Breakfast & Beyond - Episode 19:
Climate conscious music with Amy Woodburn & Lizzie Freeborn of ISYLA
For today’s episode I talk with climate conscious singer song-writers Amy Woodburn and Lizzie Freeborn of ISYLA. Not only is ISYLA’s delicate groove spellbindingly lovely, but this is music with purpose, created to engage listeners with the climate crisis both emotionally and viscerally through the song lyrics, as well as through the communities that are brought together during live performances.
My conversation with Lizzie and Amy is wide-ranging: you’ll hear the sweetest story of how they met and formed ISYLA, along with their reflections on why their differing generational standpoints create a very unique and special alchemy; we hear from Amy about the process of writing and arranging songs; and from Lizzie about the evolution of her stunning voice, as well as how she’s learning to deal with anxiety that emerges around live performance. And they also share thoughts on why music can be such a powerful tool for engaging with issues of climate, in which we have to connect with humanness that surrounds the issues, as well as the science and facts.
“We are trying to spread the message of climate change and engage with the emotions around it.
[We need to] engage people with compassion, connection and love … that is at the heart of the problem”
We recorded this episode at beautiful Boconnoc Estate where Lizzie and Amy were staying before performing an intimate gig that evening. After chatting over breakfast, we took a walk together in the gardens then I was lucky enough to pop back in the evening to watch their gig.
You’ll hear ISYLA’s music woven through this episode, and we’re played out at the end with a snippet of their new winter single, Snow is a Colour, which is out on 20th January - enjoy!
Welcome to Episode 19 of Breakfast & Beyond .. listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher & Tune-In
Breakfast: recipes, producers & growers …
Breakfast was simple and seasonal, brought over to share with Lizzie and Amy in the gorgeous cottage they were staying in at Boconnoc. The overnight oats and a fabulously colourful and tasty winter breakfast option, and the granola adds a welcome crunch on top. Recipes along with local producers are shared below …
Beetroot & Apple Overnight Oats (see recipe)
Granola (see recipe)
Beetroot sourced from The Real Food Garden
Croissants from Bellmama Deli
Butter from Trewithen Dairy
Home-made rowan jelly
Tamar Valley honey, sourced via Green Cow Dairy
Apples & Chilean guava berries picked from the gardens at Botelet
Apple juice from our Botelet orchards, pressed by Pete’s Apple Pressing
ISYLA’s music …
Listen to ISYLA via Spotify; to date they have released two albums: Where She Walks (2020) Of Blood and Star (2022). Their winter single, Snow is a Colour, is out on 20th January and you can pre-save it now on Spotify.
ISYLA’s beautiful music is woven through this episode of Breakfast & Beyond; we hear Only Girl in the Room, 2050, Slip and Snow is a Colour.
Follow ISYLA on Instagram and keep up to date with their music and upcoming gigs via their website.
About Boconnoc …
Thank you so much to the wonderful team at Boconnoc Estate for hosting our podcast recording in their Groom’s Cottage, along with the evening gig. It’s brilliant that Boconnoc are supporting artists like ISYLA, whose work is making an important contribution to the environmental agenda. Check out upcoming events being held at Boconnoc via their What’s On page. Fingers crossed there’s going to be another chance to hear ISYLA live at Boconnoc in Spring 2023, keep an eye out for dates.
Sustainable Development Goals
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 targets representing a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. ‘Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context’ (UNDP). Translating these global objectives to tease out their relevance at the individual and small-organisational scale can inspire us to connect with these important global themes and consider what we are doing - and what more we can do - to make a contribution that supports our own work and wellbeing along with benefiting other people and the planet.
In Episode 19 our discussion referenced the following Sustainable Development Goals:
12 - Responsible consumption & production - Amy and Lizzie produce their music responsibly, with an eye to issues of people and planet through the the way in which they work with others, and with the aim of keeping the environmental footprint of their music as low as possible.
13 - Climate action - ISYLA was established with the intention of raising awareness about the climate crisis, encouraging people to engage and take action in ways that they are able to.
Episode 19 Partner: VitaminSEA from The Cornish Seaberry Company
This episode is brought to you in partnership with VitaminSEA – a new and insanely delicious healthy drink, created by the Cornish Seaberry Company.
Have you come across seaberries - also known as sea buckthorn? These orange delights grow wild along the Cornish coastline, and their benefits were discovered by Cornish Seaberry Company founder Seth Pascoe while trekking in the Himalaya. The Sherpas told Seth about the berries’ impressive health properties – from being extremely high in antioxidants (which boost our immune system) as well as containing the full compliment of omega oils - and feeling inspired, Seth returned to Cornwall and planted his own orchards. Fast forward eight years, which has given time for Seth’s orchards to mature, and these powerful little neon-orange berries are now the foundation of the Cornish Seaberry Company.
VitaminSEA is the latest offering, and I can’t recommend this juice highly enough – it makes for a powerful and beautifully punchy start to the day, and I also love drinking it as a healthy sundowner. There are only three ingredients in each can of juice: seaberries, paired with pure apple and lemon juice to balance the tangy flavour. There are no nasties in VitaminSEA – which come in packs of six fantastically funky cans – no added sugar, colourings or flavourings, just a can of zingy goodness!
Listeners of Breakfast & Beyond are kindly being offered a 10% discount on VitaminSEA, so do give it a try and bring the taste of the Cornish coastline into your breakfast routine! Enter the discount code BREAKFAST on the website – cornishseaberry.co.uk - as you check-out, and the discount will be applied.
Huge thanks to Seth at the Cornish Seaberry Company!
Many thanks to Debs Alexander for the images from our breakfast recording and the evening gig at Boconnoc, check out behind-the-scenes photos below …
Thank you for listening!
Thank you for listening to Breakfast & Beyond: Conversations from Cornwall on Sustainable Living. If you enjoyed listening I’d love it if you could subscribe to the podcast, rate it, and share episodes with friends and family who would enjoy them. You can listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tune-In or wherever you find your podcasts.
I’d love to know your thoughts - please join the conversation and get in touch by email tia@botelet.com or instagram. Thank you, and I look forward to sharing next month’s episode with you.