Iona Zajac - Bang [CD]

Having already built an unparalleled reputation as both a solo songwriter and performer, as well as a touring vocalist with The Pogues, Glasgow's Iona Zajac will release her highly anticipated debut album Bang, on 21st November. Zajac's strength as an artist lies in her ability to balance light and dark with startling ease. While songs like "Bowls," "Dilute" and "Anton" anchor the record in raw explorations of violence and intimacy, elsewhere she let's surrealism and humour take centre stage. The dreamlike "Chicken Supermarket" imagines hallucinatory encounters with Billy Connolly and seas of jelly, while the exuberant title track revels in sexual liberation with infectious, pop-fuelled guitar tones. This tonal dexterity - at once bruising and playful - places Zajac alongside kindred spirits such as PJ Harvey and Angel Olsen, artists unafraid to marry the intimate with the explosive. Her commanding voice, honed on stages across the UK and Europe, has seen her tour with Mercury Rev, Arab Strap, Lankum, and Cassandra Jenkins, as well as joining Alison Moyet on her sold-out 2025 tour. Last year, she was invited to perform with The Pogues at their landmark reunion in Dublin, later touring with the band through packed shows at Brixton Academy, Manchester Apollo, and Glasgow's Barrowlands. With her own headline shows on the horizon, Zajac's reputation as one of the UK's most vital new voices is only growing stronger. Bang was recorded at Post Electric Studio in Edinburgh with producer Dani Bennett-Spragg, alongside Joe Taylor (drums), Ellie Mason (guitar, synths), and Ben Manning (bass). Drawing on influences from Sibylle Baier and Portishead to her Polish and Ukrainian heritage, Zajac weaves together intimate acoustic moments and full-band dynamism with an intensity that reflects her arresting live performances. FFO: PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Aldous Harding, Lankum