Iris Lune – lovelosslove

By starrymag | June 16, 2020

By: Courtney Groom

 

 

Q) Congratulations on the new single “Haven.” What can you tell us is the inspiration behind the song?

A) Thank you. I wrote the song in the aftermath of my mother’s passing from this world. It’s the first single off of my upcoming album, lovelosslove, which deals with the loss of my mother and trying to make sense of a world that is full of her absence. “Haven” was written for my sister, at a specific time when she was feeling very fragile, and all I wanted to do was to hug her and show her that we’re in this together.

 

Q) The song touches upon losing someone you love, which is something very personal to you. Was it difficult to write and record this single and did it help you at all through the difficult time?

A) Absolutely. Writing this album in its entirety has been a process of healing and understanding the depths of love I have for my mother and for my family. It takes courage to be vulnerable and it’s been a process, but what I’ve realized is that the more I allow myself to dive into and feel the pain the more I allow beauty to exist in me and in the world.

 

Q) Do you think it is important as an artist to express this personal experience through songs and lyrics to help not only yourselves but others out in the world who might be going through a similar situation?

A) I think that there are many ways to be a songwriter. I write, first and foremost, because I have to. If I don’t write for a while it’ll physically make me feel very antsy and uncomfortable. Writing is like water to me and the process always helps me figure out what I’m feeling about something. Many times, I won’t know what I’m feeling until I put it into song. It’s like self-therapy. So, that’s the first stage. If a song isn’t fully authentic it’s not going to come through to an audience. I am constantly amazed at how my songs touch others, strangers who don’t know me and my story but are able to connect on a very deep emotional level. I think it’s also completely possible to write a song about somebody else’s story (I’ve definitely done that), but the emotional core of it should feel clear and authentic to the writer.

 

Q) What do you want fans to take away from when listening to “Haven?”

A) I want them to know that it’s okay to hurt and that they are loved.

 

Q) “Haven” is the lead single off the upcoming album called lovelosslove, which came out June 5th. What are some themes you explore on this album?

A) At its core, this album explores the relationship between loss and love. They are both so tightly intertwined that sometimes they feel seamless, like a continuous thread. Loss is another color of love, that’s why it hurts so much. A lot of the songs deal with the loss of my mother and the love I have for her, but also losing myself in this grief process and learning how to love myself on a whole other level. There are also songs that touch on the love I have for the people around me and the loss I’ve experienced within some of these relationships.

 

Q) How did you come up with the title for the album?

A) If I remember correctly, the title was there before any song was written. It was a placeholder in the beginning, but ended up being a compass that guided us as we wrote all of the songs. This cycle of love-loss-love is the core of every song in the album. One cannot exist without the other and it’s crucial to remember that the greater the loss the greater the love. There’s a beautiful quote A.A. Milne that I think sums it up really nicely: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard…”

 

Q) You co-wrote the album with producer Asher Kurtz meeting three times a week over the course of 4 months. What was the creative process like between you both over the course of that time when writing lovelosslove?

A) Honestly, it felt like a haven. We created a safe space within which we could explore ideas and be vulnerable with each other, without judgment. We’ve worked together for six or seven years before, but this time it felt different, as if we’d matured into this writing process on a whole other level. This was the first time we talked about the concept of the album before writing any songs. We wanted it to feel like a cohesive piece of art, to tell a story from start to finish. I think that this is when the title first emerged.

Every time we met, we would create little exercises and improvisation sets with certain rules. We pushed each other’s boundaries and felt safe enough together to do so. Sometimes a song would start by improvising a melody to the words of a random book, while Asher improvised a guitar riff underneath. Other times a song would emerge from creating a beat out of sounds we’d sampled in our hometowns. Objects from our childhoods, footsteps in our houses, weird vocal sounds, Asher tapping on a shell he found on the beach.

We actually created about forty song ideas, narrowed them down to sixteen fully written and produced tracks and eventually chose twelve songs for the album. Our bassist, Aaron Liao, and drummer, Angelo Spampinato, added their incredible talent and soul into these songs. Each of them brings such unbelievable energy and wisdom to the music; together it creates a unique world of sound. They really understood where we were coming from with the atmosphere of the songs immediately.

 

Q) There are 12 songs featured on the album. Do you have any personal favorites and why?

A) Oh, wow, this is a really tough question. It feels like choosing between all of my babies! I think that “Summer Blue” is one of my favorites because it’s the most personal and vulnerable one. It feels like putting my insides on a plate and serving it for everyone to eat. I also love “Note to Self” because it shows the process I’ve been through with my grief. There are a few phrases from a love letter my mom sent to my dad in their early 20’s that I wove into the lyrics. Also, I absolutely love Asher’s production on this one. It’s so intriguing and full of contrasting elements in the most gorgeous way, and I think more than anything I love how he incorporated his guitar playing into the track. I could listen to him play forever.

 

Q) Prior to this album you have released three EP’s in the past, which have gained over a million streams across platforms. What made you finally want to release an album?

A) It’s definitely been a long time coming. I think Asher and I have finally felt that we were ready to take something of this magnitude upon ourselves. It’s interesting though, it took us less time to work on this album from start to finish than the other EPs. I guess we’ve reached a point where we work extremely well together and have a clearer understanding of what we want to convey. We felt ready.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a track?

A) James Blake and Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver).

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and your music?

A) I’m truly grateful for all of your support and love. You are an inspiration to me and a light that guides me when I feel down. Thank you for being who you are.