IR

IR is an alternative rock band based in Vilnius, Lithuania. Formed in 2003, IR has stormed the young Lithuanian alternative scene, winning several local band contests including the most prestigious Naujas Kraujas and Euro Rock Vilnius 2004, among others. After the original line-up broke up in 2005, the founding member and front man Germanas Skoris continued the IR drive with different semi-international line-ups until it stabilized in the current shape.

During just three years of its existence the band's music has been compared by fans and local media to about a dozen rock acts, stretching from Placebo and Smashing Pumpkins to Nirvana and Foo Fighters, which only suggests, that IR actually do have an original style of their own. With this in mind, and their own musical influences ranging from Red Hot Chili Peppers to A Perfect Circle, the band members themselves won't go into any deeper definitions, than just "rock", leaving it up to the listeners to figure it out for themselves.

In the winter of 2005 the band signed a record deal with Zona Music, what resulted in their debut album Now or Never. Released in the fall of 2005 it took the band’s career to a new level. The album got very positive feedback from numerous reviewers, both local and foreign, agreeing it to be one of the best alternative rock records to come out of the Baltic States. "The album has a drive from the beginning on. [...] Amazing quality so early in the band's history" wrote Overhook Music from Finland.

Despite a neglectful stance towards the rock format in the Baltic media, tracks from the album managed to enter several local charts. For three weeks, the video for the song "Idol” stood at number one on the Baltic Top 30 – a unified weekly chart conducted by several Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian radio stations and TV channels, and the ballad “Maybe” topped the charts at Mazeikiu Aidas radio station. “Maybe” is also in rotation on the new alternative radio station Opus 3.

IR is a hard-working live band, playing various local events and clubs. In 2004 they opened for Tito and Tarantula at the Rudstock 2004 festival, toured in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Throughout 2005 and 2006 IR extensively toured in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland and played numerous unplugged gigs, not just in venues, but a live on-air radio performance as well. In spring 2007 IR toured East and Central Europe, later played at Be2Gether Festival headlined by acts like Therapy?, Morcheeba, Bloodhound Gang, Datarock and at the well-known Polish Vena Festival along with Fun Lovin Criminals, Ed Rush, Nigel Kennedy and numerous top Polish acts.

IR has won the Best Rock Artist of the Year award and Now or Never was nominated for the Best Album of the Year 2005 at the Lithuanian alternative music awards A.LT. The band was the Artist of the Week of the famous independent music website ubl.com. IR has made a music video for their song “Hell” nominated for Best Video at the 2006 A.LT awards. The band was also nominated for Best Rock band that year.
IR - Hell

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