Irene's Entropy, as an entity, aims to empower others to find their own path from trauma to triumph. The band is named after their frontwoman who seeks to create a safe space for people to explore their emotions, confront their past, and embrace their true selves.
In this exclusive interview with Irene, she opens up about her past and the inspiration behind her music. She shares her experiences growing up in what most would consider a cult, where she endured unimaginable trauma and abuse. Irene recounts the mental ostracization she faced as a teenager and the extreme guilt and shame she carried into adulthood. Let’s delve into Irene's journey of escape and her subsequent struggle to find her true identity. She also shares the details about her newest song "Identity," a powerful anthem that represents the turning point in her life.
Let’s see what she has to share with us, shall we?
Irene! Let me first start by thanking you for being with us here at Too Much Love. How is your day going so far?
It’s been a normal day. Woke up and worked out, went to work, and now I’m sitting in a heat transfer/thermodynamics lecture, I’ll go back to work and will leave in time for band practice tonight. We’re prepping for a large show we’ve got coming up on November 4th in Rockford, IL.
Share a bit about yourself with our readers. Everyone here is excited to know more about you!
Some nouns to describe me—I’m a singer, songwriter, engineer, speaker, performer, lover, wife, and many other things. But if I had to describe myself with adjectives I’d say I’m determined, relentless, happy, and adaptive. If you asked me to use some verbs I’d say I’m healing, growing, falling…but I’m truly living.
What can you tell us about your musical career? How did it start?
I didn’t set out to have a music career. I only just started learning how to play the guitar 5 years ago, and I only played and wrote music out of necessity. I was going through some huge changes in life, and music was the only thing that slowed me down enough to process it.
What or who are your musical influences?
Chris Cornell, Rage Against the Machine, Hayley Williams, Adele, and Halsey, to name a few. I’m big on lyrical artists, I think that poetry well captured in a song is the ultimate art form.
Irene's Entropy is a very curious name. How did you come up with it?
Irene was the name given to me in a religious temple ceremony at 19. I was told that I could never reveal the name to anyone… when I abruptly left the religion at 21 and became estranged from my family and community, I decided to do something with that name. Taking on the identity of Irene meant taking the obedient and brainwashed girl of my past and turning her into a symbol of empowerment.
When I was studying for my engineering degree I learned about entropy, the second law of thermodynamics. It’s basically a measurement of the disorder of energy. It’s an interesting concept, and it seemed a perfect word to describe the chaotic energy of my music as I was healing from trauma and redefining my identity. Irene’s Entropy is a powerful concept of change, self-reflection, growth, energy, chaos, and a huge statement to my past.
I know your past must be a very touchy subject for you. Years of abuse are not easy for anyone. How did you break free from all that pain? Do you want to share your experience with the world?
I don’t think that question can be answered in a paragraph. I didn’t break free in a moment. I’m still breaking free of demons, habits, and addictions from my past. The best answer I can give is that I was brave enough to ask questions, and listened to my gut. It cost me my family and community, but in the end, I came out with peace, unconditional love, confidence, and a new identity.
You're using music to express your past trauma. This is where "Identity" comes into play. Could you tell us a little about this new song?
When I first conceptualized writing what became the song “Identity,” it was the first time I admitted to myself that I was addicted to the defense mechanisms and habits of my past. It was only 2 years earlier that I became estranged from my family and started my life over. It was mental torture as I drugged myself through a complete shattering of my identity and had to start over again, and again, and again.
We're delighted to see you're also releasing a video alongside the song! I just watched it and it is amazing. What was the creative process behind it?
This is the first video of a series that will come out with the album, and it begins my personal story of self-discovery. Although I had no addictions to physical substances, I had other addictions to codependency and infantilization. I chased dopamine highs in a haze of obedience, drugged by the promise of priceless knowledge.
I was recovering from a lifetime of swallowing the same pills of ego, shame, guilt, and a predetermined identity left me crippled. I’ve had the opportunity to sit with recovering addicts of physical substances, and when we listen to this song we relate on a fundamental level of trauma, recovery, and identity shift. It’s a hard road, and you must be comfortable with the idea of starting over again and again. This video doesn’t show the recovery process, but it highlights the shock of what happens when you realize you’re an addict and you need to change. More specifically, it highlights the earth-shattering event of a paradigm shift. It’s an entire upheaval of everything you’ve ever known, and often the start of a long journey.
You're also working on an upcoming album and "Identity" is pretty much our first taste. Can you tell us what we can expect from this album?
Follow along with the music videos. As the singles get released, you don’t want to miss the easter eggs that are hiding in each chapter. If I had to make musical comparisons, you’ll find all sorts of rock influences from Paramore and Blink 182 to RAGE and Temple of the Dog. It’s lyrical storytelling from the 70s with the attitude of the 90s and early 2000s wrapped in a unique modern finish. The goal is that people press play on the first track to hear good music and end on the last track having found a piece of themselves.
Well, those are all the questions I have for you today. Irene, let me thank you again for being with us today! Do you wish to add anything else? Maybe some words of encouragement for your fans out there?
I hope this song provokes my fans to ask what their addictions are, and what part of their identity is stifled because of those addictions. We live in a world with drugs beyond physical substances—social media, work, money, popularity, politics, religion—those addictions keep so many people in a haze of anxiety, depression, self-loathing, and bitterness.
I hope it demands intelligent thought from the listener while promoting change and growth. We’ve lost musical elements of storytelling to catchy beats that distract us from life rather than challenge us to focus on how we can learn, grow, and improve ourselves. Identity is my first attempt to change that narrative.
FOLLOW IRENE'S ENTROPY
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