No one is prepared for the sonic and emotional journey Los Angeles-based Doomgaze quartet Iress will take listeners on with their new album Sleep Now, In Reverse. Spearheaded by vocalist and guitarist Michelle Malley, along with guitarist Graham Walker, bassist Michael Maldonado, and drummer Glenn Chu, Sleep Now, In Reverse is a powerful juxtaposition between beautifully rich and ethereal soundscapes paired with pummeling and colossal heavy arrangements. Sleep Now, In Reverse, which was partially recorded live, shows Iress firing on all cylinders and, in essence, captures the band’s undeniably rich live sound and dynamic, further brought to life by Frontwoman Michelle Malley’s evocative vocal performances and lyricism that can only be described as chillingly vulnerable. 

Released on July 26th via Dune Altar and Church Road Records, Sleep Now, In Reverse is already proving to be the band’s breakthrough album. With rave reviews from esteemed media outlets including Metal Injection, Decibel Magazine, and Flood Magazine — as well as successful tour dates across the pond in the UK, Iress may be heading into the most exciting era of their nearly fifteen-year career. In other words, Sleep Now, In Reverse is the definitive Iress album, a product of decades of hard work and creative evolution just waiting to be discovered. 

We sat down with Iress frontwoman and guitarist Michelle Malley to discuss the band’s new album Sleep Now, In Reverse, their recent UK tour, musical influences, dream collaborations, and so much more. 

Upon first listening to your brand new album Sleep Now, In Reverse, I was immediately intrigued by how warm and rich the recordings are. Not to mention, the songs have a very organic and "live" aspect. What was the recording process like for the album, and what did you want it to encapsulate sonically? 

Michelle Malley: Well, first off, thank you so much. We actually tracked all the drums and bass live, including some of the guitars. It was a really cool process. Of course, we had a lot of fun layering on top of them with synths, more guitars, and vocal harmonies. Our process of recording was very instinctive, improvised, and collaborative. We had all the songs pieced together before recording them, but a lot of the writing happened in the studio together. We stayed at The Pale Moon Ranch for a week at a time, creating and writing, making it very special. 

Another aspect of the album that really stands out is the juxtaposition of the ethereal tenderness of the vocal performances over such heavy arrangements. With your music incorporating everything from doom and metal to shoegaze and post-rock, what specific influences and artists inspired you this time around? 

Malley: I've always loved how eclectic our band's personal music tastes are; I believe that's why our music is the way it is. We channeled a lot of our metal roots with chugging guitar riffs and mathy outros. Still, we also embraced our dreamy shoegaze-y side with lots of atmospheric layers and synths. This album specifically is the most collaborative one yet which is why every track is so different from the other. Beach House and Slowdive were high in our music rotation, along with bands such as Cocteau Twins, Windhand, and Holy Fawn. We are all influenced by so many bands, and it's hard to name only a few, so I will leave it there.

It feels like you are holding nothing back in terms of vulnerability. Leading into this album, what did you feel like you needed to get off your chest lyrically? 

Malley: Well, that's definitely a loaded question. My lyrics are highly influenced by my emotions and what I'm going through. I have been my most vulnerable self the past two releases, especially lyrically. There has been a lot of change and heartbreak in the air over the years, and making music is definitely how I release it all. I actually invited Graham into my lyrical world, and he had a hand in the lyrics for Sleep Now, In Reverse, which made them even more vulnerable. He helped me bring them to life.

If you had to choose, what is your favorite song from Sleep Now, In Reverse, and why? 

Malley: That is so hard! I think they have all been a favorite at some point while we were writing them. “Falling” is currently my favorite to play live. I think today I am going to choose “Leviathan (The Fog).” It's the softer one on the record and quite different from the rest, and I absolutely love how it came together. 

At the beginning of August, you played your album release show at the legendary Los Angeles venue, The Echo. How did it feel to celebrate the release of this album in your hometown, and how has the city of Los Angeles shaped your music in general? 

Malley: That night was incredible. The amount of love and support we felt was surreal. It was the perfect way to send us off on tour. Being at The Echo, with our community, where we have so many memories, and the lineup was all friends we've known for years, including our label Dune Altar as the DJ. It was simply a beautiful evening, to say the least.

You are currently on tour in the UK at the time of this interview. How has the reception of the new songs been in a live setting, and what are some of your highlights from this run? 

