ISQ

Biography
Articles

“-isq is one of the most talented lush-chic outfits we’ve heard for a long time” – Devils Kitchen Collective

“Two aspects of -isq give the band a special edge: Serra’s world-weary but captivating vocals; and the interplay between singer and bassist.” – Bruce Lindsay

“Great, highly musical launch gig by -isq at The Pizza Express Jazz Club tonight – like EST with vocals (& in an entirely good way)” – John L Walters

-isq: -Isq: Too

Read "-Isq: Too" reviewed by Luca Muchetti

by Luca Muchetti
August 26, 2015

Pop d'autore visto con le lenti dal jazz. Gli -isq sono una formazione inglese nelle cui file milita Irene Serra, cantante dalle origini italiane ma oggi stabilmente a Londra. Insieme a un pugno di musicisti divisi fra contrabbasso, batteria e pianoforte, è giunta al secondo album, presentato nella capitale inglese in un locale di Soho pochi mesi fa. Too è una seconda prova brillante, composta da una collezione di brani molto più vicini alla canzone pop (nel ...

Extended Analysis

-Isq: Too

by Phil Barnes
May 21, 2015

Vocal jazz gets a justifiably hard time these days--endless rehashes of “the Great American Songbook" or other Fifties showtunes, with high production values but little originality and even less to say. Enough to make any self-respecting reviewer power down their laptop you might think, but then out of the blue come gems like this from the improbably monikered -isq. -isq are a quartet who draw inspiration from jazz, taking it as their starting point but allowing other influences ...

Album Review

-isq: Too

by Bruce Lindsay
March 26, 2015

Too is the second album from London-based quartet -isq. No surprise there. The slightly odd presentation of the band's name remains in place and continues to trouble the usually faultless activities of the planet's internet search engines. The line-up from debut album -isq (Cheesepeas Records, 2013) is still intact. The band's distinctive “every silver lining has a cloud" approach to songwriting--lyrics by singer Irene Serra--was a strength of the debut and is also pretty much at the core of these ...