A Q&A With the Next On Deck Song Contest Promotion Winner, Isaac Sign

Isaac Sign is the Next On Deck Song Contest promotion winner for his song, “The More I Live.”

“The inspiration was simply the discomfort with the place I’ve been in and the way time flies right by,” Sign told American Songwriter. “These are feelings that come in waves. I caught this song as I was riding one of those waves out.”

“This was one of the simplest songs I’ve written lately, and it came out very conversationally. I did get a little excited when I wrote the main line ‘I’m just a kid, and I get further from myself the more I live.’ It was no more and no less exactly what I was feeling in that moment. I have days where I feel like I did when I was sixteen. I’m like, ‘Man, where am I and what am I really doing exactly?’”

Sign added that the track “is totally and simply about the feelings of getting older, which is inevitably part of moving forward and coming to terms with life and all that is.”

“It was one of the first songs I wrote after moving to LA a number of months ago. Living in a hostel with 12 to 15 other people with no space or privacy to record, I set up a mic on the table in the backroom, recording between people walking in and out,” he revealed. “It’s been a very transitional time for me for sure. I think the straightforward lyrics over the minimal DIY production is a true reflection of getting my thoughts out and doing what I can with what I have.”

Read on to learn more about Sign.

Isaac Sign Q&A

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SONGWRITING? WHAT GOT YOU INTO MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I began writing songs when I was in high school, but it wasn’t until after I graduated that it slowly became something I had a genuine urge to do. I started learning production on my own and would work on little things for people in the area. Over time songwriting became a feeling of direction during a time that felt directionless. I was terrible at it, but it was the only thing that sparked me the way that it did, and the only time I felt like I could say whatever I wanted.

Songwriting is really one of those things that can sometimes take you years to make just a little bit of progress in. It’s an art that allows you to zoom out and see your subconscious thought in such a unique and therapeutic way. It serves as a parallel to the work you do on yourself as a person. For that reason, it’s been my means of measuring my growth throughout life.

WHY DID YOU ENTER AMERICAN SONGWRITER’S NEXT ON DECK PROMOTION?

When I got #1 in the Singer-Songwriter/Folk category last year, I got a taste of what it means for people to know what I do behind closed doors. It’s driven me to actually want to show people my work and it’s driven me to actually think about putting things out for people to listen to. Nowadays I get genuine excitement when I wake up to see my song got some radio play or I got added to some new playlists. I feel like I’m starting to think, “OK, I understand how this could be pretty cool.”

The other day I was extremely groggy on a flight and checked my phone to see someone used my song for their wedding video. In complete surprise I’m just thinking, “How did something I created become part of the way somebody will remember the happiest day of their life?” That never would’ve happened if I was still hiding as much as I always have. That mindset shift started with American Songwriter, so I’m very likely to send in a submission or two every year from here on out.

WHAT DOES WINNING THE SONG CONTEST MEAN TO YOU?

It’s an absolute honor, just as it was last time. These songs are me in a room, writing, recording, and mixing on a pair of headphones. The fact that a company devoted to songwriting has recognized me multiple times among so many others is such an incredible and validating feeling. 

WHAT SONGWRITERS DO YOU COUNT AS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATIONS? WHY?

The most consistent inspirations are mostly comprised of people I’ve listened to for years. I’ve heavily digested Bon Iver’s work since middle school. His name is always the first to mind when I’ve been asked this. Recent years I’ve really enjoyed the calm depth of Gregory Alan Isakov and Phoebe Bridgers. The profoundness of James Blake’s lyrics and production.

I also can’t say all of this without mentioning someone very close and dear to me named Sanna Antonia. (She won the lyric contest a few months back.)She’s an intimidatingly incredible talent, and one of the only people that I know who will truly listen and reflect on anything I send her.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS IN 2026.

I’m currently flying around the US for a few months for work. Music is on my mind constantly, every day. By the time this article is out, “The More I Live” will be on streaming platforms. I have music coming that is even truer to me. I get cold calls from PR companies and indie labels, but nothing has been a great match for me just yet. I’m in this for the long haul, though. I’m not trying to be a young, trendy artist. The music I want to make is the music I can carry into the rest of my days. That might mean I don’t reach the peak of my ability for another decade or two. Who knows?

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CAREER DREAM?

Right now, my dream is just to have complete freedom to make music. Any time I’ve had even a week just to focus on it my outlook on life brightens, my ideas start flowing, my health improves, and I make huge leaps and strides in my ability. If that means I need to release more music and promote myself better, then that’s what I’ll do. I’m looking forward to time without distractions, time where it’s only about creative output, and time with a blank canvas. Sounds like heaven.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER ARTISTS WHO ARE CONSIDERING ENTERING THE CONTEST?

Just do it. The first time I submitted “What A Ghost” on a complete whim. I ended up placing first in my category. Anything can happen. Years ago when I recorded “What A Ghost” I think it was recorded on an NT1A with a beginner guitar. “The More I Live” was recorded on a $100 nylon in an untreated bouncy room. Both of these songs don’t sound like they were made in a big fancy studio because they weren’t. Good songwriting will shine through to who it needs to shine to, no matter what’s around it.

It is completely worth it. If nothing else, at least you tried and it will drive you to work on your craft. Be as true to you as you can. Make only what you want to hear, make something weird, make something you think people might not like or identify with. If you get stuck (which you will), the best antidote to writer’s block is to write a bad song on purpose. Choose a different starting point sometimes. Just get it out of you without self judgement or a filter. Lastly, don’t forget to listen to your old work and hear the progress you’ve made. You’re going to cringe sometimes and that’s a good thing. Enjoy the process. 

Photo by Sanna Antonia