By: Angelia Roberts, Special to the SRC
At 20, Mount Pleasant’s Isabella Love knows exactly what she wants to do with her life and is working hard to make it a reality. It came as no surprise to her parents it would be in the music industry, because David (Frog) and Staci Love, had watched her dancing in her walker long before she could walk. At five, she attended the Brockwell School of Music and is quick to attribute the late Loye Vern Mason as someone she respected and admired and when he died, a part of the music died with her. But the desire to sing came rushing back when her dad took her to Nashville to meet one of his friends who played on Broadway, and she sang Delta Dawn. She was captivated by Music City. “I was hooked,” Isabella said.
The oldest of four Love children, Isabella is quick to point out, she is not the only one musically inclined in her family. “Dad can play the piano, but won’t let anyone listen,” she said, laughing, “and my sister Ora can sing, but she doesn’t like to sing in public. Brothers Owen and Lewis are interested in other things, Isabella said. “Mom is a jack of all trades. She is an RN, massage therapist, yoga instructor and one of my biggest supporters.” Isabella said her grandmother, Betty Love, who plays piano and guitar, is excited that she has chosen a music career. Having the support of her family has played a pivotal role for Isabella and when she sat down and co-wrote her first song, it was a tribute to the man she most ad-mires and loves: Her daddy. The last several months have been somewhat of a whirlwind for Isabella. With more trips back to Nashville she had the opportunity to sing at Kid Rock’s Bar on her birthday. That audience, Isabella said, can be a little intimidating, be-cause they don’t know you or if you can sing. She also made it a mission to ask important questions. Hoss Skelton told her the first thing she should do is buildup her local base and she dove right into to finding arenas where she could perform.
“I also learned how to play guitar, and while I’m not the best at it, I can strum chords and that’s what needed for song-writing.” Her first song was co-wrote with Lance Curtis in Batesville who also produced it. They considered several ideas and Lance brought up the idea of writing about her dad.“I didn’t realize it was going to be that personal and special.”
“Mom cried when she heard it. It was super special for me, because I did have a childhood like that. He always worked hard to give me opportunities that I could have like going to Nashville. The past couple weeks we’ve been to Nashville two times so I could meet a producer who produced Ashley McBride and others. Isabella said he repeated the same ad-vice she had gotten from Skelton, which was to be seen and heard. There’s a lot more to Isabella than music. In addition to working a part-time job in Mountain View, she also helps her mom keep the books for her dad’s quarry, helps manage the family farm with her younger sister and brothers, feeds cows for a local farmer and tends to her own herd. “I have a bull, ten cows and eight or nine heifers that are mine. ”Isabella knows her mom and dad have set a high standard for work ethics. They also give her constructive criticism when it comes to her music. Isabella said she will run songs by her parents and ask if they would like it if they heard it on the radio. Her father always closes his eyes and listens, which is what a lot of producers do, she said. “I feel like they give me constructive criticism, but I tell them they are just being supportive because they are my parents. ”She has currently written two more songs, “Honky Tonk Woman,” and “Summer Spent With You.”
“I’m gonna start writing with Anna Parrish. I’m super excited about that. She’s a great writer. ”Isabella has also been playing a lot locally. “I would rather play with a full band. Most of my shows have been without a full band. I like to move around the stage, and I can’t do that when I have a guitar. ”With a dream of Nashville in the future and singing as her goal, Isabella is quick to point out, “I’m country all the way.”
“Dad use to tell me when I would go out to his shop, ‘You’ve got the world by the tail.’ ”It seemed only fit-ting her first song would play tribute to him. You can follow heron Facebook at Isabel-la Love Music, Instagram: isabellamlove, and Tik Tok: isabellamlove. She also has a website at isabellamlove.com