Faults is about telling yourself that it’s ok to make mistakes growing up, as long as you learn from them. Melodically, the single is taut, hooky and uplifting, brimming with electrifying energy.

ISLE are multi-instrumentalists Liam John Rutherford and Ben Singer. Based in the Scottish Borders, the talented duo pride themselves on producing everything from their artwork and videos to their production all done independently.

This year they headlined the BBC Introducing stage at T in the Park and have built a strong following with support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Scotland, Amazing Radio and Radio X with the likes of Clash, DIY, Gold Flake Paint and Louder Than War singing the band praises online.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Liam about the band’s influences, the new project, the digital music world and more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

I grew up listening to Punk / Metal, then got into playing Math Rock when I was at Uni. But I’ve found trying to write a ‘Pop’ song, or at least song you could term as ‘commercially accessible’ a huge challenge. There’s something incredibly difficult trying to make a song interesting, while at the same time succinct; trimming the fat, so that the listener never gets a chance to be bored.

How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?

Since I was a kid – I’ve never not been in a band since I was about 12. Almost all have been terribly named.

Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?

I can almost answer this as one; What keeps me going / motivated is the feeling of accomplishment when writing and the overall sense, without getting spiritual, that I need to keep doing this to feel as though I have purpose and that I’m doing something with my life.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

Just to write the best music I can. I feel as though I’ve really got my production chops up this past year, and it’s meant I’ve got a lot better at translating what I hear in my head into what comes out the speakers.

What was the last song you listened to?

White Night – Oh Land

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I love the tactfulness of Vinyl… always makes it much more of an occasion when listening. MP3 for sheer convenience. And CDs for nostalgic reasons… I can’t pick a fav.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

They’re all great services… all with different strengths. I love that bandcamp has a much better split for artists than most. Then again it isnt a streaming service, so Apples to Oranges.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?

Trying to make something stand out. There are so many good bands out there in an age where you can record everything on a laptop with a half decent mic. It’s just about trying to come out with something that makes you different – even if it isn’t intrinsically original… just original enough.

Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?

We do tour, got a bunch of dates coming up next year. We thought about live streaming from our practice room, but unfortunately we share it with a bunch of other bands, and thus it’s tantamount to a crack den.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?

The usual;

• Spotify → https://play.spotify.com/artist/4CcnnBSzDJ7OQ3g2DLPZl0
• SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/thisisisle
• Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/thisisisle
• Twitter → https://twitter.com/thisisisle

The patter is especially bad on Twitter though…

Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?

Something that keeps me going everyday:

“A man who procrastinates in his choosing will have his choice made for him by circumstance.” – Hunter S. Thompson