Music has always been a part of my life

Isla Croll

Southampton is my home town and I’ve grown up here. My house has always been filled with a diverse range of music, and I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. Music is a part of my life that I consistently enjoy delving into and exploring. I was also lucky enough to have been able to take part in so many music clubs at my school, which gave me further opportunities to explore my love of music.

I started singing and guitar lessons at the age of nine. In secondary school, my singing was nurtured in the school choirs. I also joined an extracurricular ‘Rock Academy’ in year 8, which was an amazing experience because it was where I learnt how to perform with bands. I subsequently became the lead singer in the school’s soul band and was later nominated as the jazz singer for the school jazz band. I really enjoyed these roles and I loved contributing to the school community through concerts and productions.

When I was In year 9, the then director of Hampshire County Youth Jazz, Shaun Riches, invited me to join as their first ever vocalist, and that’s where my interest in jazz really began. I then moved to Barton Peveril Sixth-form College and did A-level music and ‘popular music and jazz’.

Continuing my academic career, I am currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, doing my Bachelor of Music degree in jazz. RWCMD is a great place to study because you’re surrounded by like-minded musicians with loads of chances to perform and grow. You get to work with professionals in the field and learn about jazz from a range of tutors, each bringing their own unique perspective.

When it comes to inspiring female singers there are so many to choose from, but my main influences have been Sade, Samara Joy, Erykah Badu, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

I started recording in my house during Covid, right after my time on The Voice Kids UK. I have just released my 22nd single, and I’ve been very lucky that BBC Introducing has been so supportive throughout my journey. In 2022, I was invited to perform on their stage for the Re:Claim Southampton street festival and my latest single ‘Golden Skies’ landed me artist of the week on BBC Introducing Solent. 

I began my journey with original music by co-writing with a singing teacher, Jordan Lisle, when I was about 12 years old. It was also then that I got to know the producer who’s worked on most of my music, Luke Targett. As time has gone on, I have collaborated with other artists like Adriano Desiré and I continue to collaborate with new people. 

I found out about Jazz Story, the show that charts Southampton’s jazz history that’s coming to Mayflower Studios on 18^th October, when a friend of mine, Olu Rowe, mentioned it and encouraged me to put my name forward as a vocalist. I was thrilled to be selected, and I can’t wait. As yet, we haven’t started rehearsals but I am very excited to get suck into such a fantastic project and work with such incredible musicians.

Jazz Story isn’t only about amazing music, although of course that is central to the production. The story will also be told through narration and rare archive visuals that reveal the development of jazz in Southampton from the 1920s onwards, mirroring the city’s evolving identity.

Jazz Story is particularly special to me because of my connections with the city. Southampton has been such a crucial place for me, not only as my home but as a place that has nurtured and launched my music journey. Local venues such as the Concorde Club (I won Concorde Factor in 2019) and being able to connect with other musicians by jamming in places such as Harmony House have had such an impact on my performance development.

Jazz is one of the most influential art forms of the last century, shaping so much of today’s popular music (R&B, hip hop, soul, neo-soul, funk). Connecting young people to it keeps that history alive and without younger audiences, the genre risks fading. Bringing jazz forward ensures it continues to evolve rather than just being preserved, and productions like Jazz Story are so important because they foreground the unique story of jazz in Southampton and how it has helped shape the city.