New Zealand alternative folk artist, Reb Fountain is releasing her second album, IRIS with Flying Nun Records on 1st October. The perfect extension of her 2020 self-titled record, IRIS elevates Reb’s music to new heights. She effortlessly combines pop elements with her trademark noir folk-punk sound; weaving authentic and anthemic tunes that create an instant and indelible impression.
Recorded at Sublime Studios with co-producers Dave Khan and Simon Gooding, Reb says, “I tried to catch the light refracting – the full saturation of suchness – and remain open to whatever emerged. The space we found at Sublime and the tight-knit connection that we held was intricately woven into the fabric of IRIS during the writing, production and recording process.
IRIS provided me an opportunity to speak my unspoken, to reflect what I have seen and experienced from within and to bear witness. These songs are a reminder of a map to a place we all know. They are a vision of our past, a memory of our future and high beam headlights whether you’re behind the wheel or staring down the barrel of their glare. They are a story of endless unrequited love and the hunt for tethering to a kindred spirit.”
Diving into the deeper meaning of the album’s namesake, Reb says, “Iris is in many ways an unsung hero known as the goddess of the rainbow, sea and sky, she acts as bridge between the gods to humanity with little of her own story known. So many stories go unheard, so many aspects of our humanity are unsung; visibility is a contested and inequitable space where what is essential, and of beauty, is often ‘invisible’. I wanted and needed to give voice to this essential human spirit; to conjure and hold and commune with the very real, valid and invaluable voices within and around me.”
Throughout 2020, Reb and her all-star band toured New Zealand on her sold out album release tour, joined Crowded House on their 13 date, ‘To The Island Tour’, performed at Splore, and honoured Nick Cave at the Auckland Town Hall show, ‘The Boy Next Door’.
Reb was born in San Francisco and immigrated with her family from North America to Lyttelton – the quiet port town out of Christchurch that’s been fundamental to New Zealand’s alt-folk scene, raising artists like Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding, and Delaney Davidson.
