AcadianaCasts Presents:
AcadianaCasts Presents:
From LA to L.A. with Skye Isaac
Skye Isaac bridges the worlds of LA and L.A. in this soulful episode of AcadianaCasts Presents. A Lafayette native and rising star in the entertainment industry, Skye shares her journey from performing with Solange on SNL, singing with Raye at the Grammy's to releasing her groundbreaking new Zydeco album Ducey featuring Buckwheat Zydeco Jr., Cedric Watson, Major Handy, and others.
We talk cultural pride, carving space for women in Zydeco, creative direction, and her return home to perform at Downtown Rising on Sept. 28. Whether you love Louisiana music or just a good story, this one will move you.
Listen to Ducey now on all platforms.
AcadianaCasts Presents: Skye Isaac!
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"AcadianaCasts Presents" is the Flagship Podcast of the ACADIANACASTS NETWORK. Lafayette, LA based host, Carter Simoneaux talks with entertainers, business owners, athletes, chefs, and more - anyone who can help tell the story of Acadiana.
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It's funny like I'm born and raised here and right now I live in LA. But my friends out there in Cali, they just don't understand why are you always going home, why are you always going back to Louisiana? It's like that's my home, that my heart is literally here.
Speaker 2:Glad to have you. I'm Carter Semino, host of Acadiana Cast Presents. If you would like to make podcasts or digital content of any kind maybe you're already doing it and you're stuck and you want to take it to the next level reach out to us through AcadianaCastscom. You can also see all the other content that we're working on different podcasts, such as Law have Mercy with Chaz Roberts. It's a one-stop shop for all of your content creation needs here in South Louisiana. Go to Acadianacastscom to have your voice heard today.
Speaker 2:Really excited about this week's guest, it is none other than singer, songwriter, dancer, creative director, all-around entertainer. Sky Isaac, the Lafayette native, flew in from LA the other LA for this, not just for this episode visit family and get some stuff done. But she released a new Zydeco album with some of the heaviest hitters in the Zydeco community and music community at large here in Acadiana and she's also got some great projects she's working on. She's coming back for Downtown Rising later on in the year, going to be opening up for the Whalers, and they got Keith Frank on that card as well. We talked to Sky about her career. You know what it's like every time she comes back home A really cool conversation. She's a really talented person, sweet human being. Hope you guys enjoy it. Acadiana Cast presents Sky. Isaac, where did you go to high school?
Speaker 1:Lafayette High.
Speaker 2:Lafayette High. What year did you graduate?
Speaker 1:2012.
Speaker 2:Okay, so we graduated high school the same year.
Speaker 1:Oh, where'd you go?
Speaker 2:I went to St Paul's in Covington.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay.
Speaker 2:You would love St Paul's because it's one of those. Like they're in Mardi Gras the bands and around the New Orleans area they're always marching like they do here. But back in the late 70s, early 80s, a band director from Southern University went over to St Paul's, which is a predominantly white school, but brought that like Southern style band to St Paul's.
Speaker 1:So you see, these kids come down the streets of New Orleans every Mardi Gras season.
Speaker 2:Everyone's like, ooh, St Paul's, let's go. That's awesome. It's fun seeing these little nerdy white kids Get down Right they learn from the best. Yeah, they absolutely do. That's cool. Shout out Roy Mouton back in the day bringing that culture to St Paul's Super cool. I used to live off Dulles when I first got to. Lafayette and I used to see kids, you know, walking after school all the time around there. Was there like a local convenience store?
Speaker 1:Yes, corner, pantry Corner.
Speaker 2:Pantry.
Speaker 1:Corner Pantry boo-dun for lunch or after school, in between cheerleading rehearsals or whatever. Anytime I could get there, I would, and then eventually, when they built the canes right there on congress, then that was the after-school spot that's so funny.
Speaker 2:The canes became the after-school spot. Uh, I, I hate driving down congress and then there's the line of cars trying to get into the can it just amazes me, because it never gets old.
Speaker 1:We love Canes.
Speaker 2:And there's more and more Canes. Todd Graves has blown up that company. It's more national. There's a.
Speaker 1:Canes. I live in the Valley in North Hollywood. There's a Canes in North Hollywood.
Speaker 2:Oh, that had to be nice when that was built.
Speaker 1:Well, on one hand, I was like this is so exciting. On the other hand, I was like it was easy for me to stay away when it was just in Louisiana.
Speaker 2:Now.
Speaker 1:I have to have a little bit more discipline, yeah that temptation is real.
Speaker 2:So, yes, what was growing up around the house, like, what was, what was the kind of food that was floating around the house?
Speaker 1:Oh well, we are from South Louisiana, so you know it's funny. My mom is such a great cook. I don't know why nobody expects her to be, but she is such a great cook Shout out mom. Yeah, but we made sure we had our, you know, traditional styles, our red beans and rice. My favorite is catfish coubillon with the red sauce that is my ask. That is my absolute favorite. Um anything with seafood in it, like shrimp stew with the boiled egg? Um etouffee anything.
Speaker 2:I'm a seafood girl so those are my favorites la obviously is, you know, a giant market that's right on the coast.
Speaker 1:I imagine a lot of access to great seafood over there, especially in like the sushi realm oh yeah but what's like the kind of biggest difference between the seafood here and seafood out west well, yeah, I mean out west, the more fresh stuff is like um, the more fresh stuff is like um. More fresh, freshly seasoned things are kind of the vibe sushi. For sure, I eat sushi at least once a week I really think la has the best.