Malley: This tour is magical. A reminder that I want to do this forever. People are singing the lyrics to our songs; we are meeting fans for the first time who have been listening to our music for years. We packed a venue in London, a place we've never been before. This was the most amazing thing we have ever experienced. The highlight was definitely performing at the Arctangent Festival. It was an emotional day and by far the coolest thing we have all ever done. I hope to play many more just like it next year.

What would be your dream tour lineup and dream musical collaboration? 

Malley: The guys and I have talked about this many times. I think we could answer this in a lot of different ways because there are so many amazing bands we all love and feel like we would mesh well with. Deftones would obviously be life-changing. Loathe, Nothing, or Deafheaven would be fun. We could also go the more shoegaze-y route and tour with Slowdive…just to name a few. As for a musical collaboration, I would love to work with an instrumental band like Explosions in the Sky, or This Will Destroy You and add some melodies to their beautiful music. I think it would be pretty epic and magical if you ask me.

With Sleep Now, In Reverse being your first new full-length album in nearly four years, it seems like critical reception has been very strong already. This album could very well change the entire trajectory of your career. With that being said, what do you hope the future holds for Iress? 

Malley: I hope you are right. We are very proud of our creation and thrilled that people like it. More festivals, more touring, and even bigger shows, please. That is what I want for us. We feel more inspired than ever, so more music is coming for you soon enough.

The Los Angeles metallic-dreamgaze outfit weathered years of uncertainty to finally reach a moment where they’re more creatively inspired than ever.

Iress may be a new name on the tongues of music listeners in 2024, but the band’s seen its fair share of storms. The metallic-dreamgaze outfit has been kicking around the greater-LA music scene since the mid-2010s, and has already weathered challenges that nearly dissolved the project.

But Iress persevered and not only conquered the obstacles holding them back, they emerged full of creative vigor more powerful than ever.

Iress’ third LP Sleep Now, In Reverse represents their most emotionally impactful and cathartic album yet. It’s the band realizing the sound they have, and stepping into all of the possibilities of where it can take them.

“I do feel like we all just really let go and went for it and did things [on this album] we've never done before,” frontwoman and guitarist Michelle Malley said. “I feel like we brought some pieces from Flaw and Prey and Solace, and now there's new parts that we're bringing in. It's almost like it's all encompassing to this moment.

“I'm just really proud of it, to be honest.”

Iress formed about 10 years ago when Malley and her former cohort, Alex Moreno, bonded over their mutual love for bands like Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Hole. They combined shoegaze, doom metal and more with those influences, and together with bassist Michael Maldonado and drummer Glenn Chu, they self-released Prey in 2015 and Flaw in 2020.

The latter nearly got shelved by the band due to the pandemic, but the songs proved too good to gather dust. Tracks like “Nest” and “Wolves” crashed over listeners like the California surf, drowning them with swells of fuzzed out guitars and Malley’s smoky, emotional voice. She’s been described in the LA music scene as the “Adele of Doom.”

But while Flaw trickled through the crevices of the underground, Iress itself nearly dissolved when the world stopped. They couldn’t play shows, Moreno left the band, and Malley wasn’t sure she’d be able to continue.

Eventually, the opportunity to return to the stage finally came and Malley opted to get things going on her own. She recruited a longtime friend and guitarist, Graham Walker, to play with her. It unknowingly sparked Iress’ resurgence.

“We kind of had to start over,” she said of the time after Flaw. “I remember, shows weren't really happening and I was like, ‘I'm just gonna play a solo show by myself and see what happens,’ and I was really nervous. That's when I asked Graham to play with me. That was a big turning point, because we felt this huge chemistry on stage together. That's when we started writing and that's when he joined.”

With Walker in the fold – and Maldonado and Chu still on board – the songs started flowing almost instantly. Before they knew it they had four songs they couldn’t wait to release, which became their EP Solace, released last year by Dune Altar.

“We put out Solace so fast,” Malley said. “We were just so excited and the dynamic of the band has just been amazing. We can't stop writing. Our sound is just getting better and better. I'm really, really excited for Sleep Now, In Reverse. It was so magical to create and I'm just itching to release it honestly.”

The natural connection between the members has allowed all of them to prosper, and has turbo-charged their ability to reach deep into the well of their emotions. Malley mentions their support as a reason she was able to dig in deep and compose lyrics she would not have been able to in the past, and why Sleep Now has a connected feel through all of its 10 songs.

