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Alt-Pop Artist IRENE Calls Out Music Industry Gatekeepers in Vulnerable New Track
3/23/2023 - Known for her raw and sensual alt-pop tunes, Arctic Finland’s IRENE is no stranger to extremes. Often compared to the cinematic eccentricities of artists like Björk, Kate Bush and Fever Ray, IRENE boldly confronts a painfully traumatic past with her newest single “Gatekeeper”. In the song, IRENE delivers a forthright message, confronting demons that have formerly haunted her most cherished passion, music. IRENE’s experience with sexual violence at the hand of her piano teacher tells a tale not often told, due to fear of the ‘Gatekeeper’s power over their victim’s potential success. With lyrics like “Eye for an eye, sex for access” we feel the pain, frustration and deeply-rooted rage that stems from an arduous battle with someone who held the keys to opportunity for far too long.
“The power structures of the old music industry don’t offer women a healthy environment to create. I like to build my career on my own terms, independently. It might be a slower path to the awareness of the general public, but I’m not ready to compromise my boundaries. And when it comes to art, compromising your values is a slow death. I prefer a delicious slow bloom, where all achievements feel juicy and authentic.” - IRENE
While her vulnerable story stems from frightening personal experience, IRENE acknowledges wider interpretations of the track that so many artists will find wildly relatable. The music industry has always had its share of gatekeeping which has led to the premature ending of countless artistic careers. And even among the continuous influx of opportunity for independent artists, there are still new, more complex gatekeepers at play, blocking access to valuable resources for musicians today. Projecting empowerment and strength, IRENE embraces the messiness of being human, reclaiming her own voice and proving her endless limits of creativity in a song that has become a crowd favorite for LIVE audiences across the Nordic region.
“For ten years I played your game. You were the gatekeeper, holding the keys to my piano – and I played your good girl. But your secret is not safe with me anymore. So, here you go, Gatekeeper – keep the shame. It’s all yours.” - Gatekeeper
IRENE is a classically trained pianist, who sat down at the piano at the age of five – and instantly felt at home. IRENE told her story in depth in the Finnish women’s magazine Trendi (2020) and later in Finland’s biggest newspaper Iltalehti (2022) – on a mission to raise more awareness about the power structures in the music industry. IRENE writes, composes and co-produces all of her music. As a Master of Arts in literature, she writes poetic lyrics full of layers that have touched the hearts of listeners both in the Nordic region and beyond. She teamed up with co-producer Noah Rosanes in Copenhagen, who has worked with members of Goldfrapp and Portishead as well as Davide Rossi, known as Coldplay’s trusted orchestrator since Viva la Vida (2008).
The Nordic Spotify playlists have given IRENE a warm welcome. To date, her music has accumulated a million streams on Spotify. In 2021, IRENE also wrote the official theme song for international war documentary tv-series “Untold Arctic Wars”. The series is backed by the Nordic national broadcasting companies (Yle, SVT, NRK, DR), and distributed globally. To date, rights
have been sold to many major tv platforms, such as National Geographic, Walt Disney Company and RTL. Most recently, the theme song has been nominated as a finalist to “Vuoden Huiput”, Finland’s most significant creative design competition. Having also recently returned from Iceland airwaves, IRENE played two venue gigs, one at the legendary KEX hostel - which eventually earned her a spot among the headliners of G! Festival in the Faroe Islands. Her ongoing success is prominent and “Gatekeeper” offers another layer of vulnerability and versatility that is guaranteed to inspire.
