Glasgow’s Iona Zajac has unveiled her third single of the year, the heart-wrenching and deeply personal track, “Anton.” Arriving today, the song is a stark and brave confrontation of formative experiences with toxic masculinity, showcasing a powerful and unapologetic side to the rapidly rising folk artist.
Following the joyous, indie-rock-infused “Bang,” which celebrated the discovery of sex beyond the male gaze, “Anton” presents a darker, more visceral turn. Zajac’s haunting vocals, initially set against clean, bittersweet guitar chords, guide the listener through painful memories with a stoic poeticism. “Anton I can’t remember the time you said I saved your life // Babes and bitches keep you warm until there’s something they don’t like,” she sings, her delivery building in tension until it erupts in a climax of rage and impassioned pain.
Zajac describes the track as a personification of past tormentors: 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.”
Stream Anton: https://ffm.to/izanton
The single caps a remarkable year for Zajac. After releasing her first new music in three years with the single “Summer,” she embarked on a 25-date sold-out tour supporting Alison Moyet, playing to the largest crowds of her career. This was followed by a series of shows with the legendary Irish folk band, The Pogues, where she shared vocal duties with a new touring lineup.
Fresh from supporting fellow Pogues vocalist Lisa O’Neill, Zajac is set to play Belladrum Festival before rejoining The Pogues for a North American tour in September. “Anton” is a powerful statement from an artist who is not only finding her voice but also demanding it be heard.
Live Dates
August 1st – Belladrum Festival, Inverness
Sept 5th – Lincoln Centre, Washington (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 7th – Seasun Festival, Boston (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 8th – Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 10th – History, Toronto (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 12th – Mtelus, Montreal (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 13th – CityFolk Festival, Ottowa (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 16th – Terminal 5, New York (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 17th – Terminal 5, New York (As part of The Pogues)
Sept 19th – Riot Fest, Chicago (As part of The Pogues)
