In a sunlit studio not far from where she grew up, Alex Isley settles into a chair for her rolling out Magazine cover shoot. The daughter of Ronnie Isley of the legendary Isley Brothers, she carries both the weight and wings of musical royalty with graceful ease. Her voice, often described as the sound of future R&B, weaves elements of West Coast G-Funk, 90s R&B, and jazz into something distinctly her own. Yet what resonates most is not simply her impressive lineage, but the authentic sense of self she has cultivated along her artistic journey.
“I feel beautiful, I feel confident, I feel grateful,” she says, her words carrying the melodic cadence that has become her signature. “Everything for me comes back to gratitude. I’m just really grateful for where I am in my life and where I’m headed.”
The California sound and its many influences
When asked about the often-referenced “California sound” in her music, Isley contemplates the multiplicity of influences that shaped her artistic development.
“I think the California sound for me, I feel like you can encompass so many things as California does. LA alone is such a melting pot,” she explains. “Growing up in the 90s, there’s, of course, the 90s girls influence, but there’s the West Coast G-Funk influence, Dre, Snoop, Daz and Kurupt, Nate Dogg, DJ Quik, there’s so many of those voices and that music embedded in what I do as well.”
This rich tapestry of influences finds its way into her work primarily through instrumentation. She pauses, thoughtfully reorganizing her thoughts: “I think more so what I do sonically comes into play in terms of the instrumentation. The influence from West Coast and the jazz influence comes into that.”
Musical lineage as foundation
The legacy of the Isley Brothers doesn’t just shape her music, it forms the bedrock of her entire artistic identity.
“The Isley Brothers and their legacy has shaped everything that I’ve done,” Isley shares with evident pride. “Up until I was 12, that was my only concert experience. That was my first experience in the studio, in rehearsal space, was watching them. That is my foundation in every aspect of my artistry.”
Her reverence for her family’s musical contribution is palpable. “Whether I would try to break away from that or not, but I would never do that. I’m so proud of that lineage and to be a part of it. I’m so proud of their legacy and what they’re still doing. They’re still traveling and performing and doing what they do best.”
The unpredictable creative process of a ‘lover girl’
Unlike some artists who adhere to rigid creative routines, Isley embraces unpredictability in her process.
“I don’t honestly have a set process. My process differs every single time I create, but I like it that way,” she reveals. “I like that it’s really unpredictable. It’s different every single time I create. I like that it keeps me on my toes and it keeps me fresh in terms of creating.”
What remains consistent, however, is the emotional wellspring from which she draws. Self-described as a “lover girl,” Isley’s emotional expressiveness permeates her work.
“I am a lover girl. That’s where I come from first and foremost when I’m writing. I come from love, whether it’s writing about wanting to be in love or being in love or the heartbreak and loss of love. I’ve written a lot about that, but it’s all stuff that resonates with me and that I’ve been through personally.”
This emotional authenticity, she acknowledges, comes with its challenges in the current dating climate. “Being a lover girl, I feel like it has its ups and its downs, sometimes more ups, of course. But I think in this climate and this world socially as far as dating, it can be a little tricky, but to hold on to your hope. But I think that natural hope is what keeps my lover girl intact.”
Finding peace in connection and nature
For an artist whose work revolves around emotional exploration, finding peace becomes essential. Isley finds hers in multiple spaces.
“I go to find peace in prayer, I go to find peace with my family, with my daughter. Quality time with her and my mom means the world to me,” she shares. Her methods of finding tranquility have evolved over time: “I find peace now more than ever also in working out and I never thought I’d say that, but I love yoga. I love bike riding. I love hiking and going to the beach by myself.”
These moments of solitude by the ocean often bring her back to the emotional themes that drive her music. “When I’m sitting by the ocean, I find myself dreaming more often than not about love, about what I would like to experience in love and a little bit of the past and what I’ve been through.”
Evolving artistry and empowering authenticity
As her career has progressed, Isley notes a shift in her creative intention, from purely personal expression to something more communal in nature.
“I think now in my life I do write more to empower lover girls,” she reflects. “Coming into my own womanhood and motherhood has changed me tremendously and has really pushed me to find more of a sense of myself and come more into myself and who I am and owning that. And so I think naturally I would like to think I’m encouraging other women, other people to tap into who they naturally are and carrying that with pride.”
In an industry known for molding artists into marketable packages, maintaining artistic integrity requires conscious effort. For Isley, the solution lies in prioritizing passion above all.
“In order to stay true to myself in an ever-changing industry, I think keeping my love, the love and the passion for what I do first and foremost and keeping that as the focus, that’s the most important thing,” she asserts. “It’s easy to get caught up in what might be going on around you and trying to adapt. And I think you do want to adapt in certain ways as an artist and evolution is natural and growing and learning and experiencing as time progresses. But I think keeping the love for what I do, the top priority, I think that’s what matters the most.”
Collaborations and musical conversations
Isley’s work with producers like Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and Jack Dine has expanded her musical vocabulary while reinforcing the importance of authenticity.
“The producers that I’ve worked with, they all have something so unique about themselves. They all have something really special that only they can do, only they can emulate,” she observes. “I have a very special dynamic with everyone that I’ve collaborated with. And I think it just comes back to being ourselves and letting that radiate through what we do.”
She speaks admiringly of Terrace Martin as a “West Coast legend” and appreciates the integrity all her collaborators bring to their work.
As for being called “the voice of future R&B,” Isley receives the title with characteristic humility. “I’m honored. I just, ultimately, I just want to do this for life. Longevity is the goal.” Drawing inspiration once again from her family heritage, she adds, “Especially seeing my dad and my uncles and the longevity they’ve had in this business, 60 plus years and counting, I would just, I want to continue that and just continue to let my music speak for itself.”
Her upcoming projects reflect this evolution, her first solo album in five years represents a new artistic chapter. “I feel like this music is a lot more direct and unapologetic and unafraid. And so I’m just putting it out there.”
For aspiring artists, Isley offers three pillars of wisdom, prioritize passion, remain open to growth, and embrace collaboration. “No matter what it is, no matter what line of work it is, whatever it is that you’re passionate about, as long as you keep that first, as long as you keep the love for what you do first… everything else will take care of itself.”
She adds, “Continue to study, continue to be open to learning and growing, because none of us know everything, and you know we’re not supposed to.” Finally, she emphasizes the importance of community, “Collaboration is important too. You can’t do everything on your own. I mean, you can, but you’ll drive yourself crazy.”
In an industry that often prioritizes spectacle over substance, Isley represents something increasingly rare, an artist whose work flows naturally from who she is. Like the California landscape that shaped her, her music encompasses multitudes while remaining unmistakably her own. As she continues to carve her path forward, she carries both the weight of legacy and the lightness of authentic self-expression, a balance that makes her voice not just the sound of future R&B, but a testament to the enduring power of musical truth.