Speaker 1:It is like I've heard that it's like on another level, um, but I'd say, you know, there's a few little spots that do the seafood boil situation. I avoid those places but because growing up here like there's just there's nothing that compares to it, like have you ever seen like out in the wild, like someone advertising bold, like cajun crawfish? Yes, there's there's a couple places I won't name any names, but yes, they advertise, uh, authentic seafood boil and I, just looking at a picture of it, I'm like that's not quite it.
Speaker 2:But so so applaud you for your effort so every time you come back home to visit Lafayette, you're able to be able to gain a few pounds. Yeah, literally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my family even knows to just prepare for that when I'm in town. Like just know, every single day I will want to go somewhere and get my fix.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you a big crawfish girl.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes. Now wait. Are there places that still have it right now, Because I know most.
Speaker 2:Most places have a season, but I'm sure there are some restaurants that serve crawfish year-round and they might be getting it from different places than the traditional, like Louisiana fields.
Speaker 1:Well, I heard someone still had boiled crawfish and that right now, and I was like what? Because you know, I know the season is done, but yeah, you probably have to do some deep research. Yeah, I'm'm gonna figure it out in july um.
Speaker 2:Do you in your in your gumbos? Do you put potato salad in the gumbo or outside the gumbo?
Speaker 1:I'm a potato salad outside of the gumbo type of girl okay and have it bit by bit to my liking. You know, I feel like when you just put the scoop in it, you've already committed to it. I need a little bit at a time, you know.
Speaker 2:So you're here promoting your new album, and it's a Zydeco heavy album.
Speaker 1:Yes, zydeco heavy, it's just infused with all those authentic Creole sounds and it's really a love letter to my home, louisiana. It's funny like I'm born and raised here and right now I live in LA, but my friends out there in Cali, they just don't understand. Why are you always going home? Why are you always going back to Louisiana? It's like that's my home, that my heart is literally here and it always will be so.
Speaker 2:That's why I did this album to express that and to do something for home yeah it's very special to me not to mention the people that you have on this album, some of the best musicians in the world. Like you got. I feel so lucky. You got a song with cedric watson, uh buckwheat, zydeco jr rusty matoir. Uh cameron nelson crying in the chapel featuring major handy tribute to carol fran, the late carol fran. Like carol fran, just some badasses on this album oh it.
Speaker 1:It is truly such a blessing. I feel grateful that the I get these, this energy on this album. You know it's, it's. It's something that I really don't take for granted. Where?
Speaker 2:did y'all record it.
Speaker 1:We recorded at a few different places Dockside Studios Shout out, shout out to Dockside. We recorded at Lockdown Studios with Michael Lockett that's downtown. At Leap Studios with Paul Broussard.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And at Cha-Cha Studios.
Speaker 2:I've been to Cha-Cha yeah.
Speaker 1:Shout out to that's.
Speaker 2:Nate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, shout out to Nathan Jr, nathan Sr and Naylin Williams future of Zydeco.
Speaker 2:I love the cats who have had success in their music careers and build their own music studios at their house.
Speaker 1:It's awesome.
Speaker 2:What more do you want I?
Speaker 1:mean that's right in the heart of everything you know. I love it that way.
Speaker 2:It's part of everything you know. I love it that way. So what is the name of this?
Speaker 1:album. It's called Ducey D-U-C-E-Y.
Speaker 2:And it's available everywhere.
Speaker 1:It's available everywhere. Everywhere you can listen to music.
Speaker 2:Spotify, Apple Music, all that.
Speaker 1:Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube.
Speaker 2:I think it's on Napster, yeah, napster LimeWire wire y'all.
Speaker 1:It's funny, like whenever you, whenever you go to get your um, get your music distributed, it shows you everywhere that it's going and you're like oh, these things still exist.
Speaker 2:Pretty cool what device um early on in your childhood were you listening to music on?
Speaker 1:cassette tapes. Cassette tapes, I think, yeah, that was the first way that I listened to music and that was like some of my. I have very fond memories of that. I was very, very young, listening to those things by myself in my room just sitting there.
Speaker 1:It's like it's hard to imagine doing that these days because there's so many distractions around yeah but I literally would just sit there and listen, you know, um, and that's where I definitely developed my love for music and my desire to want to be in this world of entertainment and music what was uh playing around the house when you were young?
Speaker 1:so everything is crazy. Everything was playing in the house, um, anything from new addition to the carpenters to, uh, mariah carey, and you know that, whole divas era. You know whitney's, uh, celine, um, we loved shania twain and sold James Brown, lots of Michael Jackson, my favorite. And of course you know sounds from our region. You know some Keith Frank, some Lil Nate. I was actually in the Cupid Shuffle music video when I was little, so that was playing around a lot. So yeah, video when I was little, so that that was playing around a lot.
Speaker 2:So yeah, man, how do out in LA are weddings and things like that, or you know, maybe some little party are they playing?
Speaker 1:cupid shuffle out there still let me tell you it blows my mind everywhere I go in the world, out in the middle east, they're playing cupid shuffle in mexico. They're playing cupid shuffle in bahamas. They're playing cupid shuffle in montreal. They're playing cupid shuffle everywhere it is. It is truly an incredible thing that cupid has done.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's here forever. We were just we were just talking before the show started about seeing all these clips of all these cruises. She was getting the party going.
Speaker 1:Line dance cruise. Doesn't that sound like a blast? Who would want to go on one of those?
Speaker 2:And I love to see, with this TikTok generation, people are able to find that music and clip it and do the dance to it and it can go like viral that way it has been like flex yeah, and the cool thing about social media is it puts a face to something that you've been familiar with your whole life.
