London-based vocalist and songwriter Irene Serra, known professionally as ISQ, is set to release her fifth studio album, The Silence Is Deafening, on 23 October, followed by a series of UK live dates.
The album marks ISQ’s first studio release in eight years and represents a shift towards a darker, guitar-led and cinematic sound, combining elements of alternative pop and jazz. Its eight tracks explore themes including feminine resilience, intergenerational relationships, migration, social justice and the experiences of women.
ISQ has spent more than two decades working across the UK and Italian music scenes. Her previous work has received coverage from publications including Time Out and Clash, while her current band features musicians with credits including the Cinematic Orchestra, Neil Cowley Trio and Andy Sheppard.
Serra says the album was shaped by an attempt to understand a changing world and the experiences that connect generations. Its themes draw partly on her mother’s journey from southern Sicily to Denmark in the early 1980s, as well as the experiences of other women.
The album opens with ‘On Shoulders of Giants’, which began as a song inspired by Serra’s experiences during ski trips in Italy before developing into a reflection on gratitude and the people who influence an individual’s life.
Other tracks address more difficult subjects. ‘Faded’ examines the erosion of identity within a controlling relationship, while ‘No Time At All’ considers family and the value of spending time with loved ones.
Migration and family history feature prominently in ‘Kindred Spirit’, which references Serra’s mother’s journey and the experiences of rescue-boat captain Carola Rackete. ‘Animal’ explores the relationship between a daughter raised in liberal Copenhagen and a mother brought up in traditional Sicily.
The album also includes ‘Lady Death’, a funk-rock track exploring male and female perspectives, and ‘Angela’, inspired by the UK’s ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative.
Closing track ‘She Walks Through Fire’ focuses on feminine wisdom, resilience, environmental responsibility and the marginalisation of older women’s voices.
ISQ will perform at Royal Holloway University in Egham on 29 October as part of its International Concert Series. Further dates include Crazy Coqs in London on 15 October and The Folklore Rooms in Brighton on 7 November.
For more details ISQ can be contacted HERE
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