The morning after Sydney indie-rock darlings The Preatures announced the sad news that they were calling it quits after a decade in the game, their charismatic frontwoman Isabella Manfredi is pivoting to focus our attention on the positives; namely, her new solo career.
She’s just dropped her debut solo single, a new-wave pop earworm dub ‘Jealousy’, helmed by award-winning co-producer Chris Collins and featuring the talents of Kirin J Callinan, Stella Mozgawa and Michael Di Francesco.
“’Jealousy’ was the very first song I wrote in London with producers Rich Cooper and Johnny Latimer (though there was a brief stint in Berlin with Anton Newcombe – another story),” Izzi explains of her global songwriting adventures over the past two years.
“I did the demo vocals in one or two takes and they are what you hear on the record. It was one of those essential and immediate co-writing experiences where I couldn’t tell where I ended and the others began, and I’m truly grateful to both Johnny and Rich, masters of their craft, for helping me shape the shock and anger I was feeling that day into a lean, mean pop song.”
‘Jealousy’ also forms the first single from the Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition winner’s forthcoming solo album debut, and comes packing a cheeky music video directed by Byron Spencer, which was filmed while Manfredi was heavily pregnant with her first child.
“I was pretty pregnant by the time we got to conceiving a video for ‘Jealousy’, and the two things already felt so incongruent and ludicrous – a song about an unfaithful, embittered ex, meanwhile I’m happily committed and pregnant and moving on with my life!” the singer laughs.
“I loved the idea of flipping the concept to be about creative – even energetic – jealousy. I’m bigger, I’m fuller, I’m making life, I’m making pasta, I’m selling you the dream, I’m in my element. Meanwhile this ‘Wake in Fright’ type male fan is becoming obsessed with my baby belly. It’s just so funny. Byron and I have known each other for years and it was my absolute dream to work with him on this with an amazing team.”
Watch it for yourself, below.