Speaker 1:You know, maybe people have heard the cupid shovel but didn't know who that it was actually an artist named cupid and now they put a face to it and it's just really great to see all what's what's happening for him. Congrats to him.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Cupid so growing up and you know being in the Cupid shuffle music video. What's it like you know as as a professional, now being able to engage and work with the likes of a Cupid that you, like, you looked up to as a kid, or the Keith Franks and cats like that it's really awesome, awesome.
Speaker 1:It's um. It's something I've wanted for a long time and um. I just enjoy, um. I just love music, I love performing, I love collaborating. I just love the whole um entertainment world. So, it's been really awesome to be a part of this uh Zydeco Creole culture in this way by releasing this album.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's people like you who help keep that culture alive and expand it and grow it in different ways and bring it to different audiences around the world.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, it's, it's. It's funny you say that because the album hasn't been out long, but so many of my friends in LA are like this is cool. They're like I kind of want to move. Yeah, they're like how many genres did you put into that, those songs? I'm like I put you onto some Zydeco that's what I did, and it's, it's, it's.
Speaker 1:it's amazing that it's such a foreign thing to um, pretty much to lots of the rest of the country, but we are so unique here. Our, our world is different. I found out that our area, like the katiana area, is the only place that the united states officially considers it's like its own foreign country in our country. And it doesn't surprise me, no, but it's cool that it's actually recognized that way and it couldn't be further. It couldn't be closer to the truth, like we're literally our own world our food, our music, our traditions and how we were kind of talking about that earlier, how our culture brings any kind of person together.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:It's like we're all kind of living the same life, no matter what we look like, it's our culture that brings us together.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I love that. So now that you have traveled the world and you've done all kinds of things beyond music you've done some acting and you've been part of behind the scenes of music videos and whatnot kind of seeing the inside of the beast of the music industry and or the entertainment industry, knowing what you know now, looking back when you were 15 going on American Idol, does it give you a different perspective, kind of seeing the inside of like a reality show, like that?
Speaker 1:it does. I'd say it does in the way that I think when I was younger I didn't quite understand that this is if you, if this is if you choose this career, it's literally a lifetime of growing and learning and opportunities. You know, um, american Idol or this opportunity or this show is not your one shot. You can actually go and be immersed in the world of entertainment and, um, that's, I think that's what I'm most grateful for. Is that, like what you said, getting that behind the scenes view and being a part of movies and tv shows and just seeing every little thing that goes into it? Um, working with other artists and singing background vocals in the studio or on stage with them. You just in traveling, you just learn, wow, like, so much goes into this and I can use this for my music, in my, in my career, my artistry tell me about performing at the Grammys you know what's crazy about that?
Speaker 1:I didn't even remember but a friend, so I got to perform at the Grammys with some of my best friends, which was also insane yeah, but I didn't even remember that. The year before at the Grammys last year we went to some you know Grammy events in LA and I said we're gonna perform at the Grammys next year. I forgot. I said that and my friend goes yeah, so it was a dream come true you know the Grammys.
Speaker 1:That's the biggest stage in music. Sure, it's like it was so, so, so, so special, and to be able to perform with such an incredible talent like Ray was something that I'll never forget. Um, I want to do it again. I'm ready for next year so how does that work?
Speaker 2:where at the in the Grammys were you performing?
Speaker 1:um where, like how does like.
Speaker 2:Were you on, like the national broadcast? Yes, it was a national broadcast.
Speaker 1:Um Ray is a wonderful artist from the uk. She's kind of being coined as the modern day amy winehouse. She's amazing. She's written um lots of songs on beyonce's latest album and she's an incredible songwriter too. Um, and I did coachella with her last year. Uh, we performed on the main stage and so, yeah, this year it was. It was live broadcast. I'll show you the video later. It was awesome. Um, her music is very vocal, heavy, so it was so much fun doing that uh show with her, because I like a challenge and I like to hear like strong voices harmonizing together hell yeah.
Speaker 1:It was just so special and being backstage at the Grammys, I mean we were like we were all backstage with Shaboosie, with Daniel Boone, with Sabrina Carpenter, like we're all back here waiting to perform, and it happens back to back to back, and that's another thing, like you see all how this happens and you're like wow, wow, this is what it takes, this kind of there's excellence across the board. I mean the crew, everybody's just on it and I was just, I was really honored to be there.
Speaker 2:Did you mean Benson Boone?
Speaker 1:Benson Boone. I'm sorry you talking about Daniel Boone, the photographer.
Speaker 2:I think I have a friend. Yeah, oh, my god. Shout out to Daniel Boone, the photographer. I think I have a friend. Yeah, oh, my God. Shout out to Daniel Boone. Daniel will love that shout out.
Speaker 1:No, I mean Benson Boone, it was so funny. We're like, right before he goes out to sing his song, please. We're like like this ain't good luck, and he's running out. I mean it's the craziest thing ever, but it's things I'll never forget, ever, ever, ever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. It's hopefully not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but you treat it as such.
Speaker 1:Yes, you do, you take it in and appreciate it.
Speaker 2:So you mentioned Coachella. I got a question about that and I've heard other artists talk about this who have performed there on like podcasts or whatever, and I remember someone saying that like there's like a part of the weekend where it's like super influencer, like people are going there to be seen and like not really taking in the music. Did you kind of experience any of that, or was the crowds engaging?
