ISAAC DUNBAR SHARES NEW EP 'EVIL TWIN'
'The teen indie-pop star on the rise makes music that’s achingly vulnerable and cuts straight to the core'
- Time Magazine
'The teenage pop artist conquering societal doubt and embracing his inner self'
- Billboard
'At only 17 years old, it's safe to say that Isaac Dunbar is a verifiable wunderkind'
- Paper Magazine
Today, 17 year old trailblazer Isaac Dunbar releases his new EP evil twin, via RCA Records. Featuring the previously released hyperpop anthem 'pink party', the soaring 'intimate moments' and the heartfelt 'love, or the lack thereof', the EP showcases Isaac's incredible growth and diversity as an artist, delivering alternative pop that splits between heart on your sleeve emotion and infectious, riotous energy. The EP is released alongside the official music video for 'fan behaviour'.
On evil twin, Isaac shares; ''evil twin' is a display of my current state of mind in regards to my artistry and ego. A part of me wants to make the experimental music i love to listen to, and the other half of me loves the pop music; so i had my evil twin sing the experimental records and i sang the pop records.'
Describing his music as 'self-aware alternative-pop', Dunbar makes lush, synth-driven music, which he writes, performs, and produces himself. He offers listeners a shared experience. He knows anxiety is born out of isolation, so he takes great care to ensure that his lyrics connect on the deepest possible level. The effect is made even more compelling when paired with Dunbar’s upbeat, sing-song melodies and potent hooks.
At 17, Dunbar has thought a lot about what he wants to put out into that culture and the impact it can have. He has thought a lot about how he wants people to feel, for them to know they are not alone, the way listening to artists like Lady Gaga did for him growing up as a mixed-race, artistic, 'flamboyant' kid. And it seems to be working. Since Dunbar posted his breakthrough song 'Pharmacy' on Soundcloud in 2017, his DM feed is filled with kids telling him how much his music has helped them through dark times.
Dunbar has gravitated toward music to soothe himself ever since he was little. Growing up in the town of Barnstable on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Dunbar was bullied for being different. 'I never fit in,' he says. 'I tried, but it didn’t work. So when other kids were hanging out with each other, I was nine years old and cocooned in my bed scouring the Internet for new music.' Always having loved to sing, he taught himself to play piano and keyboards from YouTube tutorials. When he was 10, he noticed that Lady Gaga had tweeted a list of producers she worked with on her album ARTPOP. One of them was French house producer Madeon. He recalls; 'I saw that he had this program called FL Studio. I illegally downloaded it at a Barnes & Noble. And that’s how I taught myself to produce music.'
Now, Isaac Dunbar has continued to carve out a spectacular and unique lane, resulting in himself being one of the most critically heralded new artists in 2020. After supporting girl in red on her North American and European run of shows in 2019, Dunbar released his highly anticipated debut EP balloons don’t float here. It garnered the attention of notable tastemakers like Zane Lowe, The FADER, Ones To Watch, and Hillydilly, which stated; 'it’s only a matter of time until he gets worldwide recognition'. Isaac’s music melds complex sounds and atmospheric, beat-driven production to create melodic and introspective tracks. Last April, Isaac released his isaac's insects EP which led to praise from LADYGUNN, Paper Magazine, Idolator and NPR.