In her own words, Isla Noon is introspective, bold, emotive, and energetic. These qualities are woven into the vibrant, otherworldly fabric of her debut album, ‘Out of Body’, a collection of songs that explore themes of identity, detachment, and the winding path back to oneself.
Set for release on Friday, 4th April, the album is an invitation to step into Noon’s unique world, a space where sound, image, and emotion collide in striking harmony.
“This album captures a time when I felt deeply disconnected from the world, from others, from myself,” Noon shares. “I wasn’t fully aware of how lost I was until I started writing. The songs became a map, each one helping me navigate my way back, reconnecting me to my body, my sense of self, and the world around me.”
From its inception, ‘Out of Body’ was designed as a fully immersive experience. The album’s sonic landscapes are deeply intertwined with a visual world that exists alongside it, a world built from vivid, instinctive imagery that arose in tandem with the music. “Every song had a scene, a colour, a feeling attached to it,” Noon explains. “Deep blues, flashes of neon, a lonely dance floor with a red wine spill drying to a sticky sheen. I knew from the beginning that this record wasn’t just about sound. It was about capturing the way these experiences looked and felt.”
‘Out of Body’ evolved beyond a collection of songs into a cohesive, intentional statement. Rather than a linear narrative, the album flows like a dream, one moment euphoric, the next haunting, always shifting yet interconnected. Its title reflects not just a feeling of disconnection, but the perspective gained by stepping outside oneself and seeing things anew.
The album’s title track, 'Body', was a similar catalyst. Originally a ballad, the song’s ascending chord riff evolved into something celestial after producer and close friend Maude Minnie Morris layered chaotic white noise and timpani hits over Noon’s synth line. “It took the chorus into outer space,” Noon recalls. “From there, everything else fell into place.”
The album balances luminous pop hooks with moments of deep, pulsing darkness. “I’ve always blended those worlds,” Noon says. “The early songs are steeped in escapism, their energy physical, almost desperate for release. As I moved through the writing process, I found myself embracing honesty and rawness in a way I hadn’t before. That demanded more grit, more weight in the production.”
The closing track, 'Spiralling Up', produced by artist Lola, became the final brushstroke, a moment of clarity and arrival. “It holds a different energy, like a deep breath after a storm,” Noon reflects. “It’s not about saying, ‘I’ve figured everything out,’ but recognising that growth isn’t linear. It loops and twists, but you can still feel yourself moving forward.”
While deeply introspective, 'Out of Body' is designed for movement. It is an album that pulses with life, meant to be danced to, felt viscerally. “This album is an expression of joy as much as it is a reckoning with loss,” Noon shares. “I hope people find themselves in it. I hope it feels like a space where they belong.”
The album will not only be released on streaming platforms but in physical form with CD copies being made. Noon herself has a large CD collection and is excited to be able to share her work in physical form.
Noon is also set to play an album release show at Big Fan on April 11th (tickets available from Under the Radar).
'Out of Body' is set to release Friday, 4th April via Aotearoa’s indie label Particle Recordings.