Speaker 1:oh, the crowds were so engaging. Yeah, they were so engaging, they were um. But I think that's that's also a testament to Ray's fan base. I mean, the girl's just incredible. The vocals, the songwriting, she's just amazing. So the crowd loved it. People were there to see you. Yeah, it was so hot and people still had the best attitudes. We just we had a blast. But I know the influencer thing is a thing too, but I don't know, we had a party.
Speaker 2:Speaking of hot, whenever you come home for a little bit and you get off the plane on the tarmac, you just get smacked in the face by the minute in the face and I love it.
Speaker 1:I go, I'm home. That's so funny. Yeah, no, it's. I actually love it. Yeah, I love it. It just it feels like home, it feels like I don't know, like a warm hug. I'm like but it's got to be nice getting off the plane in lax and yeah, it's nice in the cool breeze yeah I have to say it's awesome living there, living in la, but having a home here because you get the best of both worlds yeah I imagine you got to get out from time to time and like get back to reality.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean not to say that people aren't like out there working hard and hustling, but you know there is kind of a culture of every man for himself, and so I imagine, to come home and have that family, that grounds you again and reminds you, oh, that's right, I'm, you know'm sky from lafayette, yeah, yeah yeah, it's very, it's very.
Speaker 1:I don't it's just. This is this is forever my home and forever my favorite place in the world. I love louisiana and I love lafayette.
Speaker 2:So yeah, any chance I can, I'm coming home and appreciate you putting the music on the map and with with this album I'm happy to do so.
Speaker 1:I it's really exciting to hear and see people's reaction to something so sonically different than anything they've ever heard before. That's what I put on the wait till they see it live. I know I put that on the caption whenever I announced the album that it's a sonic dance like no other. There's nothing else that sounds quite like um, this music.
Speaker 2:So I'm really looking forward to sharing it and, who knows, I might do a show in la you never know you have to with of this album yeah, it could be a thing we'll see okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna hold you to that and I've never been to la, but I'll fly out to la just just for that. Yeah, I'll bring the camera, we'll document it, make a whole thing.
Speaker 1:That would be cool.
Speaker 2:A little behind the scenes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll talk, we'll talk, yeah, we'll talk.
Speaker 2:We'll talk. Let's go.
Speaker 1:Let's go.
Speaker 2:Luke, so tomorrow premiere for the freakier friday?
Speaker 1:well, no, tomorrow I have a show, um, in san diego, okay, but next week, next week, yeah, next week I'll be performing for the premiere freakier friday on hollywood boulevard. You know, when they do the premieres, they shut down the whole, uh, hollywood boulevard, usually from highland to, I guess, labrea. They'll shut it down and have a red carpet and I'm performing with the Red Hot Band and we're going to kick it off and have a good time. Hopefully I get a little selfie with Lindsay.
Speaker 2:Oh gotcha, okay. So let's do a little thought experiment. We got your mama here in the background. Hey Mom, what do you think a day would be like if y'all were to do a Freaky Friday and switch bodies?
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, if. What would that day be like?
Speaker 2:let's, let's, let's, let's say it's a oh, she would be performing on stage. Yeah, she'd be on stage.
Speaker 1:Oh, she would be living her best life yeah because hopefully I'd have a show coming up that had like all these costume changes and she'd have to wear the mic pack and make sure it doesn't fall down her back and put in her in-ear monitors and learn all the lyrics to the songs. That would be crazy.
Speaker 2:And then what are you doing in her body?
Speaker 1:In her body. What would I be doing?
Speaker 2:Taking pictures.
Speaker 1:Taking pictures being super mom yeah. People being super mom and super wife. Basically, that's what I would be doing holding everything down. That's what my mom does. That's the truth hold it down, it's not an easy job, but gosh, thinking about, thinking about, like her showing up to a gig and needed to know, like sometimes it's from from five to like 20 songs over the course of a whole show. Have her happen to know those or and possibly not knowing those lyrics and they look at her like sky. What are you doing?
Speaker 2:we need you do you have a teleprompter on stage no, you gotta know that stuff.
Speaker 1:That's funny, that's really funny to think about, uh my poor mother.
Speaker 2:I hope she never had to switch bodies with me. She'd have to learn how to put down a six-pack of tall boys in a couple hours, which I believe my mom used to brag that she could shotgun faster than some military members. Hey, you never know. You never know. Chrissy can party. She's from Port Sulphur.
Speaker 1:Being in your body might be the permission slip for her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, then I'd have to actually be a responsible adult if I was in her body, right? So some other things that you've done you've performed overseas, performing for the troops. What was that experience like?
Speaker 1:And was there any nerves going into kind of a militar, a militarized zone? Yeah, it was very much so highly organized, highly high security. Um, before we even went there were several papers that we had to sign and, um, we had to let them know the serial numbers and stuff to any electronics we were taking. You know, it was very, very, very high security situation and we actually got to stay on the base for a few days while we prepared for the show. So it was really cool seeing the whole the military life and, um, seeing just how they live and and brought a new appreciation to that and it was really an honor to perform for them and bring them a good time and just have a couple hours where it was just a big party. It was really really nice.
Speaker 2:Be able to bring joy to folks in a tough time.
Speaker 1:And they deserve it 100%. Man how long was?
Speaker 2:that flight.
Speaker 1:Long, 13 hours long flight, but they, you know, they gave us meals and we slept a lot of the time. We were like I think we had just had a show the day before, so we were exhausted, so the flight actually went by pretty quick.
Speaker 2:Give me a bucket list of some of the either countries or venues that you would love to perform in. Oh my gosh, that you haven't yet.
Speaker 1:Well, I would love to sell out the Cajun Dome.
