Iyla Elise Release 'True North"

You don’t always need a wall of instruments to make a song feel big, and “True North” by Iyla Elise is proof of that. The track is built around just piano, guitar, and her voice, but it manages to create a kind of weight that lingers well after it’s over. When I listened, I found myself thinking about how it could easily soundtrack the closing scene of a film, the kind of moment that ties together both loss and hope.

What struck me was how she balances intimacy with drama. The lyrics briefly touch on her dad, but the way she folds those personal details into broader metaphor makes the song feel both grounded and expansive. There’s a sense that she’s singing about where she’s been and where she’s headed, which gives it a timeless quality.

I also noticed how strong the performance is from start to finish. The vocals have this clarity that never feels forced, and the recording itself captures every detail without sanding away the emotion. It’s stripped back but still cinematic, and that’s not an easy balance to strike. For me, “True North” is one of those songs that quietly grows bigger the more you sit with it, and I think that’s what makes it so compelling. Iyla Elise shows that simplicity doesn’t have to mean small, and in this case it actually amplifies the emotional core of the song. It feels like a track that will stay with me for a long time.

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