Sometimes, on social media, a simple hello can start the most interesting conversations. And that is basically how I met this week's "guest".

She is fun, interesting and has some Great music for you to check out.

I am proud to give you Irian Darkwood

Hi Irian, thank you for taking the time to have this chat with us.

How did you find  your way to music?

I've been singing since I was really young, I don't know I think my whole life, always finding way to use music and singing to deal with my life, and since I turned legal drinking age ha ha, then I started to do karaoke at a pro level. It was so fun to try my limits. I challenged myself to learn new genres, styles and I practiced for hours and hours.

I had a lot of other jobs at the side because I wasn’t making much money as an musician yet but the music was the red line that connected my life to my soul.

I needed it as I need air to breathe and as I got to go around more and more on the karaoke scene and befriending a lot of hosts I understand that this is what I want to dedicate my life to and I got a taste for live performance that way. I sang with a couple of bands, some pretty big names at the local scene too for a short while but I just knew that I needed to get my own music out there. I knew I had it in me and all through my life it wanted “out”. I felt it, and when I got the chance to release my own stuff and work with a team I could really just do what I was supposed to do. Sing, perform, record, breathe and live music to the fullest. That's so how I got to where I am right now.

When you are writing a lyric, where do you find your inspiration?

I tend to find my inspiration from every day life occurrences, you know what are important topics today, sometimes it's a simple as an object I see in the store that will remind me of something that happened in my life, and sometimes its more memories and past experiences that brings out a lyric to me.

For me I need to have a personal connection. I need to “see and feel” what I write about and also to be able to get the right kind of music to it. I cannot do it any other way and in the end you have just your basic life experience to find true and good inspiration from.

Is music a way for you to make your poetry come to life or are they separated?

For me personally, it's definitely a way to bring some of my poetry to life, not all of my poetry song worthy ha ha. I have written some fun things that I don’t know if anyone can put music to. Take for example my chocolate poem

“Chocolate, chocolate everywhere, 

In the hallways on the stairs, 

out of taps run chocolate syrup 

as we drink from chocolate cups 

I hear chocolate burps! 

Chocolate knives and chocolate spoons 

we sweep the floor with chocolate brooms, 

chocolate mugs on chocolate hooks 

we even read from chocolate books! 

I love the sweet brown chocolate world 

says I with chocolate lace and chocolate pie! 

Then I wake up in my bed 

with chocolate thoughts inside my head! 

Until I go to sleep once more 

I'll think of things like chocolate doors! 

Chocolate chocolate everywhere, 

in the hallways on the stairs!"

But yes, I always write. I always collect stories and who knows, one day there will be a rewritten metal Chocolate song!

Which part of the process is the most energy giving for you?

I really enjoy interacting with my team, they're all very encouraging, and I'd say rather patient ha ha because I can be I think difficult sometimes ha ha.

But other than that I think it’s the experience as a whole. Its to create something from a line on a paper to a whole arranged and wild song that is such a blast.

I mean its hard to explain but the experience to see the finished song and knowing how much effort and energy there is put into the whole project releases so much energy back to me. Its my life force.

You have a new song coming out. What is the story behind that?

My song Light at The End of The Tunnel is coming out April 4, 2025, and I wrote that because at the time I was struggling a bit and in my life and I wanted people to know that they weren't alone, and there was always hope for you know better days in recovery, because things definitely got better for me, and yeah I just want them to know that just don't give up and know that there's always better things coming.

I know this from my personal experience. I have been down, I have been through almost anything you can think of. I battled so many dark demons in my life.

But even when its dark, even when there seem to be no way out or it seems you just have to accept the hardships or everything around you. I have always had my belief that there is always a Light at the end of the tunnel. So its one day at a time, if that doesn’t work, its one hour at a time, if that doesn’t work, we can break it down to one breath at a time but, always remember that its darkest just before the dawn.

I wanted to show that just keep going and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Other than the new song, what are you currently working on?