Speaker 2:Hell yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm actually putting that out there right now.
Speaker 2:We'll reference this when it happens, yep.
Speaker 1:But I would love to sell out the Cajun Dome, the Mercedes-Benz in New Orleans. You're trying to do arenas oh yeah, yes, madison Square Garden Definitely play my own show at the Grammys. Probably the O2 in London, the SoFi Stadium I've seen several shows at SoFi in LA recently, so I love to play those venues.
Speaker 2:What about Red Rocks Red?
Speaker 1:Rocks, I'm not too familiar.
Speaker 2:Luke pull up a picture of Red Rocks.
Speaker 1:Where is that?
Speaker 2:That's in Colorado. It's an outdoor amphitheater.
Speaker 1:With all the stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's got the beautiful views and sun coming down over the mountains.
Speaker 1:I just didn't know what it was called, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, look at that. Yes, that's beautiful. Oh, and look at the people. Oh, that's just crazy.
Speaker 2:Why would you not have a good time listening to music out there?
Speaker 1:How could you not? Yeah, how could you not? It's naturally a Christian song. Yeah, I would love that. I'm going to put that on my list.
Speaker 2:Yeah, put it on the list, red Rocks.
Speaker 1:The Hollywood Bowl too.
Speaker 2:Hollywood Bowl. That was going to be my second. Yeah, another spot I would love to see is if you were able to kind of keep going on the Zydeco train or keep it a part of your career at some capacity and be able to bring Zydeco to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. How crazy would that be. Stand in the circle that so many amazing artists have stayed in before wow, that's gonna be on my mind.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna be thinking up some things you ever perform in Nashville? I have I perform oh yeah, I've performed in nashville um, I'm actually part of a girl group, um called who's that girl, and we do a full 90 minute choreographed and um vocal performance of like the most amazing female songs of all time and we performed in nashville a couple times Badass, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:Another great venue there is the Ryman, very historic venue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, have you been there? A?
Speaker 2:lot A couple times. I've been there twice and I know a few musicians who are over there. There's a decent chunk of Louisiana artists who are over there, yeah, and I think Lance Dubrock had like I don't know if he's still doing it, but he was doing this Louisiana showcase every month or something like that.
Speaker 1:That's really cool For all the artists who were there.
Speaker 2:Sometimes guys would come in from Louisiana.
Speaker 1:I wonder if that's still happening.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I'm going to check it out. That sounds like something cool.
Speaker 1:It's funny. Last time I was in Nashville.
Speaker 2:If only I had a producer who could look that up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a while back when I was in Nashville, I was actually there for the CMA festival and I met a girl there and we became friends and kind of just hung out the whole weekend for the festival and she was like a local songwriter that was trying to make it in Nashville and it's crazy. She's actually a well-known country artist now and she's actually on Beyonce's album and is a big country artist. Her name's Britney Spencer Cool. She made it big and at the time she was just songwriting and hanging out with friends on couches and she's um, she's done fantastic.
Speaker 2:So she's been an inspiration for me I certainly did not predict the um beyonce pivot to country really but it makes like it makes sense after hearing the album.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think it's something that she probably always wanted to do, you know, being born and raised in Texas and having Creole roots as well.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:It's probably something that she was interested in for a minute, but just timing thing.
Speaker 2:How do you? I mean, it seems like you, creatively you're doing really what you want to do, which I feel like nowadays it's easier for artists to do. Tell me if I'm wrong here, but it seems like a Beyonce back in the day kind of had to toe the company line and play the songs that the record label wanted them to do. Now I feel like there's more power in the artist's hands than ever before, I think.
Speaker 1:So I think there's a freedom there for artists to kind of get in where they fit in and do these different genres in these different styles, and with social media, there's somebody out there that's going to catch your vibe, you know, I also think that, yeah, I think maybe in the past it was a little bit more cut and dry and it was a little bit more, you know, we need to be exactly sure how we can market you. So you need to pick something, and you need to pick something that makes sense and that we believe will make sense to the broader audience and kind of going off of the success of the past and kind of modeling artists after that. So I think that there is a lot of freedom now, but I also think that people are open to learning that some artists are more than one thing you know, like you know me, I grew up here in South Louisiana.
Speaker 1:you know my great uncles and and um were cowboys listening to country western music. You know it's something that people wouldn't expect, but I think people are open to learning the stories in the back, the history of things now, and just kind of open to things that don't kind of look as familiar.
Speaker 2:Did you know Drake LeBow? Yeah, did you see his mini documentary about real cowboys?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Drake actually played scrub and trumpet for a couple of my shows last time I was here.
Speaker 2:Oh cool.
Speaker 1:He's amazing yeah.
Speaker 2:Drake rocks. I really commend him Friend of the show.
Speaker 1:Yes, I really commend him for keeping that culture alive and it's really like his life's work is really inspiring to see he's awesome.
Speaker 2:So in this bio that was sent to me when we were getting you booked on the show, it says Sky is a triple threat, quadruple if you count her creative directing hat. Tell me about the creative directing hat that you wear.
Speaker 1:Well, I wear it. But yeah, that creative directing I that that really stems from just my whole life. I really have studied not just artists in their talent and their music but their music videos, their performances, their how they utilize dancers and props in their shows. I've always been very, very, very drawn to that. So, coming up, I definitely use those creative direction skills in my own music. But I've helped creative direct um music videos for friends of mine, especially in LA, and um you know I create mood boards and um whole concepts for shows and music videos. It's something that I actually really enjoy doing. So pretty much anything you've seen from me has been something created from an initial idea and then a mood board and then what's the wardrobe going to be and then how you know. So, yeah, it's something that I love. I love that side of things.
