In the past year, pop singer/songwriter Isabel Van Gelder (who is from Amsterdam, the Netherlands) has emerged as a talented new artist to watch. In January this year, she released her first EP, Minor Details, and subsequently signed with Columbia Records. Then in October, she released her second EP, Lovesick, which marks another key step in her rising career.
Van Gelder creates music that is appealing and melodic, and she writes articulate, heartfelt lyrics that reflect her youthful perspective (she is 23). She has a strong, expressive singing voice, and she can sing deeply-felt ballads as well as playful uptempo tunes. Van Gelder co-writes all of her songs with a team of writers & producers who are based in the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.
With the release of her new 7-song EP, Lovesick, Van Gelder explains what her new EP is about. “Lovesick Is a deeply personal body of work. I’m quite the hopeless romantic, and this EP reflects my experiences over the past year. It’s heartbreaking and deeply personal at times, but never afraid to have a little fun and laugh at the situation. Hope you love it.”
There are several highlights on Lovesick. A standout track is her beautiful ballad “I Don’t Want To Fall In Love Again,” which has a pretty melody and a memorable chorus. Other notable songs are the colorful, vibrant uptempo tune, “Kissing You Away,” and the sensitive ballad, “A Thousand Miles.”
Van Gelder grew up in a creative family in Amsterdam; her mother is a screenwriter and her father is a photographer. She started writing songs when she was 14, and she also did some modeling. Then in 2023, she started to post her songs online, and in 2025 she had a breakthrough when her song, “Die For You,” became popular. She has now built a large following on Spotify, TikTok and YouTube.
Now that Van Gelder has released her new EP, she will embarking on a headline tour of smaller venues in North America, playing shows in New York, Los Angeles and other cities. She will then go on tour in the U.K. and Europe, opening shows for hit artist, Ashe.
We are pleased to do this new Q&A interview with Isabel Van Gelder. She tells how she got started as an artist & songwriter, and she discusses the songs on her new EP, Lovesick.
Here’s the video of Isabel Van Gelder’s song, “I Don’t
Want To Fall In Love Again.”
DK: I read that you grew up in Amsterdam. How did you get started with singing and writing songs?
Isabel Van Gelder: I still live in Amsterdam to this day. I’ve always loved music and as a little kid, I used to listen to many American artists. And when I was younger, I didn’t speak English at all, so I had no clue what the songs were about most of the time. But I remember running around my living room, and music was always this escape for me, and I felt music was the thing that I could really express myself in.
When I was around 14, I got a guitar from my parents, and I started writing songs. And that was around the time that bedroom pop was becoming a genre. So you had artists like Billie Eilish that were starting to blow up and post videos online. And for the first time, I realized that maybe I can do this. I can make a video and put it online. Then I started posting things online a bit, and by the time I finished high school, there was nothing that I wanted to do more. I just fell in love with it, and I went for it.
DK: In January of this year, you released your first EP, Minor Details. Can you talk about the making of that EP?
Van Gelder: On the making of that EP, I think a lot of those songs were spread out because some of the songs I wrote when I was 17. For instance, “Die For You” has become one of the best performing songs, the song that people connect to the most. And I wrote that when I was really young, so the first EP was a collection of different songs I’d written over the years, which is different from my new EP (Lovesick), because I wrote the new EP in a smaller amount of time.
DK: On your first EP, I like your song “Bathroom Floor,” which is pretty different. How did you come up with the idea for “Bathroom Floor”?
Van Gelder: That’s a funny story. I usually write about myself and my own experiences, but this song was an exception. I had this piano chord progression that I loved and I had the melodies. But I sat with it for months because I didn’t know yet what the song should be.
Here’s the video of Isabel Van Gelder’s song, “Kissing
You Away.”
Then my best friend, who I’ve known for years, went through a breakup. She got engaged at a super young age to this guy, and they were head over heels in love. Then they broke up out of the blue, and she was completely heartbroken about it. And I was very angry and upset for her as well. Then at some point, I spent some time with her, and this song came out, and it was about her experience. So that song is kind of written from her perspective and I really love it. It’s very special to me.
DK: I like your new song, “I Don’t Want To Fall In Love Again.” It has a pretty melody, and the chorus is strong. What’s the story behind writing this song?