I have a few songs in the works right now actually, I'm currently working on a fourth release, so I'm pretty excited for the upcoming music.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to record more music of course, and hopefully see the world.

I love learning new stuff.

I am currently studying 9 languages, and I love to meet new people, learning new things.

Life is full of opportunities and chances. I want to be able to look back at my life when I get old and feel like “I dared, I did it” because I don’t want to grow old and feel like I regretted not daring to take the chances when they came.

I know you are struggling with fibromyalgia, how has that affected  your journey?, both creativity wise and physical endurance?

Yeah, fibromyalgia can be challenging yes.

I have learned to live with a lot of pain and to handle life and all the things around me.

You never know how much pain you are going to be in one day and sometimes I need to learn to plan around that, or to push through. Its hard I admit it but to refer back to the new song Light at the end of the tunnel. I try to see the light even on the most dark days.

I have good support around me and that also helps a lot. When the bad days come I turn to music if I can, if I cannot sing because of the pain I listen to it or just use it to be feeling more hopeful and strong.

Music is the universal healer and helper that many of us need. My fans  help a lot as well, their support means a lot to me. When I released my first song I didn’t think that anyone would really listen or notice me but the people that did have said so good things to me and that also makes me want to do more. 

I don't know that it's affected my journey so much I mean that's my daily life so I'm quite used to just dealing with it on a daily basis right?

But I guess if I'm going to say anything it's just giving me the power to show myself that I can face a lot harder things than I thought I could, and be stronger and come out really strong because of it.

I want to show that you can reach your dreams and do what you want even through tough medical conditions. Because if I can do it, then anyone can.

I know that there is strength in every human and it always makes me so happy to see people. Really see them because I know that sometimes getting out of bed and getting a glass of water is like running a marathon.

How do you feel the music scene has changed from when you started and what is the best advice you have gotten?

Definitely a lot more emphasis these days on streaming services versus life performances, which makes it difficult for a lot of us musicians who want to perform for life audiences the attendance goes down and it makes it a bit harder for us, but you know there's still quite a bit of interesting life performance and experience so it's just a matter of finding the right people to come out for you.

The best advice I guess that I've been given, is to not give up, and that things will look hard sometimes, but as long as I push through and am persistent and I know what I want in life, then I can achieve anything. To be your own biggest fan. Because a lot of people will tell you what they think you should do or be. But in the end its what you want and who you are that matters. Don’t give up and be yourself!

You are currently working with a management team, how has that changed things for you and how did that come about?

I love my management team, they offer so much support and they do a lot of the things that I really don't know how to do you know they schedule things like interviews and press releases and they help with my social media management, it's just pretty much all I have to do is just sing, and of course they taught me how to use the computer programs that I used to send the and you know music files over remotely since they are in Sweden and I'm here in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada.

I met my manager actually through a musician site that I was managing at the time and yeah it's been a really great ride.

I´ve seen Sweden and they have been here to Canada too. Its just great to see how life and the universe have a way to put you in the right place at the right time sometimes.

What is the one thing you would like your fans to know?

Lots of new music on the horizon, stay tuned, keep an eye out, join me on social media on Instagram and Facebook under Irian Darkwood, and I am super excited for what's to come next.

And you never know what to expect. I have been told that I don’t keep to one genre or style and well. That’s who I am, I am all over but I like it that way!

What is the one thing you would like the music industry to know?

I guess the one thing I would like the music industry to know is that ha ha, they should hold onto their seats because I'm coming and I'm gonna take you all by storm!

And that was my chat with Irian Darkwood

And she is a good reminder of that how dark life might seem, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

and YOU can find more from Irian Darkwood here

https://www.facebook.com/iriandarkwood

https://www.instagram.com/iriandarkwood

https://www.youtube.com/@iriandarkwood

https://iriandarkwood.bandcamp.com

and YOU can find more from Me here

https://linktr.ee/creativereader

Don't forget to Comment, Like and Share with your friends

Take care hope to cya next time