Iona Zajac Unleashes Liberated New Single ‘Bang’ & Confirms Pogues US Tour Dates

by | Jun 10, 2025

Rising Scottish talent Iona Zajac has released her second single of the year, the irresistibly raw and celebratory Bang—a bold, liberated follow-up to her haunting earlier 2025 release, Summer. Packed with tongue-in-cheek wit, swaggering indie-rock flair, and unapologetic joy, Bang showcases Zajac in her most confident, playful form to date. The track arrives hot on the heels of a whirlwind few months that saw Zajac supporting synthpop icon Alison Moyet across a sold-out 25-date UK and Ireland tour, including major stops at London’s Palladium, Dublin’s 3Olympia, and Belfast’s Ulster Hall. But even that was only the start.

Iona Zajac

Iona Zajac (Carys Huws)
Iona Zajac (Carys Huws)

Last December, Zajac made headlines after joining The Pogues at their monumental 40th anniversary show at Dublin’s 3Arena. Initially billed as a one-off, Zajac’s electric performance supporting—and later fronting—the legendary band led to a new touring lineup that included members of Lankum, Goat Girl, Lisa O’Neill, and Nadine Shah. This dream team of modern folk’s fiercest voices took The Pogues’ legacy into a new chapter, sharing the mic and the spotlight in seven stunning live shows. To mark the bond they’d forged, original Pogues member Spider Stacy joined Zajac and her fellow tourmates in a post-tour tattoo session, each inking the word “Pogue” to their skin—an unofficial rite of passage into the punk-folk pantheon.

And now, the next chapter begins. Zajac will tour North America with The Pogues this September, playing to huge crowds across the US and Canada (full dates below), cementing her role in this storied and evolving ensemble. Musically and thematically, Bang is a sharp departure from the ghostly folk minimalism of Summer. Instead, it’s a cheeky, guitar-driven explosion of sexual self-reclamation and late-night euphoria.

Speaking about the track, Zajac shares: “A good bang at the end of a boring day won’t fix your life, but it might help.” In a refreshingly candid reflection on young womanhood, shame, and the transformative power of sexual awakening, Zajac uses the song to reframe the narrative around physicality and pleasure.

“I wrote Bang when I realised sex could be good. That might sound obvious, but it wasn’t for me growing up,” she says. “Slut shaming, body hatred—it all made it impossible to feel joy in my own skin. Then one day the shame lifted, and I wanted to shout about it.” The accompanying music video takes a minimalist approach, following a day in the life of a woman who fully embraces her body and her desires. “It’s a celebration of female pleasure,” Zajac adds, “a simple story of being bored… and loving to bang.”

Zajac will be back on stage this July, first with a trio of intimate shows alongside Lisa O’Neill at Dun Laoghaire’s Pavilion Theatre, followed by a return to London for a special set supporting Alison Moyet at Kew Gardens as Part of Kew The Music.

She’ll then head to Belladrum Festival in August, before joining The Pogues for their major North American run, including festival appearances and iconic venues such as New York’s Terminal 5, Chicago’s Riot Fest, and Toronto’s History.

Iona Zajac – 2025 Tour Dates

JULY
4th – Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire w/ Lisa O’Neill
5th – Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire w/ Lisa O’Neill
6th – Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire w/ Lisa O’Neill
12th – Kew Gardens, London w/ Alison Moyet

AUGUST
1st – Belladrum Festival, Inverness

SEPTEMBER (with The Pogues)
5th – Lincoln Centre, Washington DC
7th – Seasun Festival, Boston
8th – Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia
10th – History, Toronto
12th – Mtelus, Montreal
13th – CityFolk Festival, Ottawa
16th – Terminal 5, New York
17th – Terminal 5, New York
19th – Riot Fest, Chicago

With Bang, Iona Zajac continues to prove that she’s a voice to watch—not just for her powerful vocals and poetic lyrics, but for her fierce commitment to truth, vulnerability, and evolution. Whether fronting her own band or reimagining The Pogues’ catalogue, Zajac is a force of nature—shame-free, genre-bending, and gloriously herself.

Girlpuppy At London’s Lower Third – A Shimmering Study In Emotional Honesty

Jeff Lynne Cancels Final ELO Show At BST Hyde Park 2025 Following Illness

In a heartbreaking development for fans, Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) have cancelled what was set to be their final ever UK performance at BST Hyde Park on Sunday 13 July 2025. The decision follows Lynne’s continued ill health and comes just days after the group’s second show at Manchester’s Co-op Live on 10th July was pulled moments before showtime, after the venue had already filled with fans. Lynne, 77, has been battling a systemic infection and is now under close medical supervision.

Olivia Dean @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Olivia Dean Warms A Damp Hyde Park With Soulful Resilience At BST Hyde Park 2025

Though clouds still loomed and the ground remained squelchy underfoot, Olivia Dean brought a welcome calm and undeniable warmth to BST Hyde Park’s Great Oak Stage on Sunday afternoon. Following a weather-disrupted opening set by Amber Mark — whose performance was cut short by a torrential downpour — Dean arrived as the skies cleared, bringing poise, polish, and powerful vocals to a crowd that refused to let a bit of British summer rain dampen their spirits.

Clairo @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Clairo Brings Soft Focus And Dreamy Intimacy To The Great Oak Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In the golden lull between a dramatic afternoon downpour and Sabrina Carpenter’s headline pop spectacle, Clairo turned London’s Great Oak Stage into a sanctuary of softness and reflection. Her early evening performance at BST Hyde Park on Sunday 6th July offered a tender contrast to the festival’s typically high-energy crescendo, inviting the crowd into a quieter, more introspective space.

Jessie Murph (Press)

Jessie Murph Announces Bold New Album ‘Sex Hysteria’, Shares Vulnerable New Single ‘Bad As The Rest’

Boundary-breaking rising star Jessie Murph has unveiled her latest single Bad As The Rest, offering a raw and emotionally charged glimpse into her upcoming sophomore album Sex Hysteria, due out on 18th July via Columbia Records.

The Jacques (Nick Sayers)

The Jacques Announce Riotous New Single ‘All The Other Sinners’ Ahead of Second Album ‘Make Repetition!’

London/Bristol alt-rock trio The Jacques are ramping up momentum ahead of their second album Make Repetition! with the release of their blistering new single All The Other Sinners — a searing, melody-drenched slice of chaos and catharsis out now.

Cam @ The Tabernacle (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Cam Captivates London With A Night Of Raw Vocals And Real Stories At The Tabernacle

In a sweltering Tabernacle, a somehow both vast and intimate venue, a sweat-soaked audience filled every seat for...
J.Fla (Press)

J.Fla Redefines Herself With Empowering New Single ‘Stellar Paradox’

South Korean singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation J.Fla has taken a giant leap into the cosmos with her newest release, Stellar Paradox, marking the start of a bold new chapter in her musical journey. Known to millions for her viral YouTube covers, J.Fla now turns the spotlight firmly onto her own voice with a genre-blending, emotionally charged original that paves the way for her highly anticipated upcoming EP, due in late summer 2025.

Chloe Qisha @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Chloe Qisha Closes The Rainbow Stage In Style At BST Hyde Park 2025

After a tempestuous afternoon that saw Hyde Park lashed by torrential rain and set times thrown into flux, it was Chloe Qisha who restored the calm — and then brought the fire — as she closed the Rainbow Stage on Sunday evening with a confident, emotionally astute set that proved worth the wait.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing