Bobby (lead vocals and guitar), Bernard (guitar), Glenn (drums), Neil (bass), Mack (piano and organ), Brent (piano, organ and vocals), Nolan (saxophone), Eileen (trumpet), Nancy (doo-wop vocals), Phil (doo-wop vocals) and Betty-Lou (doo-wop vocals). We're an entourage of eight to twelve! The more the sunnier! :)
Influences
60's indie hits, 70's lounge pop, 80's and 90's guitar pop, Northern soul, the girl-group era, the American west coast sound, crooner pop, contemporary indie pop and much more.
Sounds Like
Summer fun has never been more depressing. Or the other way around.
Irene Biography
Irene grew into a full scale band quite spontaneously in 2005. The members were all friends from various bands hanging out in a local pub in Göteborg, Sweden. Some songs that Tobias Isaksson (aka Bobby) had written just couldn't wait to be performed live. The people that did the first show wanted to stick around and by the autumn of 2005 Irene was an octet with semi-permanent members. Shortly after that the record label Labrador signed the band.
A critically acclaimed debut album called Apple Bay was released in 2006. It was an upbeat, super-short, 24 minute tribute to the 60's sound with most instruments recorded live. Irene became keen UK travellers and Apple Bay was licensed in the USA, Australia, Thailand and Taiwan and distributed via Labrador's associates in countries all over the world.
In the spring 2007 tours of England, France, Spain and Germany made Irene aspire to take the music to a new level. The result was another timeless pop effort of 27 minutes titled Long Gone Since Last Summer. New members were added along the way and although the album was due in Sweden less than one year after the debut it displayed a band with brand new qualities.
The first single By Your Side was instantly praised on Pitchfork and Irene got a worldwide blog hype peaking at 13 on Elbo.ws. Great album reviews and more international attention followed and the rest is Google history. The album was licenced in the USA, Thailand and Taiwan.
But more than anything, Irene has to be experienced live. Tours of Scandinavia, the UK, Holland and Spain have already been undertaken and more will follow, along with another recording session in 2008.
The members of Irene remain beach crooners, lounge punks and next door nice guys.
Irene Discography
BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY
Cd Single 2006
LITTLE THINGS (THAT TEAR US APART)
Cd Ep 2006
APPLE BAY
Cd Album 2006
CHRISTMAS ON THE BEACH
Download Single 2006
BY YOUR SIDE
Download Single 2007
LONG GONE SINCE LAST SUMMER
Cd Album 2007
LITTLE LOVIN'
Download Single 2007
By Your Side Video Directed by You Saved Me
Past Shows September 5th, 2008: ESF @ Henriksberg, Göteborg
June 26th, 2008: Mint Condition @ Pustervik, Göteborg
June 14th, 2008: No Good Club @ Underjorden, Göteborg
June 1st, 2008: Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain
April 12th, 2008: Tone Festival, København, Denmark
April 11th, 2008: Don't Tell Me That! @ Chinabion, Jönköping
March 3rd, 2008: Doce y Medio, Murcia, Spain
March 1st, 2008: La Lata de Bombillas, Zaragoza, Spain
February 29th, 2008: La [2] de Nitsa, Barcelona, Spain
February 28th, 2008: Playa Club, A Coruña, Spain
February 27th, 2008: La Fábrica de Chocolate, Vigo, Spain
February 26th, 2008: Moby Dick Club, Madrid, Spain
February 26th, 2008: Fnac (showcase), Madrid, Spain
January 11th, 2008: Eurosonic Festival, Groningen, Holland
November 17th, 2007: Klubb Populär @ Storan, Göteborg
November 3rd, 2007: Huset Magstræde, København, Denmark
November 2nd, 2007: Klubb Indigo @ Blekingska nationen, Lund
October 20th, 2007: Falling And Laughing @ Debaser Medis, Stockholm
October 18th, 2007: John Doe @ Herrgår'n, Linköping
October 6th, 2007: Popklubb @ The Dog And Parrot, Newcastle, UK
October 5th, 2007: Lost Music Presents @ Brixton Jamm, London, UK
September 29th, 2007: Boom Goes The Dynamite! @ Kalmar Nation, Uppsala
September 28th, 2007: Klubb Desired @ Bolanche, Rockfickan, Borlänge
September 22nd, 2007: Club Feber, Trollhättan
September 14th, 2007: Klubb Igloo @ Debaser Malmö, Malmö
September 12th, 2007: Woody West vardagsklubb @ Pustervik, Göteborg
August 19th, 2007: Kulturkalaset @ Kungstorgets stora scen, Göteborg
July 4th, 2007: SVMK Under Bar Himmel @ Debaser Slussen, Stockholm
April 29th, 2007: Sala BeCool, Barcelona, Spain
April 28th, 2007: Neu!Club, Madrid, Spain
April 27th, 2007: La Lata de Bombillas, Zaragoza, Spain
February 24th, 2007: Atomino, Chemnitz, Germany
February 23th, 2007: Ilses Erika, Leipzig, Germany
February 21th, 2007: Magnet Club, Berlin, Germany
February 20th, 2007: Grüner Jäger, Hamburg, Germany
February 19th, 2007: Nachtcafé, Kiel, Germany
February 3rd, 2007: Fest i valen 2007 @ Kulturkammaren, Norrköping
February 2nd, 2007: Bätte än igår @ Trädgårn, Borås