“This album in general has a common theme of kind of a tug of war,” she said. “You're in something and you're breaking free, but you're [also] kind of stuck. You like it, but you kind of don't like it. You need to leave.

“I feel like maybe I was holding back a little bit in some parts of my writing process in the past. My bandmates really embraced my personal lyrics instead of trying to morph them into something else. I feel like I got to just really express myself.”

In addition to the chemistry within the band, Iress recorded both Solace and Sleep Now with Alex Estrada at The Pale Moon Ranch in California, which Malley described as instrumental to both finding their comfort zone and perfecting their sound.

“Alex has been a friend of ours for years and years,” she said. “He knows our band, he's seen us live, I've recorded songs for him on his albums so he knows my voice really well. He knows where to push me. He knows when I can do it better, and when I'm tired. He just knows us really well and our sound. He's heard all of our albums, and I just love how he makes our guitars sound.

“Overall it's just the chemistry that we have with him. I can't imagine at this point working with anyone else. You can tell that he cares about our band and our music. He wants us to do well, and he wants us to sound the best we can. And you can hear that, you know?”

That much is evident with just one spin of the new record. It’s a massive step forward for the band, both in what they offering to the world and how they went from being an independent band a few years ago to touring the UK in 2024.

Between the new creative invigoration surrounding the songs, as well as their most soul-baring lyrics to date, Iress present an album that will grab listeners by their emotions. That’s the hope the band have as they release Sleep Now, In Reverse to the world.

“I hope that it makes you feel something,” Malley said. “I hope it takes you to a place you've never been before. I feel like sitting in silence after [it’s over] is really good, just taking it in. Maybe it inspires you to write a song.”

Sleep Now, In Reverse by Iress is available everywhere now, via Dune Alter in the US and Church Road Records in the UK/EU.

No soy muy fan de poseer grandes amistades y siempre me he inclinado más como llanero solitario de tenerlas contadas con los dedos de la mano, de saber valorarla por la calidad de sus conversaciones, por lo que pueda aportar en tu vida cuando más lo necesitas o simplemente ganar enteros cuando se comparte la cultura desde sus muchas facetas.

Fue editor de nuestros muchos podcast anteriores y son tantas las horas disfrutadas hablando de música que hace unos días mi colega Paul me dio su última recomendación con esta banda titulada Iress.

Los escuchamos en nuestra última entrega de las novedades del mes de Septiembre (escuchar aquí) y para nosotros es la primera toma de contacto con este proyecto que el año que viene cumplirá su primera década de productividad al gremio del sonido pesado desde que lanzaron su álbum debut.

Desde California, este cuarteto se abre los marcos del shoegaze atmosférico y las cepas post metal entre sus sórdidas ambientaciones alternativas. Capitaneados por la coral voz de Michelle Malley, “Sleep Now, In Reverse” es la tercera entrega de los norteamericanos, lanzado a finales del pasado mes de Julio, que llega como novedad y buena costumbre de rozar ese lustro de separación entre cada lanzamiento.

De entre tanto fuzz y tanta psicodelia descargada últimamente, entramos en el trance de este palpitante “Sleep Now, In Reverse”, acurrucados a un paisaje sonoro en el que esos elementos atmosféricos, completa la amalgama de sonidos de unos Iress arrebatadores en este trabajo.

Zona de relax que no deja de ser espeluznante en algunos tramos del álbum y como en todo trabajo de su naturaleza, los estados de ánimo son los pilares que sostiene su enorme edificación.

El desarrollo del mismo, si nos citamos a las fechas, viene concentrada en esa época de aislamiento vivida durante la pandemia, por lo que “Sleep Now, In Reverse” tiene ese lado más receptivo dejando esas sensaciones debatidas entre las pérdidas y la esperanza, la melancolía y la emocionalidad de las circunstancias. Y que mejor para todo esto que construir un jardín de sueños etéreos, acogidos en la zona de confort producida por los sentimientos derrochados en el álbum.

Evidentemente para esta firma, cuanta mucho el trabajo de guitarra de Alex Moreno, muy fino en esa fila de riffs aflictivos, tan punzantes como penetrantes pero también bajo esa sofisticación de Iress creando un entorno ilusionista, interconectado por sus muchos paisajes.