Speaker 2:What exactly is the mood board Like? What's the material? Is it conceptual or do you actually have like a physical you can do?
Speaker 1:a board. It's nice to have a physical board because when you're like if you're working with several people, you can sit there and look at it and like it kind of helps the ideas flow. But these days you can make one like on Pinterest. Or you can make one like on Pinterest or you can make a digital one to just kind of.
Speaker 2:Pinterest is still around.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I still use it. Pinterest is dope. It has some really cool things on there, but you can keep track of your ideas and conceptualize it and have it here to see, like, is this cohesive to the eye? Does this feel right? You know, will this translate? It's just a way to help when the day comes of the performance or the music video. It just helps you run into less problems because you kind of already checked it out, you know.
Speaker 2:Is the art of the music video. I feel like it kind of went away for a few years after MTV stopped. You know that being part of their whole business model. Instead they just had cartoons or whatever, or Rob Dyrdek or whatever it was they put on MTV Ridiculous, yeah right. Oh, chantel's laugh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But music videos today. I guess they're going straight to YouTube. What is the purpose today of a music video?
Speaker 1:Well, that's so funny. I was talking to my mom about that the other day. I think that music videos are still very important, but I think lots of artists are putting more thought and energy into their content creation for social media. So that's more.
Speaker 2:So, framing it like this, yes.
Speaker 1:Framing it like that yes yes, and it's kind of something that we have to think about as artists, like what am I going to prioritize right now, when you decide, okay, I'm going to release a song? What's the priority? To get a music video out in the traditional format or to get some content out and hopefully start getting some numbers across YouTube, shorts, tiktok and Instagram and then prioritize the music video? Or should I do the music video and then get it formatted to that format? But sometimes that can be tricky, depending on how you filmed it. So it's interesting, but what I will say is, because music videos are not as popular today when someone comes out with a great one oh, yeah, it blows up.
Speaker 1:It blows up because it stands out in that way, you know do you have any favorite directors of music videos?
Speaker 1:hype williams, I'd say, um that that would have been like a you know dream collaboration. But I I think I'm gonna always have at least a little small director's hat on each of my videos. But I would love to collaborate with other talent. It's funny, a few friends of mine in LA are directors. There's so much talent everywhere. So I think when the time comes, based on that video, the right situation hopefully, is revealed what does sky isaac's tiktok or instagram algorithm look like?
Speaker 2:like what videos? When you're just scrolling wasting time, oh god, what's what's popping up for right now? For me, for right now, for example, I'm getting a bunch of, because you know you watch one for like a little too long and then all of a sudden you got five more videos and I'm getting really back into golf, and so that's part of my algorithm. And then, like music and dumb, bad, inappropriate jokes should never be shared. There's never seen a lot of day outside of a DM to a friend, you know. But what's what's in your algorithm right now?
Speaker 1:I'm a little embarrassed to say it's just a bunch of cats Cat videos.
Speaker 2:I'm obsessed.
Speaker 1:That's like OG Internet stuff right there. I'm obsessed with them, you know it's funny.
Speaker 2:Do you have cats?
Speaker 1:I do.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 1:I have we have what three here in Louisiana and then I have two babies in California. But yeah, I'm just obsessed with them. I'm kind of. It's kind of crazy, I'm obsessed.
Speaker 1:They're funny little creatures, they are and it's funny because I'm, I think, because I'm so immersed in entertainment whenever I go on social media. I kind of want to escape from that a little bit. So I just go look at the kitty cats. Don't want to escape from that a little bit, so I just go look at the kitty cats and uh, lots of plants and just funny stuff, but, yeah, mostly cats.
Speaker 2:That's boring, I'm sorry. No, I love it. That's a great answer. Um, I, I've said it before on the show, but part of the reason I got into podcasting so much is because I grew up with music so much in my life and around me growing up in a family band and things like that, that uh, and you know, playing around Lafayette that like I needed an escape from it, and so I started, instead of listening to music, I started listening to more and more podcasts, and then I've started figuring while working for the news at the time, like I can rather be doing that than than waking up at three o'clock in the morning and telling people that their day is going to suck.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Which was like every day during 2020, you know.
Speaker 1:Man, oh, that must have been tough.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it wasn't fun.
Speaker 1:You're like immersing all that information and getting the news first. It's like oh, another thing that hurricanes shootings.
Speaker 2:It was, yeah, it just wasn't for me. I wanted to highlight and promote more positive things. Highlight and promote more positive things, which doesn't move the needle as much. But you know, I'm doing my little small role and to try and show some light on cool characters like yourself who are doing cool things, and that's basically what this show is about. That's awesome.
Speaker 1:I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to have you. This is dope.
Speaker 2:I met you a few years ago when I first started working with Love of People nonprofit and the Blue Monday All-Stars. You did this awesome tribute to Aretha Franklin with the Blue Monday All-Stars.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was so much fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It was really special to do that. Aretha is the queen of soul man. She paved the way for pop musicians and women in pop pop music for sure, being a songwriter and a singer in that world.
Speaker 2:So I was really happy to do that if there was a fun night, if there was one aretha franklin song that you could only listen to one the rest of your life, what would it be?
Speaker 1:that's a good one. I think it would be the moment I wake up. I'll wake up, before I put on my makeup, I'll say a little prayer for you, and while I'm combing my hair now and wondering what dress to wear now, I'll say a little prayer for you Forever, forever you'll be in my heart and I will love you forever, forever, whenever we're parted, I'll love you together forever. This heart will be. To live without you Would only mean heartbreak for me. Sorry, I had to do that. I had to do that. It's so sweet. I say a little prayer for you, like that's so sweet.
