instruments: Richard Isen, Recording Engineer: Gabriel Shepard, Assistant engineer: Karishma Kumar, Jace Mann, Mixed by Cam Perridge, Mastering by Yoad Nevo.
Sarah considers her uncle one of her greatest influences; for her, this record was the perfect way to give back to someone who she cherishes so deeply. The first time she heard “Into The Blue” on an off-broadway stage, the powerhouse vocalist knew that this was a song she had to perform herself. Sarah, having been a long-time fan of Joplin, acknowledges that while this composition is created in the image of Joplin’s story, “it’s really my uncle Richard’s style of songwriting, very much his version.” Richard explains that he’s “trying to imagine a song Janis might have recorded when she was nearing 60,” he says, “having matured and become more sophisticated musically and lyrically, and no longer interested in singing the ‘my man hurt me’ type songs she’s known for.”
Stream “Into The Blue” on all major streaming platforms on November 12.
More about Sarah and Richard:
Sarah Isen:
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.
Richard Isen:
Once a jazz cocktail lounge piano man, television composer, musical theater experimenter, as well as a software engineer & web pioneer, Richard Isen and his piano threads a dreamy, after-hours melancholy with a wise, compassionate, and oftentimes 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 Writing from NYU, an Emmy Award nomination and has received many theater awards and grants through the year including Performing Songwriter magazine naming him Top 12 DIY for his first release ‘LET IT FALL.’
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.
“One of the few men who courts the Joni Mitchell comparison in his ivory-tickling style, his deep blue voice” — Performing Songwriter Top 12 DIY.
Music
Laf0822 Heats Up the Summer with His Explosive New Strip Club Anthem, “Nasty Bitch”

If you’ve been on the lookout for the next song to set summer nights AND strip club stages on fire, then look no further than Laf0822’s new release, “Nasty Bitch.” It’s clear from the first beat: This track is for the shy or the faint of heart. It’s raucous, wild, and tailor-made for cranking the heat to punishing levels.
Coming in at just the right tempo to make hips shake and bottles pop, “Nasty Bitch” slinks in on a bass heavy beat tailor made for fluorescent lights and late nights and endless dollar bills. Laf0822 serves the track with confidence, and its infectious nature gives it that raw energy that a summer anthem requires if it ever aspires to completely take over the clubs, parties, and car speakers. Laf0822 is anything but forced and is honest and raunchy, if I may say so, in all the right ways. There’s an effortless charisma to how he rides the beat, putting everything he has into the song’s no-holds-barred demeanor. It’s an ode to wild nights and shameless self-expression.
Beyond being nothing more than a strippers’ anthem, “Nasty Bitch” encapsulates a spirit of abandon that is essentially the heart of summer, no rules, no apologies, just having a good time and fun vibes. Laf0822 pokes at that sentiment with laser-like precision, offering a custom-made soundtrack for everything from girls’ nights out to packed, sweaty dance floors. “Nasty Bitch,” which arrives today, feels like Laf0822 is hammering his flag into the ground this summer, declaring that he’s here to dominate as an artist who knows how to make you move and doesn’t mind getting a little dirty in the process. This is a moment waiting to happen, and it’s about to be all over the place.
Music
N3WYRKLA Spills Raw Emotion with “Plastic Cup”

On her debut single “Plastic Cup”, N3WYRKLA is planting a marker in the ground. As the lead single to her upcoming debut LP, “Plastic Cup” is the equivalent of peeking into a diary nobody was supposed to read. It’s intimate but not frail, confident but not blaring. N3WYRKLA’s weaves between a sound that’s atmospheric and direct, pulling listeners into her world without pause.
From the opening chords, “Plastic Cup” holds a nearly cinematic mood, a quiet moment before the big change. Her vocals hover between vulnerability and strength, and she delivers lyrics that feel authentic in a way that’s difficult to fake. It is the sound of someone wrestling with growing pains, the quest for an identity, and the bittersweet ache of memories that linger long after they should.
It’s where-asphalt rubberiness generates that plip-plop beat that sounds alive and fleshy, the way a lousy plastic solo cup can feel like meaningless junk or pure nostalgia, depending on what your drink is while held. N3WYRKLA seems to encase that tension and turn it into an unexpected image metaphor that lingers long after it ends.
What’s most evident at first blush is that “Plastic Cup” is not about the numbers. It’s rooted in emotion first, structure second, a welcome change in a music landscape that’s all too focused on perfection over authenticity. The production is subtle but immersive, which leaves N3WYRKLA’s voice room to sound truly close, like she’s sitting beside you telling a story meant for your ears and no one else’s.
If “Plastic Cup” indicates what’s to come, N3WYRKLA’s debut LP will be an extremely personal, soul-baring voyage. What she’s not doing is slotting herself into our current musical climate, creating her lane, and inviting people to ride shotgun from the get-go.
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