#Freshfind Planet Cool own Iris Gold chatted with us about her new album and so much more
Photographer: Tyler Lee Aubrey
It's not every day that we have the opportunity to interview somebody as they're getting ready to perform on stage, but that is the case that we had the chance to chat with Iris Gold. Iris Gold just released her full-length album Woman on Bay Street Records. The eclectic, genre-bending artist, who describes her unique sound and style as “hippie hop,” was born in London and raised in Copenhagen. The album was produced and co-written by Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart and was recorded in the Caribbean at his Bay Street Studios. We caught up with her as she was in the car with her DJ, a Film crew (Yeah, will talk about that in a moment), and a driver (Of course).
Who are you?
Iris gold. I'm a mother, I'm a sister, I'm a friend, and I am an amazing artist. Artist, you should get to know about me.
So you have a brand new album out; what was it like to work on this album?
I loved it. I was lucky enough to go to the Caribbean with him (Dave Stewart) and just had a good time while I was doing the album. It didn’t feel like really, like work; it was always play. He always had a theory, you know, If you don’t write a song in 15 minutes, it’s not really a song.
How did you two meet? Regarding Dave Stewart.
The DJ that’s in front of me played at the Medium festival with me at Canne on the big stage. But we also got invited to play on a small boat with just my guitarist and we played a little acoustic set. It was filmed and the people that filmed, it was a part of. Dave's company. And he saw the footage and was just. Wow. I got to work with this girl.
Was that second show impromptu or was it kind of scheduled?
It was kinda semi-schedule but I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen. It was kinda random, actually, but if the universe wanted me to do it so I was there.
Which one was your favorite to experiment with?
Oh, I like Make Me Feel Something because I get to introduce the band. It's very like; I guess that's the closest song to a Eurythmics song. It’s a bit Synth heavy that I feel like a Bad-Ass when I sing that song and it’s really cool. Especially with everything that I’m going through in my life. That’s a song and Women, that really touches me. I hope that people can feel the vibrations out there when I’m singing to them. That’s the song I dedicated to all women.
Was there someone that helped inspire you to write some of these songs?
If your thinking about Mama Was Hippie, then yes. That is definitely. A song that was dedicated to him (Her Son). It started out as a song dedicated to the Hippie Community I grew up in. I had a lot of mother figures, and I kind of wanted to make it about them, but then I had a son. So I flipped it and made it sound like a song he would sing to me, which I hoped he would do.
At this point in the conversation, she pops out of the car with the rest of the crew. She quickly introduced the crew that was with her real quick before jumping back into the interview but one thing stood out to us at the moment.
You're having a documentary done about you?
Oh yeah, I think it kind of just happened.
Of course, we cannot end our conversation without a conversation card or two.
When’s the last time you surprised yourself?
I surprise myself all the time. Because life is hard God Dam it because I think life is hard sometimes and we got to keep moving.
What’s a compliment that you wished you received more frequently?
That I am kind and funny to be around. Like a Disco Ball, shining on everything I walk on.
What would you call this chapter in your life right now?
Chaotic and Crazy but Beautiful.
