Los Angeles Doomgaze Quartet Iress lay bare their souls with “Nest”—the third single from the band”s forthcoming album Flaw. The song is a lush, rich, and oceanic wave of chorus, reverb, and distortion with cathedral-like vocals that reverberate with a feverish intensity. These deep emotions resonate throughout this doom-laden anthem weaving a sound that fuses together the best of both 80s dark metal ballads with early 90s shoegaze.

Certainly, “Nest” is a genre-defying song that is both visceral and ethereal, invoking imagery of a sea of lighters during a concert hall mass while at the same time sounding like a heavier substitute of Mazzy Star’s “Into Dust” setting the scene of a ritualistic circle illuminated by candlelight.

“Nest is for the outsider and the misunderstood; it’s about finding someone or something that looks into you and understands, without a word, the comfort you find in emptiness together.”

Los Angeles-located atmospheric rock band Iress will release their highly anticipated heavy, yet melodic new album Flaw on September 18th.

The LP was recorded and produced by Sarah Tudzin, mixed by Collin Pastore, and mastered by Jett Galindo, Flaw was recorded at the Sunset House at Sunset Sound, Sonora Recorders, and the Snack Shack in Highland Park.

Band members Michelle Malley, Alex Moreno, Michael Maldonado, and Glenn Chu unveil a commanding ‘doomgaze’ sound that is driven by thickly textured guitar ambiance, lively bass lines, weighty drumming, and potent ethereal to emotive vocals.

Over the past several years the band has gained acclaim for their music that submerges the listener into another world of reveries and turmoil. Their powerful live performances and raw talent have brought them attention ,which have landed them opening spots for high-caliber acts such as Brutus, Slothrust, and Sunflower Bean.

Flaw delves into themes that range from heartache to addiction to loss of faith, The LP aims to address the complexities of the human condition. Iress draws from its Southern Californian roots with a recurring ocean theme throughout the album; one of depth, calm, and renewal.

Iress has released a string of singles (“Shamed,” “Underneath,” and “Nest”) since the end of December 2019, and Big Takeover is stoked to host the premiere of “Hand Tremor,” a compelling slow-burner that opens with reflective, yet gleaming acoustic guitar lines and rolls out in a measured wave of velvety vocal melancholia. Achingly vulnerable emotions rise to the surface as the gentle guitar motif mirrors the downcast rumination.

About the song, the band reveals, ““Hand Tremor,” one of the first songs written for the album, was created one afternoon at home while we (Alex and Michelle) lived together in Echo Park. It addresses the battle between tenderness and isolation and the internal fight between giving in and being vulnerable..”

Based in Los Angeles, alt.rock quartet Iress prepare to follow up their 2017 Prey album later this year with their sophomore album Flaw. New single Underneath is the second single to be released and is a doomy yet beautiful gem of a song.

Doom-laden yet not downbeat or oppressive, Underneath has an unusual but incredibly appealing presence to it. Imagine a more accessible, melodic Sunn O))) or Myrkr adopting a more sweeping rock tone to her more folkish moments, and you are getting to the dark heart of this song.

You can stream or download Underneath on Bandcamp. Be sure to check the band out over on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram where you can find more listening options as well as keeping up to date with news about the Flaw album.

Iress’ music is a heavy, warm blanket on a scary, dark and bitter cold night. Comforting, yet with the understanding that should one venture from beneath the covers, there be monsters about.

Their latest single “Underneath,” is a compelling example of that realm, with Michelle Malley’s emotive and ethereal vocals framed by drop-D, reverb-laden crunch and tom-tom thunder, exploding into a shimmering and cathartic chorus. Guitarist Alex Moreno and Malley explain their willful surrender: “‘Underneath’ is about the desire to give in to self-destructive patterns to feel numb, falling headfirst into that dark place that can be both scary and comforting. ‘So inviting, I dive, blue and bent,’ I imagine walking slowly into the sea and letting it engulf me.”

Iress music has all the depth, beauty and violence of the North Atlantic, with 100-foot icy waves that crest and come crashing down one minute and then calming into a glimmering sun kissed ocean the next. They’ve found a unique sound that traverses the edges of doom metal and fuses it with 4AD ’80s-era shoegaze. They build somber cathedrals of sound, reverent in a stoic darkness, accented with stabs of light piercing through the stained glass.

The foursome of  Malley, Moreno, bassist Michael Maldonado and drummer Glenn Chu have been making their beautiful racket for several years now, dating back to their first album, “Prey,” released in 2015 when they were known as IRIS. “Underneath” — which was recorded and produced by Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties, mixed by Collin Pastore and mastered by Jett Galindo — follows their initial single release, “Shamed,” both of which will be on Iress’ sophomore album “Flaw,” to be released this fall.