Desde mi punto de vista, la experiencia que deja el nuevo “Sleep Now, In Reverse” plasma uno de los encuentros del año dentro de su categoría, y con instigaciones que reclaman las muchas influencias de la banda, pongo desde Chelsea Wolfe, hasta The Otolith, pasando por proyectos como Guhts o Brume.

Iress conforma un discazo abierto a la cavilación de muchos con una riqueza compositiva que por muy fina que parezcan sus bellas líneas sonoras, no deja de tener esa crudeza apasionada que completa las partes más camaleónicas de esta montaña rusa de conmociones.

Welcome to In Conversation, a special interview column on the site where we sit down with artists and dive deep into everything music. Dobbin chatted to Michelle Malley (guitar and vocals) and Graham Walker (guitar) of Iress at ArcTanGent 2024 on Friday, just after their set. Photography © by Kieran C White, contact before any usage.

Dobbin: Sleep Now, In Reverse has been out for about two to three weeks. I had a lovely time listening to it for my review, how are you feeling post its release? You’ve basically been on tour since, so perhaps you haven’t had time to touch base.

Michelle: We’re excited – we were dying to get it out there. I think, personally, it’s my favourite album we’ve ever done. I’m really proud of it and happy it’s out.

Graham: I joined the band three years ago, so this is the first full length Iress release I have contributed to. I’m over the moon about it. It was a really collaborative writing process, so it’s really satisfying to see it all come together. We’ve had a good response from people, too.

Dobbin: One of my take-aways from the album was how consistently strong it is, from front to back. Especially the second half of the album where those two singles, “The Remains” and “In Reverse”, are. Each track is also unique. How did your writing process enable this?

Michelle: When Graham joined we released an EP, Solace. We started to realise the chemistry between the four of us is insane. So our drummer Glenn Chu would write, our bassist Michael Maldonado would write, and Graham would write. I’d never written music in the way that Graham does, where you demo full songs. I would just write and show the band, but he introduced that approach to me. So he would pass me an idea, I’d be obsessed with it, and I’d write a melody to go with it.

Graham: It was really collaborative this time. I would write a demo, maybe not start to finish, perhaps two parts. I’d send to to the group, Michelle would return it with a vocal melody, Glen wrote some guitar parts and chord progressions, I’d learn it and add to it… It was very much passing pieces of demos around, back and fourth, building on it like that.

Michelle: I think that’s what made it beautiful. We’re all so different, with so many different inspirations, and it brought together all these genres.

Dobbin: Did it feel like a new band then, with the process changing?

Michelle: We went through a lot in 2020, losing a member, plus all the things that happened in that year. Graham coming in, it kind of brightened us up, and the inspiration has been the same. I wouldn’t say a new band, but perhaps a refreshed version.

Graham: We met in 2012. My old band wound up on the same bill, I was immediately impressed by them. We ended up in the same circle of bands. We’d end up playing several shows a year together. When she asked me to join, it was a fun challenge to bring my own element to it, but not change what Iress is. Finding that balance, whilst keeping it in that realm and bringing my own artistic vision to it, was a fun experience.

Dobbin: I have Iress down as a kind of “eras” band – each of your records is almost startlingly different. They make sense together, but they are quite different. The first Iress album, Prey, has a more straightforward sound that would still land – with those moody, dark lyrics relative to that music. And Flaw takes us to a very different place atmospherically. What are your thoughts on your “eras”?

Michelle: We still play “Wolves” to this day, and I love playing “Hand Tremor” from Flaw in stripped down form. I’m very attached to those songs, but equally, I am really excited for this next chapter, to move forward, and keep experimenting. I’m also interested in different bands now. Flaw will always have a special place in my heart.

Dobbin: “Wolves” was your closer, right? You can tell that was a bit of a different track in concept – dropping the guitar, bringing a different vibe. On Solace, it’s kin to Sleep Now, In Reverse. The EP only came out last year, so you must have been sitting on those for some time.

Graham: Some of the songs on Sleep Now, In Reverse were in process when Solace came out, but for a million different reasons, we decided these were the ones that were ‘ready’, and the others kept developing. There’s a song on Solace called “Soft”, a quieter song that doesn’t have any drums and doesn’t get heavy. Michelle asked me to join for a solo show, adding some background stuff. We weren’t even going to play that song, but she played it in the rehearsal room, and I said “I kind of have an idea for this, would you mind if I did it?” That song is an outlier compared to the rest, but it was actually the start of the new writing process, the first we wrote together.

