Ishana Steps Into Her Power with "The Answers So Far"

Every once in a while, an artist comes along who doesn’t just write songs but curates entire worlds through their music. Montreal-based indie-pop artist Ishana is one of those rare voices. With her unmistakable vocal timbre, sharp yet tender lyrics, and adventurous production, she creates songs that feel at once personal and universal.

Her new self-made EP, The Answers So Far, is a bold step into independence—not just as a songwriter, but as a producer and storyteller in full control of her sound. It’s a project that wears its heart on its sleeve, pulling listeners into her journal-like reflections on empowerment, vulnerability, longing, and joy.

“I hope that people hear something new that they haven’t heard before, something fresh woven into the fabric of the acoustic pop structures of the songs,” Ishana says. “I’ve tried to translate the messages of the songs as vulnerably as I could and I hope that cuts through.”

And cut through it does.

This year alone has been huge for Ishana. In early 2025, she packed her car and drove from Montreal to Nashville, where she met with world-renowned vocal coach Brett Manning (Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams, Keith Urban, Leona Lewis…) and performed at intimate writers’ rounds on Music Row. One open mic performance she posted online sparked something big: producers in Los Angeles discovered her video and reached out. By July, she was co-writing and recording two bangers in L.A. with multi-platinum, Billboard-charting producer Olivier Bassil and his team.

Those songs are slated for release in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026—and if her past work is any indication, they’ll be bold, fresh, and unshakably catchy.

“It’s been incredible to connect with people in both Nashville and L.A. this year,” she shares. “Those trips were about pushing myself out of my comfort zone, but also about reminding myself that I belong in these spaces.”

Ishana’s path hasn’t been linear, but every detour has left its mark on her sound. She grew up studying classical guitar and music theory, even performing with the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir, before realizing that academia wasn’t where her artistry would thrive. She dropped out of a Musicology program to follow her true calling: singing and songwriting.

Her early albums, Old Skin I and Old Skin II, were heartfelt, DIY projects—raw but full of promise. Then came Coconut Cowboy in 2024, a more electronic-leaning record that showed her willingness to experiment with textures and genres. Singles like Whole Again, Calm Cool Collected, and Bubble Gum gave fans glimpses of her evolving artistry, but The Answers So Far feels like the moment where everything clicks.

“This EP also feels like it’s finally reflecting my true style,” she explains. “I’ve always been an acoustic girly and this is me circling back to that, with the experience of ‘not this’ under my belt. The music is fuller than I would have made it years ago.”

The Answers So Far contains five tracks, each a snapshot of Ishana’s life and growth.

Change the State – Written when she was 19, this song is a call to empowerment. It’s about breaking cycles of negativity and reclaiming control of your own mind. Meditation and the idea of neuroplasticity inspired her lyrics: “Not letting someone else dictate how you will think or feel on a given day.”

Answers in the Dark – Written old-school style with pen and paper in her bedroom, this track is about reconnecting with emotions after feeling numb. Though it started as a lullaby-like tune, the production turned it into a universal anthem of comfort.

Lebanon, Tn. – Possibly her sweetest and softest song to date, born from an unlikely source: a rap beat a French rapper sent her. The guitar hook caught her ear, and it became the backbone of this tender indie-pop gem.

American Bubble – A love letter to freedom, road trips, and the beauty of U.S. culture through Canadian eyes. Inspired by a line in Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, the song paints a picture of the U.S. as its own bubble—dynamic, full of opportunity, and brimming with adventure.

Good Enough – A reflection on self-worth, written after her first trip to Nashville. Encouraged by the community she met there, she realized she already had everything she needed—the real challenge was to believe in herself. The song revisits childhood moments tied to validation and acceptance, making it one of her most personal tracks.

One of the most remarkable aspects of The Answers So Far is that Ishana produced it herself. She leaned on real instruments—slide guitar, banjo textures, and even basslines recorded on her Jackson electric guitar—blending them with modern pop sensibilities.

“As women, we often look to male authority in music to validate what we do,” she says. “This project is proof to myself, and hopefully to other artists, that we don’t need that. I wanted to feel empowered to trust my gut for production and mixing just as much as for the ‘artist’ part of it.”

The result is a collection of songs that sound lived-in, heartfelt, and undeniably hers.

Ishana’s music feels like opening a diary—messy, vulnerable, radiant, and unfiltered. She can pull from gospel, classical guitar, and indie-pop in a single breath without losing her identity. That versatility, paired with her distinctive vocals and goosebump-inducing delivery, makes her stand out in a crowded indie scene.

“My goal with music has always been to reach the deepest depths of a person,” she reflects. “I think I’ve finally started to hit the nail on the head in terms of translating raw emotions into coherent lyrics with this EP.”

With her momentum in Nashville, her creative breakthroughs in L.A., and her fearless DIY approach, Ishana is proving that she’s not just part of Montreal’s indie-pop scene—she’s carving her own lane in the global conversation.

And if The Answers So Far represents where she’s been, we can only imagine what’s next.