There’s an ethereal quality to Iress‘ music that makes me feel like I’m floating in an energetic primordial ocean, being called to my next journey by a voice made of pure light. I’m listening to their new single “Underneath” off their album Flaw that comes out later this year, produced and recorded by Sarah Tudzin. This is magical, devastatingly beautiful doomgaze that perfectly blends feminine strength with masculine power to create something that feels like a cosmic shift to a superb way of being. And I’m not talking about women and men, I’m talking about the energies that exist in everything and that have been way out of whack for centuries. It’s like with “Underneath” Iress is giving us a sonic roadmap to utopia – but it’s not a destination without pain or suffering, instead it’s a destination with balance and integrity. This track has me really excited to hear the full album. Listen to our stream of “Underneath” right here, and pre-order Flaw right here.

‘Underneath’ is about the desire to give into self destructive patterns to feel numb, falling headfirst into that dark place that can be both scary and comforting. “So inviting, I dive, blue and bent”, I imagine walking slowly into the sea and letting it engulf me.

Prior to this, Iress was not a name I was familiar with. However, once their new single “Shamed” started playing, I was almost immediately hooked. Coming hot off of their third album, planned for early next year, “Shamed” is soaked in reverb, great vocals, and, most of all, a sense of melancholy that manages to be sincere instead of theatrical and impersonal. In that sense, the single reminds me most of Trees of Eternity and the heartbreaking story/talent of Aleah Stanbridge. Both Iress and that ill-fated project have a fascination with doom and its slowness but meld it not with the guttural brutality of that genre’s often abrasive vocals but with the scintillating beauty of clean, evocative singing. Head on down below for your first taste of this frigid, emotional offering.

“Frigid” might be the wrong word here, or rather, not one which is enough to describe what’s happening on “Shamed” all by itself. There’s plenty of “warmness” here; the main riffs undulates outwards from the chords, heavy feedback working very well with the faint synths that run in the background. But this is not the warmth of security but rather a sweltering of oppressiveness. This feeling is further accentuated by the industrial tones of noise and static that accompany the track. Above it all float the vocals, elegantly contrasting with the rest of the instrumentation, creating the final affect that linchpins the track’s timbre and style.

The end result is quite an accomplished single and one which has me excited to hear more from the band. Hopefully more specific details emerge regarding their upcoming album, Flaw, soon. When they do, we’ll keep you posted; this sounds like it might become one of 2020’s early hits. For now, check out “Shamed” and get sad; it’s winter, after all.

LOS ANGELES, CA–

“…Another band that I absolutely adore is IRESS’, and they were the last band I saw play at Bands In A Barbershop for Echo Park Rising.

I knew that IRESS” lead singer Michelle Malley had broken her arm, so I was interested to see how they would fare missing the guitar that Michelle typically plays. Well, Michelle’s guitar parts were masterfully covered by the multi-talented, Illuminati Hotties frontwoman Sarah Tudzin (who is also producing Iress’ newest project!).

Personally, I loved seeing Michelle perform without having to play the guitar, even with the arm sling. If you aren’t familiar with IRESS, their music is somber, loud and heavy. The sonics alone are emotionally impactful, so without having to pay attention to her instrument, it really felt like Michelle’s concentration was focused on bringing all of that heaviness to life. I’m not sure whether the group has the bandwidth to add an additional player, but I think it served IRESS fantastically well on this night…”

LOS ANGELES, CA- Holy cow. Iress was f*ing phenomenal at this gig. Specifically,  Iress’ lead singer, Michelle Malley, blew me away.

I’m not quite sure what it was this time around. I’ve seen Iress perform before (at the Echo), and I’ve always loved their heavy haunted sound, but Michelle’s vocals were simply flawless this evening. Perhaps it was the high ceilings and mirrored walls of the barbershop, but her voice was powerful and piercing through and through. Every line was drenched with a weight of emotion that literally had me holding my own breath at times. They may describe their music as “doom-gaze”, but I couldn’t have felt more in heaven than listening to Michelle sing.

Their performance could have been derailed early on when their lead guitarist’s (Alex Moreno’s) guitar strap, broke during a song (during which she played her axe vertically on her knees). But with the help of some duct tape, the crisis was averted.

To close their set, Michelle stepped off the stage and into the crowd to sing. She parted the crowd like it was the Red Sea, and all eyes were affixed on her wailing away, emoting with all she had. I’m sure all of the hairs on the floor of the room (remember we were in a barbershop) were standing in awe at attention.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Iress.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Iress. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We started Iress in 2010 at a park in Covina, CA. After many late night AIM conversations, we finally picked the name Iris which was later changed to Iress.

Since then, we have played countless Los Angeles venues and have toured around the midwest and pacific northwest.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Iress has defintely been through some periods that were a challenge to navigate. We have had five drummers and a lot of shifts in how we approach the writing process.