Dobbin: I see Solace as a necessary prototype for Sleep Now, In Reverse. The production is good but it was sort of ‘practice’ for the LP, which is flawless.

Michelle: It was saying, “get ready for the next thing.”

Graham: I feel the same way. They were both recorded and produced by Alex Estrada at The Pale Moon Ranch, and our stronger group dynamic also developed between them. We had a clearer vision of where we were going.

Dobbin: “Vanish” has done really well on streaming. That’s really interesting because I don’t think it makes sense outside of its context, it’s such a lead-in for the next song. What’s the story there?

Michelle: Michael, our bass player, wrote the guitar for that, and he showed it to us. When the others show me something and I’m inspired, I immediately said “let’s go”. Maybe it’s done well because it does showcase the super soft part of Iress, and then it gets kind of heavy. It’s got both worlds.

Graham: Part of it is the abstract nature we can’t control of how streaming works. It wound up on a playlist here or there, we don’t know why or how, it’s out of our hands, but we’re happy for more people to hear it.

Dobbin: It’s a good song – Iress in two minutes.

Graham: It’s a good tease, hopefully it makes people want to hear the next song too.

Dobbin: “Ricochet”, also from that EP, was lovely live. The Sleep Now, In Reverse material is kind of new, so what went into your thought process when putting together your set list?

Michelle: We went with two – two – two, from Sleep Now, In Reverse and Solace, then a duo from Flaw and Prey, because we’ve never been here before, and I know there’s people who have been fans since Flaw, so we didn’t want to miss playing some of those songs. We’re eager and excited to play the new stuff, and “Blush” and “Ricochet” are also great.

Graham: Back home in LA, we did a set and it was all new stuff. But for all the fans who have been with us and loyal, we didn’t want to leave them out.

Dobbin: The way you play those songs is also within your ‘newer’ style too. How has your tour been going so far?

Graham: It’s been a bit chaotic, not in a bad way, though. It’s our first overseas tour, so we’re learning all the little things about travel logistics. It’s not ‘our’ tour, but we are hopping on and off with other bands. We’ve been driving up and down, lots of late nights with no sleep, but hey, that’s what it’s like on tour.

Michelle: We’re rock stars now, that’s what we do! The UK has been treating us really well, the green rooms have been great so far.

Graham: The difference between playing here and LA, it feels like there’s a team here at every venue. When we show up in LA, they say “you figure out how to get your gear in, figure out this, figure out that, we’ll work with you only once it’s all on stage”. Last night we showed up, there were three people waiting for us; those little things mean a lot to us. Obviously it’s only been four shows, but we’re feeling really positive.

At this point in the interview, Kulk walked in, so we took a timely pause so the bands could meet for the first time. They were about to do a set of shows together.

Dobbin: Speaking of the UK, you signed with Church Road for your release. What was it that attracted you to that label, and a UK label over a more local one to you.

Graham: Church Road actually reached out to the band a while ago, and it fell through the cracks and didn’t work out. Years later, they reached out again, and this time it worked. One of the main reasons is so we could have a UK distro, because we have a lot of UK fans. People would previously order vinyl and it would be so expensive to ship it from the US. It would cost people a ton of money just for the shipping.

Michelle: Church Road said they were big fans of us for a long time, and really wanted to work with us, and put an album out too. We were choosing between them and someone else, but when I met with Justine, I was like – no, I want to work with her. She is so cool, amazing, such good vibes. I think it was meant to be. We met Sammy and Justine the other day in Brighton, and we’ll meet them in London too, they’re so cute.

Graham: Meeting them after the show was so fun. They’re such nerds. It doesn’t feel like work at all with them.

Michelle: That’s exactly what I wanted.

Dobbin: Michelle, I couldn’t help but compare your vocal techniques to those of Kristina Esfandiari from King Woman. Loads of people have been really struck by her vocals, and lots of people I know who really like that band have also championed Iress too.

Michelle: I’m a big fan of King Woman, and Kris is amazing. Everything she has a hand in, all her projects are amazing. It’s definitely a big compliment. I do think we are super different, but being compared to her, I love that for sure. The passion and emotion is perhaps the common thread between us. Her performance is really emotional, and I feel mine is too.

