Ivy Falls, the alias of singer-songwriter Fien Deman, is debuting in 2024 with her first album. It is mature, grounded, and with a lucid vision and direction. It's written while seeing fault lines rise to the surface after a breakup, the loss of her home and in an overall time of uncertainties. Writing was a way to get her bearings and figure out what to fill her empty ‘house’ with. As a sort of side effect, an album emerged. Everything is now vastly different: a new life, a new place, new people, and a guitar-driven, very honest, indie-folk album. This sounds like the best outro for the confusing time being in your twenties can be.
When Covid started in 2020, it also brought the opportunity for some to 'leave your life as it is'. Fien decided to do so. She hoped to eliminate the predetermined shapes taught as a child. They say you sometimes hit a wall when you've reached your limits in life. So she did in Spring 2020: a broken nose, some chaotic events, and a very energy-absorbing search to redefine everything. The end of a relationship, selling the house she lived in, moving back to her hometown and being unemployed made sure everything there was to shake was shaken thoroughly.
In the years after that, her life began to fall into place, little by little. And so did her musical identity, thematics and sound. For the first time, it made complete sense. She bought an acoustic and electric guitar and a buffet piano and spent as much time as possible in her diy home studio.
This album's artistic approach and meaning align with her approach on life and the future in many ways. It is pinning on redefining stiff concepts in our society, such as the concept of golden years. What and when is supposed to be life's most significant, happiest, most alive moments? Concepts like the superiority of extroverts, materialism and toxic positivity are a few topics touched on. Not a frustrated lament but a beautiful ode to what matters, the core of the beauty of life itself. Finding your inner child and being able to experience timeless and profound feelings.
Musically, Fien finally found her true match, working with Bram Vanparys (The Bony King of Nowhere) as a producer. Creating a metaphorical room wherein each tiny musical idea has space to grow; each insight, each try makes all the difference. Ivy Falls is ready to raise her bars, influenced by Julia Jacklin, Amen Dunes, Feist, Sharon Van Etten, Sufjan Stevens, Adrianne Lenker, Big Thief, Nick Drake and Nilüfer Yanya.
Like always, Fien's characteristic voice plays the leading role in every song, but shows maturity and shades like never before.
Live, Fien is supported by fellow musicians Trui Amerlinck (Tsar B, Mayorga), Jasper Morel (Black Box Revelation) & Simon Raman (Steiger).
In the past, Ivy Falls released 2 EP’s, was played Studio Brussel and Radio 1 and did support shows for Balthazar, Jessie Ware, Sigrid and Mabel.
