ISQ

For over two decades, vocalist and songwriter Irene Serra has been quietly carving out a singular space within the UK’s contemporary music landscape. Often spoken about with insider reverence, ISQ remains something of a word-of-mouth discovery — a project whose full depth is only truly experienced in intimate music clubs, jazz venues and concert halls, where the emotional intensity, collective virtuosity and Serra’s deeply felt stage presence reveal their true power.

ISQ is the London-based crossover project led by Serra, blending sophisticated jazz musicianship with alternative pop sensibility andatmospheric textures. The current line-up — Richard Sadler (double bass), Chris Nickolls (drums/electronics) and Luca Boscagin (guitar) — brings together players whose credits span Neil Cowley Trio, Andy Sheppard, Cinematic Orchestra and beyond, grounding ISQ’s sound in bothimprovisational depth and contemporary edge.

Following critical acclaim for Too (Time Out London Critics’ Choice) and a 22-date UK tour for their third album Requiem For The Faithful—praised by Clash Magazine for honing “the soulful possibilities of improvisatory music”—ISQ return in September 2026 with their fifth studio album, The Silence Is Deafening. The release unveils a darker, guitar-driven sound described as “noir jazz meets Massive Attack,” placing ISQ at the crossroads of progressive vocal jazz and alternative art-pop.