The five-octave soul powerhouse delivers a slow-burning, string-kissed love song built for late-night listening
LONDON, UK, 25th September, 2026 — Expansion Records, the UK's number one independent soul label, is proud to announce the forthcoming release of "Take Me In Your Arms," the new single from acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Patrice Isley. The track arrives via Expansion on X date, 2026, marking the latest chapter in a label legacy that, since 1986, has provided the level of quality soul largely abandoned by the US majors, and the newest addition to a catalogue that has carried the voices of Angie Stone, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Stephanie Mills, Leon Ware and Howard Hewett.
A Slow-Burn Soul Statement
"Take Me In Your Arms" is a mid-tempo groove built for the hours after midnight, unfolding over a warm, unhurried pulse in the key of C sharp major across three minutes and forty-six seconds. Rather than chase a chorus, the production settles into a groove and lets it breathe, favouring rounded low end and softly rolled-off top over anything harsh or brittle, the kind of intentionally warm, radio-ready mix that rewards a good pair of headphones or a quiet room. It is a record about wanting to be held, and it sounds like it: patient, close-mic'd, unmistakably grown-and-sexy in the classic Expansion tradition.
Lyrically, the song is a plea stripped of pretence, direct in its longing and unashamed in its vulnerability. Isley's instrument, a mesmerising five-octave range she has spent a career refining, moves between a smoky lower register and soaring, held-back power notes, never over-sung, always in service of the ache at the song's centre.
The song is written by David Kent, no stranger to the Expansion family: his credits include the stage musicals Soul Sisters The Musical, directed by Angie Le Mar, and Soul Mates The Musical, whose lead single from the original soundtrack, "Break The Rules," was itself released on Expansion’s imprint - Expansion Select. "Take Me In Your Arms" marks his first collaboration with Patrice Isley, adding her voice to a growing list of artists he has written for.
About Patrice Isley
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Patrice Isley began her musical education at the age of four, shaped by her father's love of Sam Cooke and gospel quartets and her mother's eclectic taste, which ranged from Barry White to Barbra Streisand. A graduate of Marquette University, she studied vocal performance under David Lee Brewer, developing the smooth yet powerful five-octave instrument that has since been described as "the voice of an angel."
After relocating to Los Angeles, Isley quickly found work providing background vocals for Teddy Pendergrass and Barry White, going on to collaborate with more than thirty A-list artists including Gladys Knight, Philip Bailey, El DeBarge, Jermaine Dupri and Coolio. She launched her solo career in 2016 with the album Believe in Love, and has since notched a string of chart successes: "Harvest for the World" reached number two on the UK charts, "Free" spent two weeks at number one on a UK regional chart in early 2024, and "Patrice's Groove," featuring Spyro Gyra keyboardist Tom Schuman, climbed to number eleven on the Smooth Jazz charts.
Isley has performed for audiences at the Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show, Soul Train and Arsenio Hall, and remains active as an educator, having led the Confident Performer Workshop at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and produced the acclaimed one-woman show A History of Black Women in Music.
About David Kent (Songwriter)
David Kent is a songwriter for stage and record whose credits include Soul Sisters The Musical, directed by Angie Le Mar, and Soul Mates The Musical, the original soundtrack of which produced Expansion Select's lead single "Break The Rules." He has written for numerous artists across the soul, cabaret and musical theatre worlds, a list that now includes Patrice Isley.
About Expansion Records
Founded in London in 1986 by Northern Soul DJ Richard Searling BEM and Soul Bowl owner John Anderson, and strengthened from 1989 by DJ, author and journalist Ralph Tee, Expansion Records has spent four decades building a reputation as the UK's number one independent soul label. The label has released music by Leon Ware, Stephanie Mills, Leroy Hutson, Angie Stone, Gwen McCrae, Howard Hewett, Keni Burke, Lenny Williams, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Maysa, Frank McComb and many more, curating what it calls the definitive soundtrack to the soul scene across vinyl singles, artist albums, digital releases and compilations. Expansion serves as the bridge between artist vision and true connoisseur, giving space to established legends and emerging talent alike.
Track Information
Artist: Patrice Isley Title: Take Me In Your Arms Label: Expansion Records Release date: 25th September, 2026 Format: DIGITAL / STREAMING Songwriter: David Kent Producer: Pete Ware.
I am excited about this upcoming year! I have soooo many things to prep to release new music - "PATRICE'S GROOVE!" I am excited, though.... Did I mention that I am EXCITED? LOL! If you have not done so already, make sure you sign up for my email list. I have so many things coming up. I want to make sure that you are included and invited. Be sure to check out my "Shows" link, also, as I am still performing presently; virtually and in small, private - health screened groups. Okay! Be Blessed and Stay SAFE! xox
2021 is going to be great! I have been so blessed to use the last few months of 2020 to work with multiple musicians to record an AMAZING album. I am not bragging. I say this because I was spent with all the suffering and loss in 2020. 
During the pandemic, I am learning to make full use of my space; noticing things I have available but have never used. I found myself going into my backyard area and sitting outside. It has become a routine (day two at least lol)! I thought to sit on the opposite side of the table, with my cup of tea and current writing journal. My goal was to write and listen to my recording from our last studio session. I happened to lean back and look up. There was an amazing view of the sky! It felt AMAZING to stretch my neck back and just take in a moment of nature and nature's beauty. It was “a little thing,” however, it made me wonder why I had never come outside my own backdoor in the morning, in 6 years of living here, to just take a moment to look up... breathe, enjoy the view, write songs from my own back yard. Hmm..... I know we all are discovering things during this ‘unique season.’ Thanks for reading and I hope you may discover something in a new way in your own familiar place while “sheltering in place."❤️ 
