| Origin | United States |
| Activity | 1999- |
| Status | Disbanded |
| Genres | Synthpop |
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Originally a bar band of sorts, singer Reagan Jones and original keyboardist Matt Morris banded together in the last 90’s to create uniquely melodic, synth-heavy pop tracks. Their first record, “Disconnect” spawned the worldwide club hit “Annie, Would I Lie To You?”, and was one of the best-selling records in label A Different Drum’s history. Three more singles followed, but tensions between Reagan and Matt were coming to a head, and the band began to break apart.
Luckily, a few years later, Reagan hooked up with new member Andrew Sega, and started a whole new chapter in the band’s history. Adding some guitars to the mix, and taking the production in a more experimentally electronic direction, Iris released “Awakening” in 2003. It was memorably organic, powerful, and really showcased Reagan’s strong songwriting. This would also be the first Iris release on Andrew’s new label, Diffusion Records. The success of this record led to a European release deal, a full tour of Germany and Switzerland, and festival dates in Sweden and the UK.
During this time, the third record was taking shape. For this record, the band wanted to take a more aggressive approach, add a bit of darkness, and keep pushing the edges of their sound. The mixture of these elements culminated in 2005’s “Wrath”. Rock-oriented songs collided with electronic beats and evocative, atmospheric soundscapes. The first single, “Appetite” went to 1 on mainstream radio in Poland, and the band set off again for more European shows, festivals in Moscow and London, and toured with electro-pop luminaries such as De/Vision and Mesh.
Fast-forward to the present, and we see the band releasing their first CD/DVD combo release, “Hydra”. Featuring 3 brand new tracks, as well as remixes from bands like Mesh, Alpinestars, Datguy, Benz & MD, “Hydra” lets other talented producers take the Iris sound and add their own stamp on it. Bundled together with a 40 minute “behind the scenes” tour diary DVD, “Hydra” writes yet another chapter in the constantly evolving Iris story.
Members
Reagan Jones – vocals, songwriting, keyboards
Andrew Sega – keyboards, guitars, programming, production
Former members
Matthew Morris – keyboards, programming, production
Marc Schultz – keyboards
Related bands / Parallel projects
The Alpha Conspiracy, Hallowed Hearts, Straylight Productions, Stromkern, The Mighty Chouffe, XYZZY.
Discography
Disconnect (2000)
Awakening (2003)
Reconnect (2003) (Remix album)
Wrath (2005)
Hydra (2008) (Remix album)
Blacklight (2010)
Radiant (2014)
Six (2019)