Zajac, Iona - Bang

Zajac’s strength as an artist lies in her ability to balance light and dark with startling ease.

While songs like “Bowls,” “Dilute” and “Anton” anchor the record in raw explorations of violence and intimacy, elsewhere, she lets surrealism and humour take centre stage. The dreamlike “Chicken Supermarket” imagines hallucinatory encounters with Billy Connolly and seas of jelly, while the exuberant title track revels in sexual liberation with infectious, pop-fuelled guitar tones. This tonal dexterity - at once bruising and playful - places Zajac alongside kindred spirits such as PJ Harvey and Angel Olsen, artists unafraid to marry the intimate with the explosive.

Bang was recorded at Post Electric Studio in Edinburgh with producer Dani Bennett-Spragg, alongside Joe Taylor (drums), Ellie Mason (guitar, synths), and Ben Manning (bass). Drawing on influences from Sibylle Baier and Portishead to her Polish and Ukrainian heritage, Zajac weaves together intimate acoustic moments and full-band dynamism with an intensity that reflects her arresting live performances.

FFO: PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Aldous Harding, Lankum