Irene Skylakaki
Irene Skylakaki is a London-based singer/songwriter, originally from Athens, Greece.
Her lyrics, autobiographical and oftentimes disarmingly personal, combine with catchy folk-rock melodies, forming songs that allow her to connect with her audience and give back some of the joy and healing that music has brought into her life over the years.
To date, Irene has released three critically acclaimed studio albums: Wrong Direction (2012), Before Dawn (2014) and Matterless (2018), which was produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay, U2, Morrissey, Patti Smith, Ed Harcourt) and features musicians such as Richard Jupp (Elbow).
Irene’s debut single In the Light reached the top of the Greek iTunes charts and her songs have been featured in TV commercials, as well as film soundtracks. She has performed as a supporting act for artists such as Macy Gray, Jessie Ware, Beirut, Daughter, Cass McCombs, Toploader and Archive. Previous festival performances include the Rockwave, En Lefko Festival, Swanbourne and Release Festival, and in 2012 she was one of the youngest artists ever to perform at the Athens Concert Hall Garden.
A riveting concern of depth and reflection. A phrase filled with angst and celebration. ‘Souvenir’ is a compact insurgence, decked in marred scars in emotion and assemblage for the next day. A resistance anthem from Irene Skylakaki, a vision dwells up high at the edges of acceptance.
“I got my first taste of ‘Souvenir’ a few years ago, when producer Andres Mesa sent me a voice recording of some beautiful piano chords he had come up with. They were so irresistible that I had to turn them into a song. Having just gone through a breakup, the task felt simple and organic. We then spent a couple of years playing around with different versions of the song, until Hristos Lainas helped us finalize it. I shared the end-result with Jay-Jay Johanson, an artist I admire and respect enormously, and on new year’s eve I was presented with the most surreal surprise. Jay-Jay had not only remixed the song, but had also added his vocals to it. In a very serendipitous way, we found ourselves in South Africa, shooting a music video with David East, a director whose work I’m a big fan of. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed this journey.”
Beautiful expressions, diabolically met with ample visuals, the combination of the mediums collide in a cosmic lust for love, renewal, and self rectitude.
To date, Irene has released three studio albums: Wrong Direction (2012), Before Dawn (2014) and Matterless (2018), which was produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay, U2, Morrissey, Patti Smith, Ed Harcourt) and features musicians such as Richard Jupp (Elbow).
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