Van Gelder: That was a song I wrote when I was in London on a writing trip, and I had a studio session with Jake Gosling. He’s great, but it was the end of the week that I was there, and I was feeling quite tired and uninspired, and I was going through some shitty relationship things with my now ex-partner. But we had this session and I was in the studio, and I felt bad because I wasn’t coming up with anything good. Then when we were nearing the last hour of the session, I said, “You know what? Maybe I should just mumble a little bit into the mic.”
Then Jake got this cool, synthy piano thing. He was like, “You know what? Just play some chords and do something,” and I was like, “Fine.” So I did those three or four chords, and then I started freestyling this melody, and it was there right away. And he was like, “This is great, let’s keep going.” So I quickly wrote this song in the last half-hour, and I didn’t go back and rework any of it. That’s just how it came out.
DK: You recently released your new EP, Lovesick. Can you talk about the making of this EP and putting those songs together?
Van Gelder: It was a faster process than my first EP, Minor Details. I wrote most of these songs on this second EP in the past couple months. And like I was saying, it’s been such an exciting year for me because I was able to suddenly tour, and I did two Europe tours. And I’m touring the States in January. It was very fun and great career-wise, but in my personal life and my love life, that was causing me some difficulties, and there was a lot going on. So I had a lot to write about and to work through, and that’s what this EP was. And I made the conscious decision to make it about romantic love specifically, because I felt that’s what I wanted to talk about because it was what I was going through. And I’m really proud of the songs.
Here’s the video of Isabel Van Gelder’s song, “Heartless.”
DK: On your new EP, I like your song “Kissing You Away,” which is uptempo and catchy. What inspired you to write this song?
Van Gelder: I had a session with Kevin Patrick, who’s one of the producers I’ve worked with. We had this beat, and I had this chord progression, and it just happened. The song was kind of there. And again, I think it was near the end of the relationship I was in, and we both knew that it wasn’t working anymore. So I think that song was a way for me to process those emotions and feelings, and maybe prepare a bit for what was coming, because I knew that I was probably gonna be a bit sad for a while. But I love that song because I do feel that even though it’s about heartbreak and it’s a bit tragic, it’s also kind of funny and it has some humor. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is what I like about it.
DK: I like the video you created for “Kissing You Away.” It’s funny and creative. How did you come up with the idea for that video?
Van Gelder: It’s so funny. I remember pitching the idea to my best friend who helps out a lot, and my management. I remember telling them, “Guys, this might sound really stupid, but I think it could be really funny if we have these different characters that are trying to get my attention, but I’m really in love with this little clown.”
It was this very campy, over-the-top concept that I thought was funny. And because “Kissing You Away” is dramatic and it is tragic, but it’s also funny and upbeat. And I just wanted to poke some fun at the entire situation and the drama of it all, and this seemed like a funny way to do that. So we did the video, and it ended up working out and it turned out pretty funny.
DK: On your new EP, besides the songs we’ve talked about, what are your favorite songs on it?
Van Gelder: I love “After Life,” which is a song that is not just about believing in a heaven or somebody that believes in something that maybe you don’t, but it’s also about being with someone who’s a dreamer in a bigger sense and a very optimistic person. And when I was in my relationship with that ex, which we obviously didn’t end up staying together, that was a wonderful, amazing quality he had. He was such an optimistic person, and I found myself admiring that about him and trying to be a bit more like that myself. So that song feels very special. And I also love “Before I Let You Go.”
Here’s the lyric video of Isabel Van Gelder’s song,
“Complicated.”
DK: I want to ask you about your live show and upcoming tour. In January, you’ll be playing shows in the U.S. and Canada, and I read that you’ll be opening shows for Ashe in the U.K. and Europe. Can you talk about your live show and these tours?
Van Gelder: The North American tour is a dream come true, ’cause like I said, I’ve looked up to all these American artists and it’s so cool to be able to play a show in L.A. and in New York. And I’m excited about the Ashe tour. She’s been following me (online) for a while, and I’ve been following her forever. Then a couple of weeks ago, my manager was like, “Yeah, so Ashe follows you, right?” I was like, “Yeah.” He said, “Okay, because we’re gonna open for her on some of the shows.” I was like, “Oh my God.” It’s such a great opportunity, and she’s the sweetest, most amazing person. We’ve been talking a little bit and DM-ing a bit, and I can’t wait. I think we’re playing 12 shows together.
