A versatile keyboardist, songwriter and producer, Feren Isles brings their songs to life through their distinct baritone voice and confessional lyrics. Based in Montréal, they completed a master’s degree in music theory at McGill University, focusing on contemporary experimental and electronic music. With influences blending 80s synthpop, 90’s europop, Lilith Fair era singer-songwriters and 2000’s R&B, this is nostalgic new wave reimagined: bright catchy hooks tinged with melancholy, rapid flickering percussion, lyrically earnest explorations of contemporary alienation, all deftly balanced.

Throughout 2021 and early 2022, Feren Isles released several singles from their upcoming debut album Facing Uncertainty (expected June 17, 2022): 10 compelling tracks submerged in themes of anxiety, repression, self-discovery and intrinsic self-worth. Produced and recorded throughout 2020, It Finds Me was mixed by James Benjamin (Purity Ring, CFCF, Kaytranada) at Breakglass Studios in Montréal. Beginning with the release of the wistful yet mesmerizing title track and music video for “It Finds Me” in 2021, followed by “Dig My Heels” and “Wipe My Memory Clean,”  Isles has been sharing their journey of healing and self-discovery through textured, expressive pop music.

A versatile collaborator, Feren Isles created the musical arrangements for and performed in Dear Alanis alongside irreverent comedienne Tranna Wintour (Big Brother Célebrités 2) at the 2019 Just For Laughs Off-JFL Festival, and performed with her on the outdoor stage at Fierté Montréal/Montréal Pride. Later that fall, they gave an entrancing demonstration and performance at the launch party of Zupiter, a browser-based modular synthesizer designed by Maxime Chevalier-Boisvert.

In 2019 Feren Isles self-released their first EP, Survival, featuring three introspective songs reconciling their Mennonite heritage with their queer identity. Growing up in the rural prairies of Canada, music was an integral part of their upbringing in both religious and academic  environments. Exploring the dissonance and tension of their coming out experience on this EP, Feren Isles reclaims their relationship with music, arriving at authentic self-expression through cathartic pop compositions.