Irene Diaz has found her voice Again

Born and raised Angeleno Irene Diaz has a tone that seamlessly blends folk, soul, and Chicano oldies. NPR hailed her first self-produced EP, "I Love You Madly," as "simply immense," which even garnered her a performance on the NPR Tiny Desk. When it came time to make her follow-up full-length album, Irene hired a producer to help make the record. The result was a pop-heavy album with digital sounds that took her further from her roots than she had ever been. While the music was well executed, it didn't fully connect with Irene. That process and the subsequent label relationship became a multi-year detour on her musical journey.

With the support of a Recording Fund grant, Irene has leaned back into her soulful, organic roots to self-produce and record "Anything for You," which premiered on NPR's Alt.Latino in May 2025. The grant enabled her to collaborate and record live with talented musicians who added depth and dimension to the recording process, creating music that aligns with her current artistic values of live recording and authentic instrumentation.

Recording Fund’s mission isn't just about the dollars and cents of recording. It's about helping set the conditions for beautiful, unencumbered music to be made, as heard with Irene Diaz’s “Anything for You.” Listen below.