iona is a DJ you can trust
From working at the legendary venue Dance Tunnel to securing a regular spot at the beloved Field Maneuvers festival, the East Londoner has well and truly earned her stripes in UK night life.
Music
Words: Jade Wickes
iona’s career was kickstarted when she got a job at East London club Dance Tunnel. Shuttered since 2016, it was home to some of the city’s most important parties – including the renowned dubstep night FWD». “Working there from 2013 until its closure, all the programming completely cracked my head open,” she says.
Born and raised in Hackney, the DJ and producer grew up on a diet of R&B, hip hop and dancehall, also discovering Gil Scott-Heron, Tricky and Miles Davis from her parents’ record collection. “Then I got into housier stuff before working at Dance Tunnel,” she says. “[It exposed me to] so much new music.”
Things escalated from there: a friend iona had met at the club taught her how to use a pair of decks, another pal Leon, founder of the respected festival Field Maneuvers, promised iona a slot on the line-up as soon as she did a decent Dance Tunnel set. “He was probably thinking it would never happen, but I played the club’s closing party in 2016 and it went pretty well,” she says, laughing. “True to his word, I made the line-up that year.”
iona’s been an FM regular ever since, bringing her freewheeling, re-work heavy, always euphoric sets to the Sputnik dome tent. And this year, she’s planning to send punters into space via her very own stage takeover this month, with a line-up that includes leftfield selectors such as as Djrum and LCY. “I think it sits between Field Maneuvers’ signature rave euphoria and [the festival’s] harder-edge techno in a way that’s chunky and satisfying,” she says. “I feel like I’ve never fully seen what a DJ can do until they’ve played there.”
And what can we expect from iona’s own set? Some heavier tunes, from hard-hitting house and broken beat to percussive techno, hardcore and jungle. “When I’m losing myself in a really good set, I feel totally alive and connected to the people around me,” she says. “I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be – it’s cathartic and exciting and moving through that crowd feels so instinctive.” See you front left.
10%
What’s a bad habit you wish you could kick?
Staying up too late every night at Glastonbury and missing bands during the day.
20%
Name something you love, something you like, something you hate?
I love swimming in the sea. I like that beautiful beaches are just a train ride away from where I live. I hate that the water companies have dumped so much sewage in the sea.
30%
What’s your phone screensaver?
The Cumbrian hills for my lock screen and my dog as my wallpaper. She’s 14!
40%
What do you think about when you’re in the shower?
“I prefer baths.”
50%
Have you ever stolen anything?
No. But I did borrow, without explicit permission, an 80-tonne articulated lorry and take it for a spin around the empty site of a certain festival. It was amazing.
60%
Do you have any interesting scars?
No, but I am still scarred from the great dumpling shortage at Tower Festival 2018. If you know, you know.
70%
What’s the most memorable DM you’ve received?
I can’t remember any of mine, but my friend got one from Daniel Bedingfield at 5am on St Patrick’s Day saying, “hello”. She responded something about needing to get through this… He blocked her immediately.
80%
What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
Seeing people on the dancefloor go mad for massive bangers while I’m doing the same in the booth! It’s very satisfying to privately put together a set of stuff you think is really good and it lands. It’s so affirming.
90%
What’s most important to you when you’re doing a set?
The presence of a smoke machine.
100%
What can artists do to help save the world?
Greener touring policies would be a great start.
