San Francisco-based, independent duo Moxxy Jones have just released their collaboration with vocal powerhouse and songwriter Isabelle, "Another Yesterday." The track is released by Starita Records off of the duo’s debut album, Unnoticed. With unexpected, energetic,
sonically boundless yet classical elements, Moxxy Jones fully embrace their 80s/90s-influenced synth-pop roots while expanding to include the incredible range and strength of Isabelle's voice.
"Another Yesterday" brings the listener on a journey of longing and hope as Isabelle reminisces on what it would be like to regain a lost love. With clear perspective, accessible melodies, layering of digital and organic sounds, and subtle harmonies, the track begs to be played on the highest volume. Watch the vibrant music video below!
Long-time friends - Frank (keyboard) and Milan (guitar) - Moxxy Jones have solidifed themselves in the industry. Their first three singles off of Unnoticed received praise from both fans and press– ‘Leave the Room’ hit over 1.6 Million streams on TikTok alongside spots in many editorial and user-generated playlists (including Indie Essentials, Electro Indie Pop, XXX, and Worldwide Hits). Isabelle is known for her appearances on American Idol, Off-Broadway productions, and her own recordings that have won Best Music Video at the 2017 LA Shorts; having received nearly 5 million views (‘Unlabeled’).
We sat down with Moxxy Jones and Isabelle to get the inside scoop on their experience recording "Another Yesterday":
FLEX: This collaboration feels like the perfect match - how do you find each other and what led to your decision to make this track together?
FRANK: We had been talking with our incredible Production and Marketing team for a while about wanting to find really talented collaborators to work with, and they immediately suggested Isabelle (whom they worked with on other projects). It took literally 15 seconds of listening to one of her songs, and I knew I wanted to collaborate with her. I could tell right away that her voice would be the perfect complement to our music, and that Isabelle would bring a fresh point of view to our track.
MILAN: I absolutely loved Isabelle's voice from the first track I heard of hers. She has this great range with a ton of emotion and this tiny hint of country buried in the background that
I'm an absolute sucker for. When she sent her initial thoughts on the track we sent her, it was obvious before the first line was over that she nailed everything we were trying to accomplish instrumentally with vocals.
ISABELLE: Even from the first call we had together, we all felt like kindred spirits. I also feel really lucky that they had such respect for me as a songwriter and creative and not just a vocalist. They were so open to what I brought to the table. As a collaborating artist coming into an already established situation, this is a real gift.
Flex: There is such a richly nostalgic feel in your music, Moxxy Jones. Do you take inspiration from any particular synth artists in the 80s/90s?
FRANK: Our influences definitely span a wide range of artists, from electro-pop to industrial to singer-songwriter. Personally, I've always loved new wave music, and groups like Tears for Fears and New Order, and even less-popular groups like Johnny Hates Jazz and Icehouse, definitely influenced my writing style. I feel that some of that comes through in our music, but our music definitely adds its own unique spin.
MILAN: I'm a huge fan of Depeche Mode, the Cure and industrial bands like Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Nitzer Ebb, along with early 90's house and definitely take inspiration from all of those. But, the tools you use play an important role as well. The 80's and 90's were periods of great innovation in musical instruments and while they have their limitations, there's
something really special about them. Over the years, I've picked up a lot of the gear that was high end in the early 90's but now sells for a fraction of the price because people don't seem to want it. While I love a lot of modern technology and vintage gear, I'm continually drawn to the sounds those tools can make and the happy little accidents that can come from them. Nothing today really sounds like them. But, we'll then run those sounds through today's technology to make sounds that may feel familiar but never could have been made before.
Flex: The storyline of "Another Yesterday" is incredibly relatable! What was the songwriting process like?
FRANK: We had an existing track that we liked, but wanted to reimagine it and make it "bigger." We sent this over to Isabelle, and she sent back a new vocal track with a new vision and a new creative voice. The vocals are so gripping and visual, and you just imagine yourself as that person. And that chorus vocal ... just WOW.
MILAN: A lot of people say there's a formula for writing pop music. I would say there's a formula for writing bad pop music but not really a formula for writing great pop music. Great pop music requires that you come up with things that the listener feels is brand new but they've also heard a million times before. That duality only comes about through inspiration or sheer luck. You can't manufacture that. We may not have gotten there and may never get there, but Frank and I are always pushing to try and find that duality. We really found a kindred spirit in Isabelle and it was great to push ourselves further on that journey.
ISABELLE: When the guys sent some tracks over to me to listen to, this one stuck out from all of the others. It already had great bones within the instrumentation and melodies, and sucked you right into that nostalgic 90’s moment. Again, it was such a gift to bring my ideas to the table and for Moxxy Jones to want to have me involved in the songwriting process. Because all ego was set aside, we were able to make the best song possible together.
Flex: What was the recording process like for this track? Did you feed off the energy of one another?
FRANK: Being in a recording studio is always magical, but being at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles – in such a historic room where so many hits were written, with such creative people – took this to another level. One of the most fun moments was sitting at the grand piano with Isabelle and riffing on a bunch of different songs - both our own tunes and various standards and other popular tunes. It felt like we'd worked together for years, which I think really translated into the final product. Isabelle and I also definitely spoke the same language when it came to tracking the vocal harmonies. We were immediately on the same page with where things could go with this tune and were able to see that come to life really fast.
MILAN: A lot of the magic for me was watching Frank and Isabelle working in the studio to come up with all of these amazing vocal harmonies. Frank can hear a song and immediately play it on piano, switch keys and build out harmonies. Isabelle has amazing ideas as well and can pretty much nail anything on the first take. We were really able to experiment and come up with a lot of beautiful parts that really pushed the track to the next level.
Flex: What can we look forward to hearing from Moxxy Jones and Isabelle in the future? Are there any upcoming releases we should look out for?
FRANK: Yes, definitely! We have another track already in the works, called "Change My Mind." Look out for it in early 2023!
MILAN: We were extremely inspired in the studio together and were able to put together some amazing vocals for another song "Change My Mind," as Frank mentioned. It's epic and haunting at the same time. Isabelle's vocal performance is incredible and the vocal harmonies are something you just don't hear too often in pop music. We're really excited to finish it up and get it out there.
"Another Yesterday" is available across streaming platforms today.
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