An Interview with Irene Wilde

A new album release from Irene Wilde delivers a very unique brand of honesty where she opens up on many levels and lets a lot of emotion and inner thought spill out for all to soak up. It is all done with a special approach and this beautiful and somewhat intense vulnerability, which I found not only touching and authentic but also addicting in a sense.

The Spleen (Narrator's Edition) album wastes very little time getting to the point with an introductory spoken word narrative that speaks about mental illness and how anyone suffering from it doesn't have to do so alone.

This is something that sets the tone for the record in terms of its sentiment, and I think that's a brave thing to do on a record such as this one.

Now, the reason it is called the Narrator's Edition, is because throughout the record, you do get her narration, so you're getting these bouts of intense thought coming at you, and it is riddled with that emotion so that when you listen to the music, it all makes even more sense.

Throughout the album, you have a beautiful array of alternative pop with experimental approaches in terms of its production. At times, you have her voice being used as an instrument in the background, while at other times, you have influences that call back to classic pop music.

There's always this real sort of edginess to the songs because again, they are all very authentic and all coming from someplace real, so those intense moments are something you can feel in your bones when they happen.

Songs like "Blue Leaves" speak volumes for the record as she utilizes that alternative pop and cinematic underbelly to create an atmosphere that you end up falling right into and getting wrapped up in.

This entire record is something you get engulfed in very quickly, and once you're there, in a way, you don't want to leave.

This song in particular is amazing to introduce the record with in terms of some of the staples that you'll hear throughout its course as a whole.

Having said that, there are plenty of surprises around the corners of this record.

Vocally, she is wonderfully there. Right in your face and at times, squeezing in so much lyrically into one bar that you have to go and listen to the song again just to pick up on everything that she's saying.

This is done with a passion and heart; the emotion is always there, those little bouts of intensity are always there, and these are the elements and attributes that pull you into this record.

In strange ways, you can connect with some of the things that she's saying and the sentiments she's basing her songs on, so it can be relatable and connective on several levels.

The music and production of this record are always lush and gorgeous. There is that air of edginess almost all the time, but there's also a lot of soul involved.

Keys, guitars, synths, organs, vocals, and plenty more fill the space and really give you a thick and full-bodied soundscape so you can grab hold of it and really just take the ride.

Some of this stuff really hits home for me simply because her songwriting and vocals make me think of artists like Tori Amos or Alanis Morissette.

Only in a much more alternative pop sense.

I can actually hear a slew of influences throughout this release, and she utilizes those to create something that's musically enticing and alluring while giving off so much of that robust honesty that you just can't look away from this thing.

There's a lot of attention to detail during the creation process of these songs, which is something that I can tell just by listening to it, but it never loses that personality, character, or sentiment that it starts off with, and this is the most important aspect of the entire thing.

It's that vulnerability that reaches out and grabs you and that never goes away.

So, you have this soulful, edgy, alternatively driven, honest, and emotionally thriving release that grabs you both musically and lyrically almost all the time.

It is definitely something that is built with fewer boundaries than you may be used to, but this is something that I love about it.

Again, to me, this is mostly alternative pop, but it's done in a certain way that freshens things up while still calling back to some of those classic influences I mentioned earlier.

After listening to the record, we had to reach out and ask Irene about the release simply because we wanted to know where this came from.

There's so much realness to this record that I wanted to know more about what drove it and how she made something so vulnerable that it must have been cathartic to write and release in the end.

So, check out our interview with Irene Wilde below and find out what this is all about while you listen to the record.

Buzz Slayers: Hey Irene, thanks for taking some time with us! Let's talk a bit about the Spleen (Narrator's Edition) album! This was a record that felt incredibly personal. It had beautiful songwriting and vocal performances and a lot of honesty without walls. Where did this album come from?

It came from all the conversations I didn’t have but desperately wanted. When I was diagnosed, I felt incredibly alone and confused. And though I was told to look at the bright side , I didn’t know anyone else with Bipolar I to talk to; to relate to. So I created an album that talks openly about the struggles because there is resilience in it. I wanted to be the person that remained hopeful, but didn’t give you flowers. 

Buzz Slayers: Throughout the record you give "narration" almost like chapter introductions throughout the record. Is this something you came up with after the record was completed? Where did that idea come from?

I’m an avid reader and I wanted to tell the full story through not only my own words, but authors (I could legally) whose words spoke to me. Every year I listen to “An unquiet mind” by Kay Redfield Jameson and it soothes me, not being alone in the supposed madness. And I wanted to do the same for my listeners - be it a gentle guide or damning omission 

Buzz Slayers: As you mention on the record itself, this is a very vulnerable release. Was it cathartic for you to finally write and release?

My catharsis comes from the production. Those manic all nighters where you are so invested in creating that the world just slips away - as well as your inhibitions. Releasing is new to me, however, where I’m still learning to let it breathe and exist on its own and allowing others to partake. 

Buzz Slayers: I am hearing some incredible styles here! Can you give us some of your biggest musical influences?

Oof, I am obsessed with the goddess FKA Twigs. As well as Bon Iver. I am not worthy. Haha But I love that they both can be so vulnerable and yet so masterful as to be intimidating. I love that she plays with power dynamics as both soft and strong simultaneously. 

Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as an artist?

It’s like the nature v nurture question. I was always creative, sure, but experienced trauma made me build an inner world, a safe space that I will protect at all costs. That inner world is Irene Wilde. Where I am safe to be most authentic. 

Buzz Slayers: Do you find it hard to write records like this?

I find it hard not to. I wish I could write a pop ballad that didn’t spill my guts. But as any artist will tell you, there’s a compulsion to create; to dive. But finding big enough spans of time to do so is the biggest factor.  I need to be fully invested and not listen to anything else till it’s complete. 

Buzz Slayers: Do you play live shows at all?

I do! I’m gearing up for the summer and I’m excited to not only share this record, but the conversations I have after performing. When you put yourself out there, in my experience people feel safe to confide with you. 

Buzz Slayers: Who is in your headphones right now?

Ex:Re ‘s self titled album. It’s tragic and amazing and it soothes me during my breakup. 

Buzz Slayers: Do you ever collaborate with others to release music?

Yes! I’ve colllaborated with Silk Butterfly on my Melancholia (Narrator’s Edition) EP. He’s incredibly talented and a true friend. I have a few collaborations in the works for some upcoming projects so stay tuned. 

Buzz Slayers: Now that this record is released, what is next for you?

I have two projects coming up but they don’t have release dates yet. Pyrrhicae (Narrator’s Edition) is coming! So prepare for healing after you listen to Spleen’s darkness. 

The other project I can’t disclose yet. 

Buzz Slayers: What can you say people might expect from this album?

Spleen (Narrator’s Edition) is above all honest. It’s not afraid to talk about mental health from someone still going through it. And finally, it gives the listener the one thing I wanted while I was being diagnosed - permission to grieve. 

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