Our advice to young female musicians would be to find your passion, hone your craft, and know your worth.

Please tell us about Iress.
We are a 4 piece band that plays what has been described as “doom-gaze” or just heavy sad music.

We have always stuck to our style of music even when it hasn’t been the most popular genre in the scene and in doing that, we have accrued a very loyal fan base here in Los Angeles.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
All of them.

We have all been waiting for it…the band that makes your heart stop and think ‘what the hell is this?’ But in a good way! The band that makes you realize that the universe has so much more in store for music, we just haven’t discovered it yet. MUSE readers, you are in luck, that band is now more alive than ever and their name is Iris.

I would like you to meet Michelle Malley 
on vocals/guitar, Alex Moreno
 on lead guitar, Michael Maldonado
 on bass guitar, and Glenn Chu on drums. They are the Nirvana to your Florence and The Machine. Your Pixies meets Smashing Pumpkins. The 90’s are back with an entire new sound and Iris is the next big thing. Their hypnotizing sound leaves the audience falling in love and lifting your spirits. The band recently played at The Glasshouse in Pomona and I got to catch up with them to hear all about their recent album, Prey, and how the epic band came into formation.

The Glasshouse’s crowd had all eyes fixated on Iris. Michelle’s voice echoes through the waves of people in the audience. Shouts for an encore ricochets from guest to guest. The energy from the room ignites an awakening.

Guitarist Alex: I can tell when people are really engaged, when they are just watching. You might look up and they seem very serious and they might not look like they are into it, but they are watching your fingers move across the strings and they are watching Michelle sing and they are just very locked in on her. They are not talking to their friends, they are not on their phones, they are not looking around, and they are just looking at what you are doing, which I think is a positive thing. So just seeing their faces and just watching everything, makes me know that they are into it.

The Glasshouse venue was a huge accomplishment for the band and a brought forth a vision for their future. Since Iris usually plays at smaller venues that only accommodate around 100 people, Iris got a taste of what a full house of 600 plus people feels like. And after hearing from them, I can tell you the feeling is beautiful.

Drummer Glenn: People seemed really welcoming especially at a show with mostly metalish bands. It was pretty cool.

It is hard to categorize Iris because their sound is so unique. Their new album Prey features an array of captivating musical lyrics that will bring you back to past remembrances. Iris explains how they draw their inspiration from their memories and the same memories that might be shared with their fans.

Guitarist Alex: We write our songs with a teenage mentality in our head. The way we felt when we were young and the way everything made us feel like shit. We are writing for everyone that feels like that. I mean, our songs are very emotional, the lyrics are. So basically everyone who feels that, we are writing for them. We are not ever writing lyrics for us, we are writing for them. And for anyone to relate to us and for anyone to hear a lyric or a song that can make them feel better about themselves because of it, that’s why we play music and that why we write songs. For someone else to feel better in that situation.

Bass Guitarist Michael: I came from a very classic rock, bluesie, even metal background. Those are all of my influences. And when I joined Iris, it kinda brought something else out of me and made me play bass very differently. It made me like the sound that we created. It is very 90’s influenced, but I think we have created something that is entirely our own.

Iris came together with Michelle and Alex’s mutual friendship. They knew they both played music, but never had played together. One day, they decided to meet for a jam sesh and a light bulb was formed.

Guitarist Alex: When me and Michelle first met up, we met up at a park with 2 acoustic guitars, never played together ever. We knew each other but we had never played music together and we just hit it off. And then after we went to Del Taco and got chicken soft tacos, we would drive around all night talking until 5 A.M. and that continued to happen for days.

Then Michael came along.

Bass Guitarist Michael: We played a show together. I was playing at the same place with another band I was in. And then we met through friends of friends. They invited me to come over and audition as a bass player for Iris, and I’ve been the bass player ever since. And I love saying that because I am very proud.

And then Glenn.

Drummer Glenn: I have been drumming for about 16 years now. A little over a year ago, I was playing with another band that played with Iris and that’s when I first heard of them. They broke up and it was through mutual friends bands that introduced me to Iris.

The formation of this extraordinary, up and coming, band is something to record in the books. Gazing into Iris’ future, I want to thank Del Taco and a long list of friends who brought them all together.

Singer Michelle: This year is the year that we are going to shine. I feel really happy. The four of us are solid. I am nervous about our next album, but excited! I love our recent hit song, Wolves. We just wrote a new song and we are excited to play it. I really like the direction we are going in. I like a heavy sound and that’s just how Wolves is. This new song is really heavy too. I think it’s a little heavier than wolves actually.

Go check them out yourself and listen to Iris’ album, Prey, available on iTunes or on the band’s website weareiris.bandcamp.com. Personally, I cannot wait for their next new album and upcoming shows.