Nicole Issa Feel OK

Nicole Issa blossomed onto the scene in September 2021 with the launch of her debut single 'Home'. Premiered by FBi, the song landed at #14 on the Triple J Unearthed Pop Charts in its first week, was featured on major Spotify playlists (Downunder, Hundprommis), and garnered attention from savvy music bloggers all over the country (Life Without Andy, The Western, FineTuned Mag). An impressive start for a young artist with a lot to say.

Her second single 'Feel Ok' is a surprisingly uplifting track given its theme of the conflicting feelings of love and resentment that arise at the end of a relationship. Co-written and produced with local phenomenon Chelsea Warner (Urthboy, Anieszka), it's a sonic journey through pain and isolation that manages to offer hope in the soaring instrumentation that's becoming Nicole's trademark.

When the Western Sydney artist reached out to Chelsea about sessions mid 2020, it came from a need to find direction. Nicole was feeling stuck and full of doubt after a seemingly rock solid 3 year relationship ended overnight. Their first meeting was unforgettable - although not quite for the reasons you might expect...

"I was so upset the day I walked into the studio that I cried for about 3 hours straight!"

Nicole laughs about it now, but at the time, the fear of her emotions being 'too much' was at the forefront of her mind. It's a theme that runs through the single, which deals with the aftermath of that sudden and unexpected break up.

"The realisation that I didn't have as big of an impact on my ex partner's life as he did on mine was devastating. It had me doubting my judgment" Nicole explains. "I hadn't even started to process it when Chelsea and I met, but when we did, it all came pouring out."

Influenced by the likes of Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers, 'Feel Ok' features poignant keys alongside atmospheric strings which compliment Nicole's powerful voice. Lyrically, the song explores the collision of conflicting emotions: love and hate; despair and relief; grief and hope; ending in a euphoric climax where pain is overcome. Mixed by Studio 301's Tom Garnett (Travis Scott, Delta Goodrem), 'Feel Ok' is a powerfully emotive track.

Nicole has teamed up with Waratah Records to perform an exclusive show with BLOOM Sydney on the 25th of February at Sydney's Lord Gladstone Hotel to launch the single. It's a touching moment - her first headline show - and one she's very ready for.