Speaker 2:That makes sense. That's the song that you say a little prayer for you, like that's so sweet. That makes sense. That's the song that you would only listen to that one, because I thought you were maybe going to say Just Like a Lion. Then you just go into the whole thing. It just keeps flowing out. It's so good, I love it. Looking at some of your credits here, you worked with in some capacity tell me about that one of my favorite artists, pj Morton.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, PJ's dope. Well, you know.
Speaker 2:How cool is that Yeba collab.
Speaker 1:What's that?
Speaker 2:The song they did with Yeba.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, it was BG's, bg's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how deep is your love?
Speaker 1:Yes, so so, so good. I yes, so so, so good. I actually sang that the other day with a friend of mine, pj's dope. He actually helped MD Solange's performance on SNL. That I was a couple of things. Uh, sometimes in la, you know, with his tours and stuff. So we always catch up and say what's up, he's really, really dope awesome. I'd love to hear that, um, because I just love his vibe he's great he's like such a talent plus, you know, being the keyboards for moon room five right know kind of a big deal.
Speaker 2:So that Solange performance at SNL you were a backup singer on that yeah.
Speaker 1:Tell me about the art of being a good backup singer. Well, I can tell you that. Well, first, you want to get the gig. Yeah get the gig, which was cool because Kelly Rowland was actually the one who introduced me to Solange after I did the show with her Chasing Destiny in LA. Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child.
Speaker 1:She was putting together a girl group, and so we filmed for a while and eventually she introduced me to Solange, and so I got the call, call which was the cool part, and I think it was because you, you know, you're always auditioning for your next gig at the gig you're at now.
Speaker 1:So the good attitude, um professionalism professionalism, being a good listener and just being your a-game. You know, go to sleep early so you can wake up ready. You know, know things like that, just little things. So you want to get the gig and then just be on your game, be chill, respectful, you know, try not to overstep, just kind of scope out the scene.
Speaker 2:Sit in the pocket.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sit in the pocket. And I got to say it's the positive attitude out of everything, though, because I've met so many people and so many incredibly talented people, I think maybe need to work on that a little bit, because that, mixed with talent, it can just get you so. So so far, but that's, that's what I'd say.
Speaker 2:Do your homework, do your homework. Uh, I grew up, uh, being taught this mindset from my parents that it is extremely easy to get a reputation. It's much harder to lose that reputation. So if you burn one of those bridges, gosh I mean, get a reputation. It's much harder to lose that reputation. So if you burn one of those bridges, gosh I mean. If you have a bad day and you're working on working a gig and you know work gets out that you were hard to work with, that might eliminate future potential work for you and that is something, because that's something people never forget it could happen only one time and then, and they'll never forget so.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I believe that, whatever's going on, leave it at home, leave it in the car before you get down. You know how we say before you get down and go wherever you go.
Speaker 2:First time I moved to this part of the state I was dating a girl and we're driving to my house she's like we getting down. I was like, oh, are we getting down, we getting down, baby, Are we driving to my house? She's like we getting down. I was like, oh, are we getting down, we getting down baby.
Speaker 1:I was like no, are we?
Speaker 2:getting out of the car. I was like, oh we getting down. Now you're all disappointed. We're driving a sedan Like we got to get up yeah.
Speaker 1:Leave it in the car before you get down, whatever problems you have.
Speaker 2:Because nobody. Whatever problems you have, because nobody cares. Yeah, you, you mentioned sleep. How important is sleep, uh, for you and your line of work? She just gave a look to her mom it's very important.
Speaker 1:It's very important for me especially.
Speaker 2:I'm the kind of mom knows how to go in your room until a certain time. Why can't be banging on the door? Are you reading?
Speaker 1:my mind. How do you know what's going on in our house? No, yeah, no, that's a thing. Sleep for sure. But sleep is, you know, sleep is very it's needed for your vocal cords right, you know like literally you have to recover.
Speaker 1:So and yeah, I try to get it anywhere I can. Sometimes you don't. I'm always saying I just gotta make it on I can, sometimes you don't. I'm always saying I just got to make it on the plant. Cause when you're back to back shows I say I just got to make it on the plane or I just got to make it into the van so I can go to sleep. You know, sometimes it's it's like that, but um, sleep is very important, um, in general, for anybody.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's a health thing. You want to make sure you're getting as much as you can.
Speaker 2:And before a gig, do you have any sort of rituals that you do with your voice or anything to prepare it, like anything that you drink or any type of warm specialty, warm-ups or anything that you're doing?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love the lip trills. Those are my favorite. To me, those open up your voice the quickest. But I know we're all different. I also have a nebulizer. It's like a little device that blows out steam with saline that I'll let blow into my vocal cords. That gets moisture directly into your vocal cords Way quicker than water does. Okay, okay so I have one of those when I feel like I'm in need of that, but really just sleep. Sleep really, really, really helps. You can hear the difference for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's it right there oh, I need one of them yeah, and it blows you.
Speaker 1:You get the little tiny saline packets and you put it in there and it'll blow it out and it gets to your vocals quick okay, there you go, I need to send you the link any, any singers, uh, out there listening or watching the show?
Speaker 2:there's some good advice for you from one of the pros out there um, bringing it back to louisiana. Um, you performed at this past year's festival international. What's that like coming back to Louisiana?
Speaker 1:um, you performed at this past year's Festival International.
