Fresh from a tour opening for Alison Moyet and singing in The Pogues, Iona Zajac released a powerful new single ‘Anton’. Already known for her deeply personal lyrics, Zajac tackles the impact that toxic men have had on her in her formative years – a subject matter that’s difficult to address, yet deeply relatable.
Anton is all the men who assumed they had the upper hand. The men that haunted my teens with their egos and their hands. It’s for the girls who said ok or didn’t. Who were expected to be ok or pretended to be. Anton is the power and the rage I’ve found since. I’m facing these bad times and giving them a terrifying scream, a wink, a handshake, a headbutt.
Iona Zajac
Opening with poised, stoic cadence and haunting vocal delivery, Zajac faces all the men that Anton represents before descending into a raw, cathartic scream of rage, as if exorcising the demons left behind by Antons of the past. The lightness in her voice reminds me of Marissa Nadler, who has a similar gift in connecting to the listener on a deeply personal level.
‘Anton’ follows Zajac’s previous single ‘Bang‘, which celebrated the joy of female sexuality. Both singles in sequence hint at a path of self-rediscovery after facing off toxicity of the past. If those singles are anything to go by, I am hopeful they will be followed by an album as Iona Zajac’s voice is fast becoming essential listening.
Iona Zajac and her band continue their tour with The Pogues after a solo performance in Inverness:
1 August – Belladrum Festival, Inverness
5 Sept – Lincoln Centre, Washington (As part of The Pogues)
7 Sept – Seasun Festival, Boston (As part of The Pogues)
8 Sept – Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia (As part of The Pogues)
10 Sept – History, Toronto (As part of The Pogues)
12 Sept – Mtelus, Montreal (As part of The Pogues)
13 Sept – CityFolk Festival, Ottowa (As part of The Pogues)
16 Sept – Terminal 5, New York (As part of The Pogues)
17 Sept – Terminal 5, New York (As part of The Pogues)
19 Sept – Riot Fest, Chicago (As part of The Pogues)
Follow Iona Zajac on Instagram | Spotify | Facebook | YouTube