Dobbin: Silly question time: we’re gonna do “binge, marry, kill” for ArcTanGent headliners of the past. Firstly 2024: Explosions in the Sky, Meshuggah, and Mogwai.

Graham: I would say marry Explosions in the Sky.

Michelle: I wanna marry Explosions in the Sky!

Graham: I’m gonna say, binge Meshuggah, on behalf of our drummer, Glenn, who is a massive Meshuggah fan. Their style informs a lot of his playing. I’m reluctantly gonna kill Mogwai, even though I am a fan, but that’s just the last option… For the record, Mr Beast, I listened to that a ton in my college years. I love the hell out of them.

Dobbin: 2022, which was a really heavy year. Cult of Luna, TesseracT, and Opeth.

Graham: I honestly don’t listen to any of those, but if Glenn and Michael were here, they’d give you a fantastic answer. And that’s actually why our dynamic works as a band, combining the heavy stuff and pretty stuff.

Michelle: We still like metal, but we all like different kinds of heavy bands.

Dobbin: OK, let’s do a year with some pretty bands. 2016: Mono, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and American Football.

Graham: I can get on this one… I’m gonna marry American Football, and I’m going to… Binge Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And no disrespect to Mono, but I don’t really listen to them, so I guess…

Check out our review of Iress‘ Sleep Now, In Reverse.

This is LA “dream metal” troupe Iress’ first ever UK tour, and they revel in the sizeable turnout. Gorgeous, doomy shoegaze is capped by Michelle Malley’s soulful voice, washing over the tent from the very first chord. They conjure swathes of sound that build with the inevitability of a tidal wave approaching the shore; there’s a beauty to the crushing weight of their sound as it rises and falls from moment to moment. It feels odd to experience them in the midday sun given the musical gloom, but it feels like there’s an undercurrent of hope that shines through. It’s a strong first showing from them, who as Malley admits built their entire tour around this show, with songs from latest album Sleep Now, In Reverse sounding monolithic in the tent’s confines.

Iress’ album Flaw was one of the first albums reviewed on the Ways of Exile so I was very excited that four years later I was finally getting to hear their follow up and even more delighted that I get to feature it here.

On first listen, Sleep Now is an album that sits closer to the shoegaze side of the Gaze spectrum. That is until you turn it up and it becomes something much more forceful. The doom becomes more apparent. I feel like I say this nearly every month, but every month it catches me by surprise. Play your music loudly people! Escape your headphones, it changes everything.

The opener, Falling is a sweet song that introduces the album well. A mix of gentle vocals with the heavy guitar just lurking, waiting to be unleashed. The Remains has a great clean / filthy dynamic, while In Reverse has a satisfying heaviness that shows off Iress’ doomgaze edge. There’s some chunky riffs under all that sweetness, that’s best demonstrated by Knell Mera, the heaviest song on the album.

The band’s not so secret weapon is Michelle Malley’s vocals. Her sweet voice belays the incredible power it has when she lets it fly. It’s really impressive and having seen them at Arctangent festival, I’m happy to say it’s jaw dropping live.

This is another great addition to the Iress discography, a beautiful album but one with teeth, and I really, really hope they make it back to the UK sometime soon.

California’s Iress are on their first visit to the UK and tonight was only their second show of the tour. I was excited to see them live and with a thumping first kick drum, which made us all jump, they commanded our attention and opened with Blush. The soft voice of singer Michelle Malley has that dreamy quality about it, and they follow up with the wonderful Ricochet, again demonstrating their serene side.

They are categorised as shoegaze or doom metal, but one thing that is clear from the off, is how much heavier they are live than on record, which adds more to their sound. The one-off finger plucking on the bass from Michael Maldonado on Falling was impressive and added to the big sound of Glenn Chu on drums. The soft harmonies continue throughout Nest before they go slightly heavier.

After a quick guitar change and a ‘thanks for coming along’ from Malley, we get more powerful vocals with The Remains from their latest album Sleep Now, In Reverse but it feels moodier, sleepier and more dramatic, with some excellent guitar work from Graham Walker. Stripped of her guitar and earpiece, Malley commands the centre stage on the finale, Wolves and is more expressive and animated than before, showcasing her vocal talents. It’s another brilliant song and wraps up an extremely impressive set. I look forward to seeing them again.

