Inspired #324 - iris
Norway based songwriter iris earlier this year released her incredible and moving debut LP ‘love and other disasters’. To celebrate the vinyl release of the album - she has shared an acoustic version of the opening track ‘push, don’t push’. iris took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind her music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
Joni Mitchell, Radiohead and Lorde. Joni and Lorde are maybe my biggest musical inspirations, mostly because of their storytelling. They have a way with words that resonates deeply with me, and I love how they can both make me feel understood but also force me to dive into emotions I didn't always want to explore, because it’s so intense. Radiohead is more of a mystery, I just really love their musical universe, and I never really cared about what or who they really are, they just take me to another world and I really love that.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
It’s difficult to choose just one, but it’s something about the plot of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the beauty in The Fountain and the story and aesthetic of Blue is the Warmest Colour that just never fails to spark something in me. I don’t know exactly what it is, but those movies make me feel at ease and uneasy at the same time. It’s something about them that just breaks my heart in a very soft way, if that makes sense.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
I’ve been in love with Paris since forever, but I’m also very drawn to my cousin's place in Larvik (Norway). And as much as they feel like complete opposites, they both make me feel like I'm living in a dream.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
People who work with their hands, people who are brave enough to be honest, I mean, there are so many people that inspire me, whether they are friends, family or complete strangers. My grandmother was very inspiring to me. Our conversations often felt like she was holding my hand and was walking me through her memories, and somehow made it feel like they happened right now. We used to share secrets with each other like teenagers, and I think that openness bridged the age gap between us and turned it into a very special relationship.
What were your inspirations when writing your new track?
I'm mostly just drawing inspiration from my own experiences in life. I guess it's a chaotic mix of feelings I've never quite understood, stories I struggle to move on from, and dreams I've carried with me since forever. But I guess what ties a lot of my music together is an obsession with love, what it does to us and what it makes us do. I'm fascinated by why and how the most beautiful thing in the world can be so painful.
How would you like to inspire people?
I want to inspire to feel emotions all the way through, and to be vulnerable and proud in that. If something I've gone through can somehow help someone understand something about themselves, or let them break some barriers and feel their emotions more, that would be reason enough to keep doing what I'm doing. We should all be proud of everything we're capable of feeling, it's truly something worth celebrating.