{"id":7236,"date":"2023-05-07T15:23:27","date_gmt":"2023-05-07T15:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scadradio.org\/?p=7236"},"modified":"2023-05-07T15:24:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T15:24:00","slug":"irene-diaz-pulling-heartstrings-through-her-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scadradio.org\/2023\/05\/07\/irene-diaz-pulling-heartstrings-through-her-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Irene Diaz: Pulling Heartstrings Through Her Music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
This article is part of SCAD Radio\u2019s SXSW collection, in which some of our radio members visited the music portion of the SXSW Festival and Showcase in Austin, TX. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Irene Diaz has been singing almost all her life but didn\u2019t label herself a singer until she was about 20. She wrote music just to let her emotions out. \u201cI think for me, music is very therapeutic, and the time I started writing, I was about 16, and my parents were going through a divorce. I didn\u2019t realize I was using it as an outlet,\u201d she states. Music has always been something Irene has loved, and over the years, her voice has developed. She adds, \u201cAnd just with my art, it evolves.\u201d Like her own music, her influences have changed over the years. She explains, \u201cBecause I think everything I listen to helps me, it influences my art.\u201d Growing up, Irene listened to a lot of Nina Simon, Radiohead, Mazzy Star, the Sundays, and Coldplay. But in actuality, she is influenced by everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Irene sings to lovers. Her audience is people who love love. She expands, \u201cPeople who understand love is a journey, and there are always ups and downs.\u201d Her music is for people who want to practice self-love. Irene\u2019s songs are perfect for people who are on a journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the topic of self-love, I asked Irene how she deals with her mental health while on tour. She responds, \u201cLast year, I went on a tour with Carla Morrison for three weeks, and I had the support of Carolyn, my partner, and her parents came along, so I slept a lot. But early on throughout my career, I struggled with anxiety, like stage performance, the anticipation before going on stage, or even feeling like you\u2019re not enough, especially online.\u201d Like many artists, Irene compared herself to others and felt initially overwhelmed with the fact that there are so many ways to get your music out. Later she realized that she could use the tools productively in order to create her own path in getting her voice out there. A big thing for her was working on her thought pattern, and mental health has become more of a priority for her now because, as she states, \u201cI think as musicians, as artists, we\u2019re light workers here to give and give, and we can\u2019t give if we\u2019re not giving to ourselves.\u201d We can\u2019t light up if we\u2019re not fueling ourselves, so we must care for ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n