ISE

All alone, ISE climbed onto our stage at Best Kept Secret 2024. The Belgian singer-songwriter, only 18 years old, is a rising star in the pop firmament. Yet the feeling struck us that we had known her for years. Her voice sounds mature, her songs sincere and lived-in.

She doesn’t need much in the way of grand arrangements as of yet. ISE accompanied herself during her session on guitar and piano. Her voice did the rest. And the audience listened breathlessly. During her Heaven Sessions, you could hear a pin drop. The Dutch Disease – the tendency of Dutch concert audiences to rant shamelessly over music – had cured them for a while.

After the session, ISE spoke to Ludo Diels (Heaven Magazine) about timeless songs, maths exams and the festival summer.