“I wanted to make an album that felt like a house concert,” says Ito. “As if the listener is sitting in the room with me—honest, vulnerable, pure.”

Recorded in a secluded studio in the Swiss region of Ticino and produced entirely by F(L)INTA creatives – a German acronym referring to women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender individuals – Lonely Island is a portrait of radical intimacy. 

Drawing on her classical training, jazz improvisation, and a lifelong practice of learning by ear (from early childhood under the Suzuki method), Ito reimagines ten of her own songs that have accompanied her over many years – pieces she says she would take with her to a desert island. Among them: the meditative Old Redwood Tree, the impressionistic Stardust Crystals, and a transformed version of What Seems To Be, where she replaces the original saxophone lines with her own voice and piano.

The result is music that shimmers and breathes – somewhere between Debussy, Norah Jones, Ólafur Arnalds and Tori Amos. There are echoes of impressionism, Brazilian rhythms, and cinematic landscapes. Every sound was recorded live, creating a delicate sonic world that draws the listener closer with each phrase.

Lonely Island marks both a homecoming and a new direction. Rooted in improvisation and guided by storytelling, the album opens a new chapter in Ito’s genre-defying career. While a full-band album and international tour are planned for 2026, this is Ito at her most stripped back – and arguably most powerful.