Troi Irons channels intense vocal delivery and fearless artistic vision into a revival of the raw textures associated with alternative rock from the 1990s and 2000s, as showcased on projects including the self-produced EP Antihero from 2018.
Her name derives from the historic Turkish city of Troy. She spent her early years in a musically oriented household in Nevada as the daughter of Eddie Irons, drummer in the funk-rock band Brick, and Anne G., a singer/songwriter. Her mother provided vocal instruction, and the family produced an a cappella Christmas album together. At age 12 the household relocated to Southern California to enable her enrollment in an accelerated college program at Cal State. During that period she absorbed the catalog of the Beatles alongside alternative and indie acts such as Evanescence, Green Day, System of a Down, and Sufjan Stevens. With her twin sister she launched the duo Axiz, which obtained a 2008 recording contract with RCA and completed an album the label ultimately shelved.
By 18 she had completed a B.A. in psychology and was operating as a solo performer. In 2014 her voice appeared on Australian DJ Will Sparks’ “When the Lights Go Out,” and the next year she teamed with the Finnish duo Tom & Hills for “Lighters.” She further contributed vocals to two tracks on Lupe Fiasco’s 2015 album Tetsuo & Youth. Following her signing with Def Jam, she issued the 2016 EP Turbulence, which merged forceful singing with substantial rock drive. In pursuit of expanded creative autonomy she exited Def Jam and delivered the self-produced 2018 EP Antihero.