Speaker 2:Yes, what's that like coming back to your hometown and having that stage, at that like one of the best festivals in the world, one of the best kept secrets in the world Festival International.
Speaker 1:Isn't that crazy it was. It was a lot of fun this year. I was very honored to be there. I sang the national anthem with Naylin Williams. We did something really different.
Speaker 1:Um, he played the accordion while I sang the national anthem very cool and it was, um, something that I knew was not common, but we rehearsed and we got it right and I was like we need to do this for louisiana, let's bring this accordion out, um, and it went over so well. It was very, very, very cool, and I sang happy birthday to the mayor, which was also a very special moment, and I sang with Major Handy. He had a set as well and we did a couple songs.
Speaker 2:You were all over the place.
Speaker 1:It was a great time.
Speaker 2:What is the one food that you have to get when you're at Festival International?
Speaker 1:Well, I love the jambalaya and the crawfish bread bowls.
Speaker 2:Did you know it? Yeah, I knew it, it's everyone.
Speaker 1:Crawfish bread, spinach bread rolls but I love that. Those things we can always expect every year in our home.
Speaker 2:It's nice. I loved seeing you at Love of People's Community Thanksgiving as well this past year.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was wonderful. Shout out, shout out John Williams, shout out to the whole fam. It's just such an amazing thing to do every year and it's really needed, so I loved being a part of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it really seems, just talking to you, getting to know you, that you really have a lot of love and appreciation for this place that you grew up in and you need to come back to not only ground yourself but almost feel like you want to kind of give back and give credit where credit's due.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, like nothing. Yeah, it's where my heart is truly, but your money's in LA. Hey, listen.
Speaker 2:So what's coming down the docket the next few months for Sky Isaac? What you up to, what you going to be doing?
Speaker 1:I'm just so excited about the release of this album and I hope everyone goes out to check it out. You know, hear a lady in Zydeco, you know, which is kind of a rare thing to hear yeah, I didn't even think about that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it is rare yeah it is kind of a boys club, isn't it?
Speaker 1:yeah, so, um, it's so funny. Um, I played um a song of mine for some little kids at a camp not too long ago and the little girls were like I've never heard a girl sing Zydeco, and there have been many women that paved the way in Zydeco, but it hasn't happened in a while. Is what I'd say? What's your question?
Speaker 2:What are you up to the next few months?
Speaker 1:Go listen to my album. Okay, but anyway.
Speaker 2:SkyIsaaccom. Right, there, is that. It Is that the website? Yeah, no, what's the URL? Sky Isaac, okay, sky Isaac yeah.
Speaker 1:Coming up. I'll be performing at the Freak your Friday event next week and I'll be back in Lafayette for Downtown Rising. Okay, that's on September 28th and that's featuring the Wailers and Keith Frank. I'm just so excited. I'll be performing as well. I'll see y'all there.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. We can't wait to see you on that stage. A couple more questions to wrap up here. Sky, I appreciate your time this afternoon. You've got to hop on a flight and get back home. I've been asking everyone if they had to leave Louisiana, which you do often but something like a go bag, g-e-a-u-x bag three items that you could put in your bag to bring somewhere else across the world to remind you of home. What would those three items be?
Speaker 1:I need Tony Sashry's Okay. What else do I need? I need Tony Sachery's Okay. What else do I need? Oh, I always like to have something that has a fleur-de-lis on it Okay. Something you know and what else I mean I do listen. Sometimes I'll be in LA and I get that itch and I turn up that Zydeco music. I have a playlist that I turn up. So I guess bring the music with me.
Speaker 2:We got to print your new album on vinyl.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh listen, we've been talking about it, so might have a few available.
Speaker 2:Might be in the works.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Sky Isaac on like all the socials and stuff Sky.
Speaker 1:Isaac, sky Isaac Music on the socials, and then skyisaccom. I'm Sky Isaac on Facebook. Yeah, sky Isaac, sky Isaac, you'll find her.
Speaker 2:She's got the SEO unlocked Sky. Once again. I appreciate you coming on the show Excited to kind of watch your career. The album sounds great. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you at Downtown Rising. We've got a link back up and then hopefully, if you ever decide to do a Zydeco set out in LA, let me know, We'll come down.
Speaker 1:Listen, I like the sound of that. Thank you so much, Carter. Thank you all for having me. Yeah.
Speaker 2:We end the show the same way every time. We get you to take a look at your solo cam right here. A word, a phrase. It could be a song lyric, it could be a plug for yourself once again. It could be anything that you want to impart on the internet land at large. To end this episode, the floor is yours, sky Isaac.
Speaker 1:I'm feeling the pressure, Loki. I want it to be good it could be anything.
Speaker 2:What's stuck in my head right now is from the other night of Blue Monday Anthony Doopsy. Every time I see him, they ain't what.
Speaker 1:I was gonna say that, okay, that has to be it hey guys, I'm Sky Isaac. Make sure you check out Doopsie, the album available everywhere. We're in Lafayette, louisiana, my favorite place in the world. Check it out.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me, it's why thanks for checking out this week's episode of Acadiana Cast Presents. Make sure to follow us, subscribe, be a part of the Acadiana Cast family wherever you're checking out this show, and if you liked what you saw or you liked what you heard from today's episode and you want to get involved in content creation or up your already ongoing projects, go to AcadianaCastcom to get started. We can help you. From podcasts to live streams to social media reels, some graphic design and animation Wherever you are in your content creation journey, we can help you out. Go to AcadianaCastcom to learn more and we'll see you next time here on Acadiana Cast Presents.
