IMVN is ‘Syren’: ‘we are hosts for our emotions’
Photography: Jordan Curtis Hughes, Wearing: Shloka Bhatia
9th June 2025
By Yasmin Abubeker
With years of music, theatre and dance training under her belt, IMVN (pronounced Iman) is an independent multi-disciplinary artist dedicated to her craft.
Following her 2022 debut EP, the genre-blending singer-songwriter, violinist, and producer returns with her latest single, 'Host'. Drawing from indie and electronic influences, 'Host' is a powerful and dynamic release that offers a glimpse into her upcoming project, 'Syren'. Her most vulnerable work to date, IMVN has already produced two expansive singles, On a Limb and Worn including a third with 'Host’.
Having recently signed a distribution deal with COLORSxSTUDIOS, the singer embarks on an exciting new chapter, exploring ambient soundscapes, honest lyricism and intentional visuals.
In a time where the digital is prioritised, to see IMVN perform is to witness truly beautiful artistry. With performances at Southbank’s futuretense and an intimate show at her co-founded event, Chiaroscuro, IMVN’s focus on set design, visual art and experimental choreography challenges what it means to be an artist today.
I spoke with IMVN about the importance of performance, Syren as a conceptual world and what it means to ‘empty the Host’.
Photography: Jordan Curtis Hughes, Wearing: Shloka Bhatia
What was your journey to music?
I have always known that I wanted to be an artist since I was a child. I have it very ingrained in my memory. Everything that I’ve done in my life has led up to me becoming the artist I wanted to be. I’ve been in training from a young age, whether it be theatre or dance and always in the back of my mind was the notion that I wanted to integrate this training into my own artistry.
How did Host come about and where does it sit on your Syren journey?
I made it with Ollie Deane who I started working with in 2023. We’ve been making things here and there but when we made Host, we knew it was strong instantly. It wasn’t that long ago! I got in the studio around November last year and was done in a couple sessions. By December, I performed it at my Southbank show. So it was a super quick turnaround time which I hadn’t experienced before but I loved the process as it made the song still feel so fresh and raw.
Your music always feels quite vulnerable and raw, Worn was such a sensitive track whilst Host still feels open but more gritty - what inspired you to write Host?
It’s based on a friend of mine who was going through a really bad toxic relationship. So I wanted to write from the perspective of two people who aren’t necessarily bad people, but their dynamic doesn’t bring out the best in them. That's the concept of being a host - that we are hosts for our emotions. When I say, ‘empty the host’, it’s saying to get rid of the baggage so you can be a better version of yourself. If that means the dynamic doesn’t work, then let it go.
You can definitely feel that internal battle in the song - the song is quite a journey. Are those your distorted vocals at the end?
It was all of those times listening to Paramore songs - I wanted to feel like I was on stage and the electric guitar was going off. That was the vibe I wanted it to give and I didn't have a guitar at that time. Plus, I wanted to do it with my voice for fun. It's my favourite part to perform because I enjoy it so much.
Why ‘Syren’?
The title just came to me. I woke up one day after setting the intention that I wanted the title to arrive for a couple of weeks. I'm very intuitive when picking song or project titles. I chose Syren because I love titles that have double meanings. With Faze, you can spell it two different ways and Syren has two different meanings.
Most people will know vaguely what a siren is, and you obviously hear the term on social media nowadays, but what is a siren to you?
When I was researching about it, I found that 'siren’ as a word comes from Greek mythology but before them it had a lot to do with the Orishas and African traditions. In those stories, they are protectors of the sea but in other stories, they’re villains. I identified with that because everything is perspective and that's what this project is about, in a literal sense. A lot of the songs are written about people and friendships I no longer have.
They're characters in this Syren’s journey. The Syren character may be a villain to some people but there's always different sides to someone's experience. Maybe their whole story is just misunderstood. When making the songs, I envisioned the people as lost souls at sea and I’m just the Syren.
What can we expect from the whole project?
I’d say, it is a very cohesive world. It draws on a lot of mythology and folklore. It feels futuristic in some capacities but very much still mythological and archaic - it exists in its own time. Also, it is very visual. There’s a clear image and narrative I want to convey. Some with a soft nature but and some with a hard edge, which is mirrored in the songs.
Syren feels like a shift from Faze, not only musically but also visually, where your debut EP was more alternative R&B and Syren is more Electronic, dark and ambient - how much of this shift will we see in the roll out of Syren?
I would say the visuals get more immersive. With the next couple of singles, there is a bigger visual emphasis on the character of the Syren - this being I've created and the spaces they're in. They’ll all have a connection but where Worn is water based, Host is way more grounded and based in land.
The movement in every single one of your performances feels extremely intentional and hypnotic. How important is movement to you and your artistry as a whole?
It is so important. Whenever I make songs in the studio, I can always instantly imagine the type of visual I want. There's always at least one vision that comes to mind. Also, I ask myself, how does the song make me feel in my body? How does it sit in my body? When it comes to actually performing them and doing the show, I just always want to dance. It's something I want to put into my music, naturally I don't want to stand still.
What is your favourite song on the project?
They all mean so much to me, but I’d say Host because it's the most thrilling song to perform. I love the pace of the song; it's one you can’t help but move to. It feels the best one to perform and that is what I want to do more of right now. Living these songs out in a physical space is the most important thing to me and so Host allows me to do that in the best way.
What can we expect from IMVN in the next year?
I’ll be performing at COLORS Tones of London event in September. It’s at Hackney Church and will be a chance to show the more rhythmic, physical side of my sound, whilst still keeping that emotional and ethereal core present. Before that, I’ll be playing the BBC Introducing London stage at Summer By The River in August. So excited to live out these songs on stage!