January 24th, 2007: ULU, London, UK
January 23th, 2007: La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
December 6th, 2006: Dodger @ Smålands nation, Lund
November 30th, 2006: Svanen @ Jazzhuset, Göteborg
November 29th, 2006: Spy Bar, Stockholm
November 10th, 2006: Bigmouth @ K6, Karlstad
October 28th, 2006: Velvet @ V-dala nation, Uppsala
September 29th, 2006: Klubb Populär @ Storan, Göteborg
September 22th, 2006: Svenska Musikklubben @ Debaser, Stockholm
September 8th, 2006: HDIF? @ The Windmill, Brixton, London, UK
August 10-12th, 2006: Emmabodafestivalen
July 18th, 2006: PingPongPop @ Majas Vid Havet, Varberg
July 15th, 2006: Klubb Ace @ Mango, Stockholm
May 20th, 2006: Woody West Lördagsklubb @ Pustervik, Göteborg
May 12th, 2006: S.O.S. (Sounds of Sweden) @ RAFA Club, Glasgow, UK
May 11th, 2006: HDIF? @ The Windmill, Brixton, London, UK
April 28th, 2006: Pang Musik! @ Kalmar Nation, Uppsala
April 27th, 2006: John Doe @ Herrgår'n, Linköping
April 14th, 2006: KB, Malmö
March 2nd, 2006: Klubb Total @ Sticky Fingers, Göteborg
February 24th, 2006: Indigo @ Blekingska nationen, Lund
February 10th, 2006: Klubb Krutov @ Söderport, Kalmar
February 9th, 2006: Gump @ Jazzhuset, Göteborg
February 4th, 2006: Invigningsfestival @ Inkonst, Malmö
January 20th, 2006: Club Feber @ Sand, Trollhättan
January 13th, 2006: Svenska Musikklubben @ Debaser, Stockholm
December 26th, 2005: Club Instigator @ Jazzhuset, Göteborg
December 7th, 2005: Uppåt Framåt, Göteborg
September 3rd, 2005: Monsters of Indie @ Street, Stockholm
May 4th, 2005: Mono Beat @ Pustervik, Göteborg
PARAPLUIE FYLLER 3 ÅR! Detta firas med stor baluns på Pusterviksbaren! Vi är mycket glada att presentera tre av våra absoluta favoritakter från de tre åren som gått! + vår älskling Euphoria and the lazy Boy bakom skivspelarna. Så snöra stepskorna, så möts vi på Pustervik! Varmt välkommen!
På scen: THE DEER TRACKS - fantastisk vacker electropop www.myspace.com/thedeertracks JONATHAN JOHANSSON - aktuell med ny skiva www.myspace.com/jonathanojohansson WE ARE SOLDIERS WE HAVE GUNS - ny skiva, grym pop! www.myspace.com/wearesoldiers
Hello friend! The very first issue of the Secret Circus News is now out... To see it, go to: www.aahman.net/sc_news_nr1 Don't forget to join our mailing list...! Rock on!
Picnic, new album! Portia Records, Out now! (US & CA, delivery worldwide) Universal Records, Out October 2008 (Philippines) Molécula Records, Out now (México) ******************************************** Buenos Aires born, Barcelona resident and graphic artist Sebastian Litmanovich is Cineplexx. With the help of friends Duglas Stewart (BMX Bandits), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Federico Aubele and Jad Fair, Cineplexx presents Picnic, a gorgeous Spanish-language record of beautiful harmonies and lush instrumentation similar to Belle & Sebastian a la "The Boy with the Arab Strap", the swaying rhythms of Gilberto Gil and tender 60s rock reminiscent of Love and the Zombies. Picnic is a rare treat of a perfect pop record with revelatory songs underneath the album's fuzzy, echoed wash.
thank you for accepting me! i hope to see you this year again in Madrid, as the last two years (in Moby Dick and Neu Club clubs). if not, i will miss you.:-)
Just spending the last part of Sunday afternon before I have my tea asking some of our friends to come over and take a listen to the pop songs currently on our page.
Hey Irene, thanks for the add! Have a great weekend!
Joel, of Secret Circus
Oh, and by the freakin way... Right now, for a limited time only... Our songs are available for FREE download!!! Put them on your ipod (or musicplayer of choice) before anyone else! Spread the word!
I'm listening your music right now. I really love your sound and the voice.... so magical! I wish to see you in concert guys! I come in sweden the next month. No more concerts?
Hola, acabo de subir un nuevo tema a mi space, se llama zappin y bueno, lo escribí una noche al llegar a casa después de un concierto, puse la televisión mientras tocaba la guitarra y cuando me vine a dar cuenta llevaba un rato tocando mientras de fondo sonaba uno de esos documentales que ponen en las televisiones locales a altas horas de la madrugada así que cambie de canal y en un noticiero hablaban de la detención de una chica terrorista en el País Vasco francés. Y nada, sin darme cuenta acabé escribiendo de las dos cosas así que decidí llamarla “Zappin” porque al fin y al cabo se trata solo de eso. Si te apetece escucharla entra en www. myspace. com/proyectojass
Hi irene Don't miss the opportunity to play at the world's biggest festival for upcoming bands! Play at the best and biggest venues in your country. Sign up your band today at www.emergenza.se Hope to see your band ON stage! All the best Emergenza Festival Nordic
