The beach has several meanings. To you, it may mean family time. To others, it may be a symbol of summer returning. To me, it's a peaceful image. To Isabella Pombrio, lead singer of indie band Bone Dog, the beach is not just a place or a symbol of summer–to her, it's a feeling, a memory, and a song from the deepest parts of her. It’s a song that grabs you by the heart.  

Growing up in New Jersey, the beach she remembers going to led her to discover that Seven Presidents is more than just a childhood memory. The salty air and the sound of the waves perfectly crashing over each other influenced Prombrio's original and most personal song, which she named after her home beach. Once or twice, or maybe even more, we've all felt lost or stuck. Throughout the song, Pombrio describes the debilitating feeling of giving yourself to someone and hoping they see you for more than you've ever seen yourself. However, "Seven Presidents" is also a metaphor for how the industries can make you feel. While talking with the young singer, she sorted through the right words to explain how the advertisements that aligned the road made her feel empty. "Watching you fall asleep, I'm in the driver's seat," Pombrio explains that the whole song is supposed to make you feel like you're driving home and leaving behind this thing you were so excited about, but it didn't go as planned, or it's just not what you imagined it to be—a song for longing, loss, and the bittersweet sense of nostalgia. 

Growing up as a child from the East Coast as well, driving home from the beach would bring so many tender memories to a head. Memories that squeeze the chest. Listening to my interview with Isabella, I understand how a young girl can see the world in such an intimidating and disappointing light. The road to success, like the road leading away from the beach, isn't always what it seems. Pombrio recalled how the bright, alluring advertisements lining the streets near Seven Presidents once felt like promises—flashing signs urging you toward something bigger, something better. But as she got older, those signs began to feel hollow. "I always thought those billboards meant you made it," she admitted. "Now, they just make me wonder what's real and what's just another illusion." At Hidden Creek Music, a local Nashville recording studio, I got the opportunity to watch the band put the pieces of the puzzle together. From drums to bass to unique sounds that capture the idea and feeling of falling–I watched Seven Presidents and Isabella's ideas come to life. Was I lucky or what? 

Despite the lyrics shouting dreams and how far away they feel…Isabella is on the right path. Making music and art with friends and pursuing what she wants to chase. As Bone Dog continues to rise in the indie scene, Pombrio remains anchored by the themes that inspired her songwriting in the first place: love, loss, and the search for something real. Whether it's a childhood beach, a fleeting relationship, or a dream just out of reach, "Seven Presidents" serves as a reminder that even when the bright lights and the tide pull you away, the shore is always there—waiting to bring you back and keep you leveled.