Travelling the furthest of tonight’s bands, Iress hail from LA, forming their slow, brooding flavour of metal since 2010. It’s their first time in the UK, and this much is very clear from the rapturous response they draw tonight. Vocalist Michelle Malley is full of smiles, her eyes twinkling as they launch into the bitter-sweet ‘Blush’ from the 2023 EP, Solace. I must admit that Iress were new to me before this show, but I’m immediately captivated by the soaring sincerity of their sound. Like healthyliving, they’ll be surely going onto playlists alongside Chelsea Wolfe, Slowcrush, King Woman and Miserable.

Watching Iress perform is a truly marvellous experience, and I’ll wager that more than a few tears were shed in the audience tonight. The dreamy, doomy quartet perform with confidence, nuance and passion, with a particular sensitivity to dynamics, moving smoothly from a scream to a sigh, a thundering riff to a lightly rippling melody. Their set explores songs from latest album Sleep Now, In Reverse alongside tracks from older albums, some slightly “played around with” for the stage.

With their singer cradling a gorgeous matt-black Fender Jaguar at one stage, Iress get more moving as they get heavier. But my strongest memories of this show are Michelle’s most aggressive moments, propelling beautiful angst into a stunned, soporific crowd as the band closes with ‘Wolves’ from 2020’s Flaw.

My last words have to be on Michelle’s vocals: I don’t know where this emotion comes from, but it pours from every bittersweet note, emerging as soaring, earnest cries, near-orgasmic moans, and quiet, whispered contemplation.

A few flowers remain at the end, shredded yet graceful. Iress don’t return for an encore, but the crowd won’t accept defeat and keep baying for more until well after the lights have come up.

I’ve emerged from this show with tears in my eyes and three fine new bands to explore: utterly exhausted but so glad I came.

LA band Iress recently dropped their third full-length, Sleep Now, In Reverse<. Some refer to them as dream metal, but honestly, I feel it’s much closer to shoegaze. Singer Michelle Malley has a marvellous set of pipes, angelic at one moment and raw with emotion at the next. The music is ethereal, but never is it light-hearted. The music is a dense wall of sound, populated by bassist Michael Maldonado, drummer Glenn Chu, and guitarist Graham Walker. The band’s chemistry is evident in a live setting, with Malley’s crystalline pipes overlaying it all.

The uneasy single ‘Falling’ opens this song suite, and it’s an apt title that for me, mirrors what is happening globally as the world falls down around us. It has an exquisite vocal and a strong melody. ‘Ever Under’ will hold you captive, much like a butterfly pinned to a board. It comes closer to a hallmark shoegaze song before melting effortlessly into ‘Mercy’. This has darker textures with a harder edge, but it’s always laced with a beautiful melody and Malley’s soaring vocals. ‘Leviathan (The Fog)’ is aptly named, for its feel is like fog drifting in and out of your mind. Malley’s voice is a velvety balm to the senses and is framed perfectly by the arrangement on this song. ‘Lovely (Forget Me Not)’ is straightforward indie rock, perfectly executed and played. It is a siren song that could easily lead you down a dark path.

‘The Remains’ is splendid doomgaze, ornate yet dark, brimming with emotion and angst. The dichotomy of light vs dark is never more evident than it is on this tune. ‘In Reverse’ showcases Malley’s voice, projecting it way up front in the mix. I love the way her voice cracks and how the music shimmers around her. ‘Sanctuary’ is music for a cloudy day, so kick back and savour this extended jam. The final ‘Deep’ is short and minimalist, and the somewhat ominous feeling I get is akin to hearing The Sound in their heyday, just before a wall of feedback knifes in, only to retreat like the tide going out. An unsettling end to this beautifully rendered album, possibly the band’s best work. Highly recommended for all dream pop, shoegaze, and slowcore fans.

On what is basically a Church Road takeover at this point, ethereal four-piece Iress recently released their latest full length Sleep Now, In Reverse to grand acclaim, and along with their set here this weekend, they’re marked as a band to firmly keep an eye on for very big things to come soon. One of the performances of the weekend, frontwoman Michelle Malley is so at home and effortlessly commands the audience in an almost hypnotic way with the band’s floaty atmosphere, and as good as they are on record, Iress’ songs sound just that more powerful live, leaving a hard act to follow for the rest of the day.